Ohio State vs. Clemson 2016: Start Time, TV Channel, Live Stream Info For College Football Playoff Semifinal

A year after losing in the national championship game, No. 2 Clemson is back in the postseason with a chance to win the title. The Tigers are set to face No. 3 Ohio State in the second College Football Playoff Semifinal on New Year’s Eve.

With a 7 p.m. EST start time in the Fiesta Bowl, Clemson and Ohio State will play shortly after the conclusion of No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Washington in Saturday night’s first playoff game. The two winners will go on to meet for the national championship on Jan. 9.

While the top-ranked Crimson Tide is expected to cruise past Washington, neither the Tigers nor the Buckeyes have a distinct advantage in their upcoming contest. Both teams enter the game with one loss on the season, and they’ll be playing across the country at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Alabama traveled just over 200 miles to the Georgia Dome for Saturday’s Peach Bowl.

It’s one final chance for Deshaun Watson to win a title before he makes his way to the NFL. The quarterback ran for 145 yards in a semifinal win last year, but his four touchdown passes weren’t enough to lead Clemson by Alabama in the championship game. He’s accounted for 43 touchdowns this season, and the Tigers’ only loss came as the result of a last-second field goal against Pittsburgh on Nov. 12.

Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett nearly played in the postseason two years ago, but he broke his ankle shortly before the Buckeyes went on to win the national title. After splitting time under center with Cardale Jones in 2015, Barrett has come back to total 33 scores in 2016. The Buckeyes’ only loss came in a heartbreaker at Penn State, in which they blew a 21-7 fourth-quarter lead.

Clemson hasn’t played in nearly a month, but Ohio State’s had an even longer layoff. Because they didn’t make the Big Ten Championship Game, the Buckeyes haven’t played since they defeated Michigan on Nov. 26.

ESPN will broadcast the Fiesta Bowl on TV. A free live stream can be seen online with WatchESPN.