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Pure dominance: Ohio State’s starting OTs absolutely suffocated Clemson’s pass rush in Sugar Bowl

Kristian Dyer

By Kristian Dyer

Published:

Ohio State is moving on in the College Football Playoff and a major reason for their blowout win came along the offensive line.

The Ohio State offensive line was borderline dominant in the Sugar Bowl against Clemson, a 49-28 win by the Big Ten program over the heavily favored Tigers.

And while the performance of quarterback Justin Fields and running back Trey Sermon grabbed all the headlines, the play of the offensive line was beyond impressive. In particular, the play of offensive tackles Thayer Munford & Nicholas Petit-Frere made the win possible for the Buckeyes.

This performance, against one of the ACC’s best pass rushes, was highlighted by Pro Football Focus College:

The dominance by Munford and Petit-Frere was a major reason why Fields had such a big showing against Clemson, throwing for 385 yards with six passing touchdowns (and just a single interception). Sermon continued his hot form as well, adding 193 rushing yards and a touchdown.

With the win over No. 2 Clemson, the Buckeyes advance to the championship of the College Football Playoff against No. 1 Alabama. If Ohio State is to have any chance, the offensive line will need to be excellent against one of the best defensive units from the SEC.

Kristian Dyer