Clemson blanks Ohio State in Fiesta Bowl, sets up CFP rematch with Alabama: Recap, score, stats
Deshaun Watson and the Clemson Tigers are headed back to the College Football Playoff national championship game for another crack at the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.
No. 2 Clemson held the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes to 215 yards of offense to win the Fiesta Bowl national semifinal 31-0 on Saturday and advance to the title game. Watson rushed for two touchdowns and threw for a third for the Tigers.
Alabama beat Clemson in last year's CFP championship game. This year's game is set for Jan. 9 in Tampa, Florida.
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Pregame information
The 2016Fiesta Bowl will pit the No. 2 Clemson Tigers against the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes. A berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship will be at stake in the December 31 semifinal.
The Tigers (12-1) were No. 3 in the next-to-last College Football Playoff rankings and leapfrogged the Buckeyes after beating No. 18 Virginia Tech 42-35 in the ACC championship game.
Clemson finished No. 3 in the AP Top 25, a spot behind Ohio State (11-1). Led by dynamic quarterbackDeshaun Watson, Clemson lost to Alabama 45-40 in the national championship game last season.
Ohio State lost to Penn State on Oct. 22, but closed the season with a double-overtime victory over then-No. 3 Michigan. The Buckeyes' backfield ofCurtis Samuel,Mike Weber andJ.T. Barrett average more than 250 rushing yards per game.
Follow this post forFiesta Bowl score updates and stats as the game unfolds, and the comments section below for live updates.
What: Fiesta Bowl, No. 2 Clemson (12-1) vs. No. 3 Ohio State (11-1)
When: 4 p.m. PT Saturday, December 31
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona. Capacity: 63,400.
TV channel: ESPN (In Portland area: Comcast 35/735, CenturyLink 602/1602; DirecTV 206; Dish 140)
Commentators: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Samantha Ponder, Tom Rinaldi
Live stream: Watch ESPN / Watch ESPN app
Line: Ohio State by 1.5
Over/under: 59
Series history: Clemson leads 2-0
Last meeting: Clemson 40-35 (2014 Orange Bowl)
Associated Press preview capsule
WHAT'S AT STAKE
The Tigers are trying to get back to the College Football Playoff national championship game for the second consecutive season. The Buckeyes won the first playoff after the 2014 season and a victory against the Tigers would put coach Urban Meyer a win away from him fourth national championship.
KEY MATCHUP
Ohio State's offensive line vs. Clemson's defensive line in pass protection. The Buckeyes have allowed 25 sacks. At 2.08 per game, that ranks 63rd in the nation. Thirteen of those sacks came against Michigan and Penn State. Right tackleIsaiah Prince has been especially inconsistent against the better pass rushers he has faced. The Tigers rank third in the country with 46 sacks, though they get a lot of their sacks from tacklesCarlos Watkins (8.5) andDexter Lawrence (6.5). Prince will likely see a lot of DEChristian Wilkins (3 1-2 sacks).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ohio State:Malik Hooker. The All-America safety has six interceptions, three returned for touchdowns. He leads one of the best secondaries in the country and an Ohio State defense that ranked sixth in the nation with 19 interceptions, including seven returned for touchdowns.
Clemson:Deshaun Watson. The junior quarterback and two-time Heisman finalist can dominate a game as few quarterbacks in the country. He has passed for 3,914 yards and 37 touchdowns. His running was down from last year, but in the big games he is likely to break out that part of his game.
FACTS & FIGURES
Since 2011, Clemson is 68-13 and Ohio State is 67-12. Only Alabama (75-7) has a better record in FBS. ... Meyer is 10-2 in bowl games, including the College Football Playoff championship game, in his career. His only losses came to Michigan in in the Capital One Bowl after the 2007 season when he was with Florida, and to Clemson in the Orange Bowl after the 2013 season with Ohio State ... Clemson had five players selected to the AP All-America teams. Watson and Watkins made second team and LB Ben Boulware, CB Cordrea Tankersley and Wilkins were third team. ... Ohio State had six players receive AP All-America mention: H-Back Curtis Samuel, S Hooker and C Pat Elflein were first-team selections. G Billy Price, LB Raekwon McMillian and P Cameron Johnston made the second team. ... QB J.T. Barrett holds the Ohio State record for touchdowns responsible for with 100 (31 rushing, 69 passing). ... Watson is responsible for 109 touchdowns (23 rushing, 86 passing) in his career.
Corey Sheldon has been involved in high school sports coverage since 1998, when he began working in The Oregonian (Portland) newsroom. He was part of a sizable nighttime crew that fielded faxes and phone calls...