USA TODAY International Edition
Clemson- Ohio State started with punch
GREENVILLE, S. C. – Clemson's football team hopes to celebrate a bowl game victory this week against Ohio State for the fourth time in seven years.
But it all started more than four decades ago with holiday punch.
That was the first meeting, four days after Christmas in 1978 at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida. Clemson had just sealed a 17- 15 victory on an interception by Charlie Bauman, who was tackled near the Ohio State sideline. Legendary Buckeyes coach Woody Hayes lost his cool, his sense of decency and the next day his job. He grabbed Bauman and slugged him in the throat.
It was an inauspicious start to a feud that perhaps shouldn't be called a rivalry because Clemson has won every game. The Tigers will try to make it 5- 0 against Ohio State on New Year's Day at the Sugar Bowl national semifinal in New Orleans.
Thirty- five years after that first meeting, Clemson and Ohio State clashed 350 miles farther south on I- 95 in Miami for the Orange Bowl to finish the 2013- 14 season. It was another tight one, 40- 35 in a shootout that had more than 1,000 yards of offense. Like in 1978, it ended on an interception with less than two minutes remaining. Stephone Anthony made the play in a more peaceful finish. Then came the big ones. Clemson beat Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinals of the 2016 and 2019 seasons, both at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.
The Tigers won the former in a 31- 0 rout on the way to their first national championship since 1981 under Danny Ford, who was an interim head coach for the 1978 game after Charley Pell left for Florida. Ohio State came in as the favorite but never had much of a chance.
Last season's rematch was back to being a nail- biter. Clemson pulled out a 29- 23 victory on a 34- yard touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence to Travis Etienne with 1: 49 remaining. And just like in the other two close games of the series, victory was sealed with an interception. This time it was Nolan Turner picking off Justin Fields in the end zone after a frantic push by the Buckeyes.
Turner, Anthony and Bauman. They have delivered the knockout punches. Bauman was the only one to get punched.
He was a sophomore nose tackle from New Jersey. He finished his college career with one interception. Only one chance, really. But what a one.
Ohio State was led by quarterback Art Schlichter, who would later have his own personal problems, convicted of fraud, stealing millions of dollars to feed a gambling debt, and then serving a 10year federal prison term.
Schlichter gambled under pressure on a third- down pass against Clemson. Another bad decision. Bauman made the interception. Schlichter made the tackle. Hayes made the hit.
Bauman has since kept a low profile. He accepted a phone call in his dorm room the next day from Hayes, who never did apologize, not even privately to Bauman, he said. That was also the day Hayes was officially fired after 27 years and five national championships. Bauman has declined most interviews but did say years ago that he moved to Cincinnati and often went quietly to Ohio State games.
He never wore his No. 58 orange jersey with Bauman across the shoulders.
That would've been interesting.