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Ohio State DLs Robert Landers, Jashon Cornell talk rematch with Clemson, No. 2 ranking and representing the B1G
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Ohio State learned its fate on Sunday afternoon, discovering it will play Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 28. It’s a rematch of the 2016 meeting between the two, a shutout win for the Tigers.
After receiving word where the Buckeyes were headed and who they’ll be playing, defensive linemen Robert Landers and Jashon Cornell spoke with the media to talk about the postseason matchup.
Much of the talk was how Ohio State slipped from the No. 1 spot to the No. 2 ranking in the College Football Playoff poll. Cornell says that the ranking doesn’t matter.
“No. 2 doesn’t mean anything to us,” he said, according to Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch. “We’re still in the playoffs. We’re ready to ball.”
Landers was asked how it felt to be “carrying the banner” for the B1G in the College Football Playoff this year, after the conference was left out each of the last two seasons.
“For us, we’re carrying the Buckeye name,” Landers said. “If people want to look at us as carrying the B1G name, that’s fine. We appreciate the support.”
Of course, the two were asked about the 2016 loss to Clemson and how that factors into the 2019 matchup. There didn’t seem to be much of a comparison.
“When we played Clemson in 2016, it was a different era of Ohio State,” Landers told Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors. “I feel like the team that we are now is completely different from the team that we were in 2016…yes it’s in the history books, but that’s it. It’s history. We gotta focus on the present.”
Both Ohio State and Clemson are 13-0 and won their respective conference titles.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB