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Ohio State will get its shot at revenge.
The No. 2 Buckeyes will take on No. 3 Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 28 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN), with a trip to the national championship hanging in the balance. The last time the two teams met was the 2016 Fiesta Bowl, a game the Tigers won 31-0, handing Urban Meyer his first shutout of his coaching career. But this is a different year and a different team.
As much attention as Ohio State has received as being one of the best teams in college football this year — and deservedly so — there’s no question Clemson is still playing at an elite level. It should create a fun matchup in Phoenix later this month.
Here are five things to know about Clemson before the matchup with Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl:
28 straight victories
Clemson hasn’t lost a game since its national championship loss to Alabama on Jan. 8, 2018, rattling off 28-straight victories. The Tigers have gone from a great program to an elite program under Dabo Swinney, winning two national titles in the last three seasons. They’ve appeared in the College Football Playoff each of the last five seasons and bring plenty of championship experience to the field.
Throw it up, they’ll catch it
There may not be a more athletic group of receivers in the country than the one Clemson has this season. The combination of Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross alone is enough to give any defense fits. Higgins has hauled in 52 receptions for 1,082 yards and 13 touchdowns. Ross has totaled 55 catches for 742 yards and eight scores. And the stats don’t even emphasize the kind of catches those two guys are capable of making. Throw in Amari Rodgers and Diondre Overton and you see why Trevor Lawrence has so much success under center.
An absurd average margin of victory
If you thought Ohio State’s average margin of victory was ridiculous, just take a look at Clemson’s numbers. The Tigers are winning games by an average of 35.9 (!) points per game, and that’s including the 21-20 victory over North Carolina. With the exception of that one scare in Chapel Hill in late September, Clemson has dominated everyone on the schedule, winning 10 of 13 games by at least five touchdowns.
Highest yards per carry average in the country
Clemson’s rushing attack has been one of the best in the country. Travis Etienne has been one of the most efficient backs in the country, rushing for 1,500 yards and averaging 8.24 yards per touch. Lyn-J Dixon has been a solid backup, racking up 619 yards on 102 carries for the year. As a team, the Tigers are averaging 6.46 yards per carry, highest in college football.
Untested in 2019
The only knock against the reigning champs is that they’ve gone through the season untested. Yes, the ACC did have 10 teams finish the year with bowl eligibility, but Clemson played just one team that finished the year ranked in the College Football Playoff top 25 (No. 24 Virginia). How will the Tigers handle a challenge like Ohio State, which also has a lot of explosive offensive talent and some of the top defensive players in the country? That’s the biggest question for Swinney and company, and why Clemson is in the No. 3 spot and not atop the final rankings.
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