Familiar four for it all
Semifinal matchups set: Tide-Irish, Tigers-Buckeyes
Ohio State spent much of the last four months laying out its case for inclusion in the College Football Playoff semi finals. The Buckeyes believed they had a good enough team to con tend for a national championship and urged the Big Ten to play football in the fall despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Once the league agreed to play a shortened fall season, Buckeyes coach RyanDay’s team fought to complete it despite a COVID19 outbreak, relying on last-minute rules changes allowingit to play inthe conference championshipgame. Ohio State beat Northwestern for its fourth consecutive Big Ten championship.
NowtheNo. 3Buckeyes (6-0) mustprove they deserve to be inthe play offs when they face off against a familiar, formidable opponent — No. 2 Clemson (10-1). The winner advances to take on the winner of the other semifinal matchup between No. 1 Alabama (11-0) and No. 4NotreDame (10-1).
“There was a time when we didn’t have a season and here we are,” Day told ESPN’s Rece Davis after learning his team’s bid. “It’s been that way all year. You talk about anxiety, it’s been anxiety for a long time.”
Day said he understand why there was a backlash when Ohio State earned a semifinal bid despite playing a limited schedule. TexasA & Mcoach Jimbo Fisher, whose team suffered one loss to No .1 Alabama, was among those who sarcastically suggested the Aggies would have been better off playing fewer games.
“I totally respect everybody’s situation because everyone has gone through different things thisyear,” hesaid. “Everyone has gone through different challenges. I just focus on this team because I know how special these guys are and everything they’ve overcome.”
The Sugar Bowl featuring the Buckeyes and Tigers is a rematch of last season’s Fiesta Bowl semifinal matchup, which Clemson won 29-23 during the final minutes.
Ohio State features one of the top offenses in the country, with the team averaging more than 42 points and 529 yards per game this season. One of the Buck eyes’ core strengths has been their ground game, with the team averaging 275 rushing yards, the most an OSU team has averaged since 2013.
Justin Fields has built on a stellar 2019 campaign and is one of the top quarterbacks in the country, with 1,795 yards and 20TDs. But the junior signal caller has struggled at times. In the Big Ten championship game, he failed to score a TD for the first time since transferring to Ohio State.
Clemson entered the season atop the rankings fueled by the return of QB Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne, who catapulted the Tigers into back-to-back national championship appearances.
Lawrence is the presumptive No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, with the junior posting an remarkable 33-1 career record, including a 2-0 mark in the semifinals.
His sole loss was to LSU during last year’s national title game.
Theother semifinal features potent teams that know each other well.
Alabama (11-0) returns to the semifinals after a one-year absence, with the Crimson Tide earning the top seed for the third time during their five playoff appearances. They’ ll face off against Notre Dame (10-1) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Nick Saba n’ s team won games this year by an average of30.2 points and earning its fifth SEC championship in the last seven years. The Crimson Tide offense has been on a record-setting-pace, scoring at least 35 points in 24 consecutive games, including scoring 50-plus points during six games this season.
Alabama features a pair of Heisman Trophy candidates in QB Mac Jones and receiver De Vonta Smith.
Jones leads the nation in passing efficiency after completing 76% of his attempts for 3,739 yards and 32 TDs. Smith leads the nation in receptions (98), receiving yards (1,511) and receiving TDs(17).
Tide running back Najee Harris leads the nation with 24 rushing TDs.
If Alabama has aweakness, it is the team’s pass defense.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, is making its second appearance in the semifinals. The Fighting Irish are hoping for a better result than in 2018, when the team lost 30-3 to Clemson in the Cotton Bowl.
Kelly said there was some anxiety about whether his team would qualify for a semifinals bid after a 34-10 loss to Clemson in the ACC title game Saturday.
“... But we felt like our body of work was outstanding,” Kelly said on ESPN.
Notre Dame’s stout defense limited opponents to 19 points and 335 yards per game.
Ian Book is 30-4 all-time as a starter, the winningest QB in Notre Dame history. He leads a balanced offense that mixes in a solid passing game with a ground game that features a 1,000-yard rusher in Kyren Williams.