| 2021 Allstate Sugar Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| College Football Playoff Semifinal 87th Sugar Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 1, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Offensive: Justin Fields (QB, Ohio State) Defensive: Tuf Borland (LB, Ohio State) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Clemson by 7[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | David Alvarez (Big 12)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 3,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN andESPN Radio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | ESPN:Chris Fowler (play-by-play) Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) Maria Taylor andTom Rinaldi (sidelines) ESPN Radio:Sean Kelley andBarrett Jones | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | (19.15 million viewers)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN Deportes ESPN Brasil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | ESPN Brasil: Matheus Pinheiro (play-by-play) Weinny Eirado (analyst) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The2021 Sugar Bowl was acollege footballbowl game played on January 1, 2021, with kickoff at 8:00 p.m.EST (7:00 p.m. localCST).[4] The Sugar Bowl was one of twoCollege Football Playoff semifinal games, it featured two of the four teams selected by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee—Ohio State from theBig Ten andClemson from theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC), with the winner advancing to face the winner of theRose Bowl,Alabama, in the2021 College Football Playoff National Championship. It was the 87th edition of theSugar Bowl, and was one of the2020–21 bowl games concluding the2020 FBS football season. Sponsored by insurance providerAllstate, the game was officially known as theCollege Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
The game was carried byESPN, with its lead college football broadcast team ofChris Fowler on play-by-play andKirk Herbstreit on color commentary. Three days before the game, Herbstreit announced that he had tested positive forCOVID-19 and would work the game from his home.[5]
| Semifinals | Championship | |||||||
| January 1 –Rose BowlAT&T Stadium,Arlington[a] | ||||||||
| 1 | Alabama | 31 | ||||||
| 4 | Notre Dame | 14 | January 11 –National ChampionshipHard Rock Stadium,Miami Gardens | |||||
| 1 | Alabama | 52 | ||||||
| January 1 –Sugar BowlMercedes-Benz Superdome,New Orleans | 3 | Ohio State | 24 | |||||
| 2 | Clemson | 28 | ||||||
| 3 | Ohio State | 49 | ||||||
The 2021 Sugar Bowl was held between theClemson Tigers of theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and theOhio State Buckeyes of theBig Ten Conference. The game was a rematch of the2019 Fiesta Bowl, where Clemson defeated Ohio State to advance to the2020 National Championship Game. It was the 18th Sugar Bowl featuring a matchup of two teams ranked in the top 5.[6] The teams were announced by College Football Playoff selection committee on December 20, 2020.[7]
Only 3,000 ticketed spectators were permitted because of the coronavirus pandemic.[8] There were 728 tickets for family members of Ohio State players and coaches and 728 tickets for family members of Clemson players and coaches. The remaining 1,544 tickets were for sponsors, business partners, and local Sugar Bowl season ticket holders.[8]
Clemson entered the game with a record of 10–1 (8–1 ACC) after defeatingNotre Dame in the2020 ACC Championship. Clemson's only loss was to Notre Dame earlier in the season, a double-overtime loss in a game the Tigers played without starting quarterbackTrevor Lawrence.[9] Other than Notre Dame, Clemson's only win over a ranked team came againstMiami (FL). The Tigers were ranked No. 2 entering the game.
Ohio State entered the game with a record of 6–0 (5–0 Big Ten) after defeatingNorthwestern in the2020 Big Ten Championship. In addition to Northwestern, Ohio State defeated two ranked teams during the season,Penn State andIndiana. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 3 (No. 11 according to Coach Swinney) entering the game.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 3 Ohio State | 14 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 49 |
| No. 2 Clemson | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
atMercedes-Benz Superdome •New Orleans, Louisiana
| Game information |
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| Statistics | OSU | CLEM |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 26 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 72–639 | 70–444 |
| Rushes–yards | 44–254 | 22–44 |
| Passing yards | 385 | 400 |
| Passing:comp–att–int | 22–28–1 | 33–48–1 |
| Time of possession | 34:05 | 25:55 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | Passing | Justin Fields | 22/28, 385 yards, 6 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Trey Sermon | 31 carries, 193 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Chris Olave | 6 receptions, 132 yards, 2 TD | |
| Clemson | Passing | Trevor Lawrence | 33/48, 400 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Travis Etienne | 10 carries, 32 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Cornell Powell | 8 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TD |
This was the first time the Buckeyes beat the Tigers, after four previous attempts.