We made it. Thankfully, we haven’t suffered through a normal bowl season due to the number of teams opting out. Outside of Coastal Carolina-Liberty, there hasn’t been much to remember from this bowl season. However, we finally get the CFP Semifinals on New Years Day. Let’s see what we have here.

#2 Clemson vs #3 Ohio State

This is deja vu. On one hand, we get a rematch of last year! On the other, there’s no way this game can be good as the one we had last year. The fast start from Ohio State, Trevor Lawrence literally putting the Tigers on his back, and lastly the unforgettable fourth quarter. You know Justin Fields hasn’t forgotten that interception in the end zone. Can he redeem himself? Let’s examine.

This is going to be another fantastic dual of quarterbacks. We saw how much of a difference Trevor Lawrence makes to the Clemson program with the stomping of Notre Dame in the ACC Championship. Outside of his stellar 22-4 TD-INT and his nearly 10.0 YPA, his legs are what really made the difference these last two seasons. Just ask the Buckeyes what they thought when they chased him on that 67-yard touchdown run last year. 

Lawrence carries the ball when his team needs it the most. In the ACC Championship game vs Notre Dame, he torched the Irish on the ground for 90 yards on 14 carries. His previous season-high was just 41 yards. He ran for 107 yards against the Buckeyes last year.

Containing Lawrence and Travis Etienne are going to be the key. When both of them are clicking, Clemson is almost impossible to stop. Etienne averaged under 2 YPC in the first game vs Notre Dame. In the rematch? Over 12 YPC. Pretty strong correlation there.

The Buckeyes have been really stout against the run this season, a top-ten unit in yards/game. It’s through the air the Buckeyes have struggled at times this year, ranking in the bottom third of yards allowed(261.3). That’s with All-American corner Shaun Wade, who was ejected on a controversial targeting call the last time the two played.

I expect Amari Rodgers and Cornell Powell to have plenty of opportunities through the air, and watch out for Etienne out of the backfield too. He scored the go-ahead touchdown on a pretty play design through the air last year.

The biggest question of this game is how will Justin Fields’ thumb injury affect him? We saw what it did in the Big Ten title game, he was an erratic 11/27 with two interceptions, probably the worst game he’s played as a Buckeye. He dismissed all concern for his injury saying he would be ready to go, I’ll believe it when I see it.

Fields threw two of three interceptions for the season against this Clemson defense last year, and the Tigers will be ready to pounce again if Fields has an off day. If Fields is on, only the guy wearing #16 on the other side is as electric through the air.

We saw what a healthy Clemson defense did to Notre Dame, totally stuffing the Irish for four quarters, and unlike the Buckeyes defense, the pass defense is pretty darn good.

FIelds will get Chris Olave back for Friday’s showdown, he missed him sorely in the Big Ten title game. If you remember, it was a miscommunication between Olave and Fields that caused the junior quarterback to throw the game-ending interception last year. 

The run game will be alive and well for Ohio State. Trey Sermon carried the Buckeye offense with over 300 yards on the ground against Northwestern. Clemson has been stout against the run all season.

I really want this game to mirror last year, but we won’t get that lucky. The Buckeyes aren’t as good as last year and it will show on the field.

PREDICTION: CLEMSON 38 OHIO STATE 28

#1 Alabama vs #4 Notre Dame

I’m going to keep this one a little shorter than the other ones, I don’t think Notre Dame has a chance.

The #1 vs #4 has turned into an annual beatdown for whoever is lucky enough to snag that last playoff spot. I’m old enough to remember when the #4 seed won two of the first four CFP Titles (Ohio State in 2014 and Alabama in 2017). Since then, this has been nothing more than a routine slaughter. I’m not expecting anything different this year.

You cannot blame Notre Dame. I thought they were pretty clearly the fourth-best team in the country when it was all said and done, this is just more of the dominance at the top of college football with Clemson, Alabama, and Ohio State.

I have zero faith in any team to stop this Alabama offense. It doesn’t matter who the Crimson Tide have played, it hasn’t stopped Mac Jones, DeVonta Smith, and Najee Harris. How many more times will we see the best QB, RB, and WR all on the same team? Not often. The Tide offense was unstoppable against Florida. 50+ is expected every time this group gets on the field.

The Irish defense has been really good this year, led by All-American LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and safety Kyle Hamilton. They might get off to a hot start and perhaps force a turnover, as they did against Clemson in the ACC title game, but there’s too much firepower on that Alabama offense.

Ian Book might be able to find some holes on that Alabama defense. The Tide have looked vulnerable on defense at times this year, allowing 46 to Florida in the SEC Title Game and 48 to Ole Miss in October.  I would imagine Nick Saban has his defense a little more fired up after the way they were shredded in the second half against Kyle Trask.

Book will need to create some magic, and I just don’t think he can do it.

PREDICTION: ALABAMA 48 NOTRE DAME 14

Writer

-By: TJ Mathewson

It All Comes Down To This: College Football National Championship Preview 2019

In the coming hours, college football’s 150th season will come to a close with the national championship game in New Orleans, Louisiana. It will be a clash of two undefeated teams, as the third-ranked Clemson Tigers face off with the top-ranked LSU Tigers. Let’s take a look at the last remaining contenders

#3 Clemson

What Happened in the Semifinal: The Tigers began the Fiesta Bowl looking outclassed against the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, but the game turned completely when cornerback Shaun Wade committed a targeting penalty that revived a touchdown drive that otherwise would have been ended by Wade’s sack. Clemson turned a 16 point deficit into a 29-23 victory, creating an instant playoff classic. OSU fans felt that the officials seemed to favor Dabo Swinney’s group, but the defending national champs played hard and took advantage of the opportunities presented them.  Recap

Why They’ll Win: Clemson still has one of the most talented teams in the country, and its defense is statistically far better than LSU’s. Trevor Lawrence remains one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and he’s surrounded by a hyper-talented skill position group. The Tigers could ride a defense that was able to hold OSU to only 23 points to another title while one of the more talented offenses in the country contributes just enough to outlast Joe Burrow and the Tigers. 

Why They’ll Lose: Clemson was totally out-played for a quarter and a half, and things likely would have gotten ugly had that targeting not been called. In fact, it probably would have gotten out of hand anyways if the defense hadn’t stopped three different Ohio State drives in the red zone, stifling the offensive output of the Justin Fields-led offense. If the Tigers start the national championship game like they started the Fiesta Bowl, Joe Burrow and Co. will likely steamroll their orange tiger opponents. 

New Injury Concerns? WR Tee Higgins received an apparent head injury during the Fiesta Bowl, though he returned to the game later. I would expect him to play.

#1 LSU

What Happened in the Semifinal: LSU dominated Oklahoma 63-28, and Joe Burrow easily dispatched a Sooner defense that was out of its league. The oft-criticized Tiger defense showed up as well, holding the top-5 OU offense to a mere 28 points in the blowout and consistently harassing Jalen Hurts into making mistakes. The top team in the country thoroughly looked the part, and orchestrated what felt like the end of Oklahoma’s run of playoff appearances. Recap

Why They’ll Win: This team has looked dominant for the entire season, and the only sweat they broke in the Peach Bowl came from running away with the victory. They contained a great offense for most of the game, and were hardly troubled by a vastly-improved Oklahoma defense. Meanwhile, Clemson spent a good part of their own game looking like they were sneaking out with a victory over a superior opponent. Furthermore, for as good as Trevor Lawrence is, LSU has the Heisman-winner as their quarterback, and Joe Burrow looked utterly unstoppable in the Peach Bowl. Ed Orgeron’s team is operating at its highest level right now, and it’s time for the country’s best team to prove it once and for all.

Why They’ll Lose: LSU hasn’t played a defense like this Clemson team. We’re talking a defense that held an OSU team averaging 46.9 points a game to 23. That is half of their normal output. LSU also doesn’t have nearly the experience that Clemson does. Can we be sure they won’t fold under the pressure of the biggest game of the season? Because we know Clemson won’t fold. 

New Injury Concerns? Nothing New.

My prediction: Clemson has an outside chance, but LSU is the better team. If they play how they should, this probably shouldn’t be close. LSU 35, Clemson 21

All Statistics according to sports-reference.com

-By: Alex Spieldenner

Writer/Interviewer

Fiesta Bowl Recap: Clemson, Ohio State Clash in a Classic

If there were doubts that either Clemson or Ohio State had an artificially inflated record, those should have been put to rest tonight. In what was one of the most exciting semifinal games in college football history, the two undefeated teams clashed in an intense, back-and-forth affair that ended with a Clemson victory. 

Ohio State jumped out to an early lead, scoring 16 points in a row to open the game. That total likely could have been higher, but the Buckeyes went 0 for 3 in the red zone, the only touchdown coming on a 68-yard touchdown from JK Dobbins. These points would come back to bite them later, and the first momentum swing towards Clemson came on a targeting penalty that not only extended a drive but also caused defensive back Shaun Wade to be ejected. After the targeting penalty, what had been a fierce, aggressive and fast Ohio State defense became vulnerable, and a Clemson offense that couldn’t seem to find its footing suddenly came alive, with touchdowns coming off an eight-yard Travis Etienne run and a deflating, outlook-changing 67-yard Trevor Lawrence run.

The Tigers gained the lead on a touchdown pass in the third quarter to Travis Etienne. This was yet another drive that was extended by a penalty, with a roughing the kicker foul giving a stalled Clemson more life. The game went slowly from there until the fourth quarter, when a fourth-down touchdown pass to Chris Olave put the Buckeyes back in front. Ryan Day’s defense was then able to get a stop, but the offense couldn’t score to put the game away, giving Trevor Lawrence the ball back with around three minutes to go. He promptly led a touchdown drive with about 1:40 left, forcing Justin Fields to try to mount a drive to save the season. The Ohio State offense made progress, but an interception in the end zone ended the game. 

It was a brutal game, with multiple players leaving the field at different times due to injury. JK Dobbins, Jeff Okudah, Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross all left the game for different periods. It was also a game marked by mistakes, with the Buckeyes making mental mistakes and Clemson’s more disciplined team taking full advantage. Both teams will likely be back next year, though, as both quarterbacks are returning for at least one more season before leaving for the draft. 

Clemson will play LSU in the national championship game on January 13th.

Game stats according to ESPN.com, game details verified by the same and ESPN’s play-by-play log.

-By: Alex Spieldenner

Writer/Interviewer