Clemson vs. Ohio State 2019: Prediction, Odds, Preview For College Football Playoff Semifinal Game

Unlike the first portion of the College Football Playoff Semifinal, Saturday’s second matchup is a virtual toss-up. No.2 Ohio State meets No.3 Clemson in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl with neither team having a clear edge over the other.

The defending champion Tigers are small betting favorites, laying two points against the Buckeyes. The total is 63.5.

Both teams enter the contest with a 13-0 record. Ohio State leads the nation with 48.7 points per game. Clemson is fourth with 46.5 points per game. Clemson has the country’s best scoring defense, allowing 10.6 points per game. Ohio State ranks third, surrendering 12.5 points per contest.

Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields received six first-place Heisman Trophy votes, completing 67.5% of his passes for 2,953 yards, 40 touchdowns and just one interception. Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence got three-first place votes, completing 68.8% of his attempts for 3,172 yards, 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

This game will feature two of college football’s best running backs. J.K. Dobbins finished third in the nation, totaling 1,829 yards on the ground for Ohio State with 6.4 yards per carry. Travis Etienne was seventh with 1,500 yards for Clemson, doing so on an FBS-best 8.2 yards per attempt.

How will those star players respond with the national championship in their sights?

We already know that Lawrence won’t be shaken by the big stage. The quarterback led the Tigers to a national title as a true freshman last year, throwing for at least 327 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in both playoff games. Lawrence helped Clemson rout an elite Alabama defense in the title game, scoring 44 points against a unit that was giving up fewer than 15.0 points per game.

Maybe Fields will have a similar run in his first season as a starter. The quarterback really hasn’t had a bad game yet.

Dobbins isn’t just dominating bad defenses. He’s put up big numbers against teams that are terrific against the run. The junior has totaled 540 rushing yards in three straight games against Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Ohio State was tested in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Buckeyes trailed by 10 points at halftime before shutting out the Badgers in the final two quarters to pull out a 34-21 victory.

Clemson hasn’t come close to losing in three months. A big part of that is their schedule, but the team deserves credit for winning eight straight games by at least 31 points after a scare against North Carolina in September.

The Tigers have scored at least 38 points in every game during their winning streak. Not even Chase Young and the Buckeyes’ defense can stop this Clemson offense.

Clemson is on a 28-game winning streak and Dabo Swinney is as good as any head coach in the sport. The Tigers have made five straight playoff appearances.

It’s hard to bet against Clemson when they are on the doorstep of a fourth national title appearance in five years.

Prediction: Clemson over Ohio State, 37-34