COLUMBUS – When Ohio State and Clemson face each other in a College Football Playoff semifinal in the Sugar Bowl on Friday night, each will be looking for redemption of sorts.
CFP National Semifinal
(3) OHIO STATE (6-0) vs. (2) CLEMSON (10-1) 3
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, La.
Fri., Jan. 1 (8:00 p.m./ ESPN)
For Justin Fields and the Buckeyes, the Sugar Bowl is a chance to avenge their last defeat, in a CFP semifinal against Clemson last year.
For Trevor Lawrence and the Tigers, the College Football Playoff semifinal brings them back to the site of last season’s national championship game loss to LSU.
Clemson and Ohio State are meeting in the playoff for the third time.
The off-field actions of the quarterbacks during the tumultuous year of 2020 helped set up their showdown.
Both players are expected to be high NFL picks in the upcoming draft and could’ve opted out of the season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Instead, they spoke up on issues like social justice and helped start a “#WeWantToPlay” movement to rally players to ensure their voices were heard by decision makers.
Now they’ll meet with a spot in the national title game on the line.
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The last time Clemson and Ohio State faced off — just last year — they played one of the best semifinals in the College Football Playoff’s 6-year history.
According to the oddsmakers, this season’s CFP semis figure to be more of the same. The Tigers have some matchup advantages for Lawrence to exploit and the Buckeyes need to stick with their running game.
In the other Jan. 1 semifinal, Notre Dame faces a choice defensively: Go after Alabama’s Mac Jones and risk giving up the deep passes he throws so well or sit back and risk being run over.
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit says he has tested positive for COVID-19 and will have to call the game between Ohio State and Clemson from home.
The former Buckeye quarterback posted Tuesday night on Twitter that he was feeling good and his family was OK.
He said he will still be part of “College GameDay” on the morning of Jan. 1 and on the call of the Sugar Bowl with play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler that night.