The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
NO. 2 OHIO STATE VS. NO. 3 CLEMSON
■ Records: Ohio State (130), Clemson (13-0) ■ Site: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona ■ Kickoff/TV: 8 p.m. today, ESPN
■ Line: Clemson by 11/2.
■ At stake: A spot in the College Football Playoff national championship game. The Buckeyes and Tigers have been in this spot before. They met in the 2016 semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl, and Clemson won 31-0. Much has changed since then, including two national championships for the Tigers and a new coach for Ohio State. For the Buckeyes, it’s also a chance to show they share elite status with programs like Clemson and Alabama.
■ Key Matchup: Ohio State DE Chase Young vs. Clemson LT Jackson Carman. Young is an All American and a Heisman Trophy finalist. He had 161/2 sacks in 11 games and is likely to be the first nonquarterback selected in the NFL draft. Carman, a sophomore, is a former five-star recruit from Ohio. He will probably need help to contain Young. Plus, the Buckeyes like to move around their top pass rusher to mess with opponents’ protection schemes.
■ Facts and figures: Clemson has won 28
straight games, the longest winning streak in the nation. Ohio State has won 19 straight games, second best ... Each team has a star running back. Clemson’s Travis Etienne averages 8.24 yards per carry and has scored 19 touchdowns. Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins averages 6.46 yards per carry and has scored 22 touchdowns ... Ohio State’s Ryan Day is in his first season as the Buckeyes’ head coach after taking over when Urban Meyer stepped down. Day is trying to become the first coach to win a national title in his first year since Larry Coker did it at Miami in 2001.
... Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has the Tigers in the playoffs for the fifth straight season. They have reached the championship game three times with Swinney.