The Clemson football team will matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Fiesta Bowl. Here’s a look at the Buckeyes by the numbers.
The CFB Playoff committee announced Sunday that Clemson football, ranked No. 3 in the final poll, would play the No. 2-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl in the semifinals.
The Tigers and the Buckeyes last matched up in the CFB Playoff semifinals in 2016 when Clemson went on to win the National Championship. The Tigers beat Ohio State 31-0 in that tilt.
This time around, the Buckeyes will be looking for revenge.
As we prepare for the Clemson football game in just a couple of weeks, here’s a look at the numbers on Ohio State.
Ohio State Buckeyes: By The Numbers
Team Stats (National Rankings):
- Total Offense: No. 5
- Rushing Offense: No. 5
- Passing Offense: No. 41
- Total Defense: No. 2
- Rushing Defense: No. 7
- Passing Defense: No. 2
- Team Sacks: No. 3
- Turnover Margin: No. 10
Ohio State is averaging 531 yards per game, including 272.2 rushing yards, which is only behind LSU, Oklahoma, Clemson and UCF on the national list. The Buckeyes are No. 2 in total defense, just behind the Tigers.
The Buckeyes rely heavily on QB Justin Fields to make plays with his arm and his legs, and for his counterpart RB J.K. Dobbins to bust off a few explosive runs and pick up the tough yardage when needed.
When you look at the defense, you can tell that Ohio State loves to bring pressure (No. 3 in the nation in sacks) and does an excellent job against the run (No. 7 in the nation). The Buckeyes haven’t faced an offense as prolific as Clemson football, but it’s clear that this will be a formidable test.
The Buckeyes basically rank inside the top-10 in every single major stat category, except for passing offense, which probably has more to do with the fact that they were blowing out teams and not throwing the ball quite as much in the second half.
We’ll have a more in-depth scouting report after watching more film, but a quick look at the numbers proves that Ohio State should be a solid test for the Tigers as Dabo Swinney looks to lead Clemson football to back-to-back National Championships.