GLENDALE, Ariz. – A three-and-a-half day break for the holidays ended for the Ohio State Buckeyes Sunday as the team flew to Arizona for Saturday’s College Football Playoff semifinal game against Clemson.
2019 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
(2) Ohio St. (13-0) vs. (3) Clemson (13-0)
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Sat. Dec. 28 (8 p.m./ABC)
The players and coaches spent about 60 minutes at Notre Dame Prep, their practice facility for the week, getting back into their game week routine with a Sunday afternoon workout.
The Buckeyes will practice again late Monday morning as head coach Ryan Day and his staff are trying to maintain a typical routine.
“Certainly, it’s a bowl game but it’s a little different,” Day told reports on arrival. “This one you’re playing for a lot more, and I think the guys are going to prepare that way this week.”
The College Football Playoff could produce more than a few offensive fireworks, featuring all four Heisman Trophy finalists and four high-powered offenses.
The Buckeyes and Tigers, as well as No. 1 LSU and No. 4 Oklahoma, all feature offenses fueled by catch-everything wideouts who specialize in spectacular grabs and have incredible finishing speed.
This is the first time all four CFP participants are averaging better than 43 points a game.
Ohio State is averaging 48.7 points per game with Heisman finalist Justin Fields at quarterback and the Tigers are averaging 46.5 points per game. Ohio State’s other Heisman finalist, Chase Young, and the OSU defense are only allowing opponents 12.5 points per game while Clemson’s defense is giving up a stingy 10.6.
LSU is led by Heisman winner Joe Burrow, an Athens native and former Buckeye backup quarterback, and Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts was the fourth player on the stage in New York on Dec. 14.