COLLEGE FOOTBALL

When Clemson and Ohio State last met, it was one the most lopsided wins in the College Football Playoffs’ short history.

The Tigers posted a 31-0 shutout of the Buckeyes in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.

The 3rd time the 2 programs will meet is once again in Arizona at the Fiesta Bowl. The question is whether the Tigers will blank the Buckeyes again?

Under former head coach Urban Meyer, Ohio State had no answer for Clemson in 2016. In fact, head coach Dabo Swinney told the media, “I watched a lot of film on the Buckeyes and I knew it wouldn’t be close. I knew they hadn’t faced a team like we had all season.”

This season, the Buckeyes feature a dynamic offense, led by quarterback Justin Fields and running back J.K. Dobbins, and a defense led by dynamic defensive end Chase Young.

The Tigers are playing the best football of any team in the nation. They have the best quarterback, running back and wide receiver in the nation.

Since the 2nd quarter of their game against Louisville, Trevor Lawrence has amassed 20 touchdowns, no interceptions and is completing more than 70% of his passes. Running back Travis Etienne is the ACC’s all-time leader in touchdowns, rushing touchdowns and is currently only .2 yards away from being the NCAA’s all-time leader in yards-per-carry, and wide receiver Tee Higgins has emerged as the clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver in the nation.

This defense is better than the one that held the Buckeyes scoreless in 2016, as they currently rank 1st in scoring defense, 9th in rush defense, 1st in pass defense and 1st in total defense.

The Tigers have been on a mission all season long. That mission is 30-0. Anyone who has listened to Swinney talk the last 11 years knows that he is a proponent of not looking ahead, keeping a “windshield mentality” and treating each game as the biggest 1 of the season.

This year, he has numerous times mentioned going 30-0 after becoming the 1st team in modern college football history to go 15-0.

When the final whistle blows in the Arizona desert this season, one gets the sense that Swinney may be able to again say that the Buckeyes had not faced a team like Clemson.

The 3rd ranked Clemson Tigers are becoming all too familiar with the ins and outs of the College Football Playoff.

The game is set for 8 pm Saturday on ESPN. It can be also heard on WCOS (1400 AM) and the TuneIn Radio phone app.