Clemson Tigers vs Ohio State Buckeyes Picks, Odds, Fiesta Bowl Prediction 12/28/2019

Game: Clemson Tigers vs Ohio State Buckeyes

Date: Saturday, December 28, 2019

Fiesta Bowl

Location: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Ohio State +2

Total/Over-Under: 62.5

Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson Tigers head to State Farm Stadium on Saturday, December 28 where they'll meet the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Fiesta Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff Semifinals. Clemson opens this game as 2-point favorites. The Tigers are 10-3-0 ATS and 6-7-0 when betting on the total. The Buckeyes are 6-6-1 when wagering on the over/under and 9-4-0 against the spread.

In their last contest, the Clemson Tigers took on the Virginia Cavaliers and ended up getting the victory by a score of 62-17. Travis Etienne led the team in rushing for the game. He tore off a long run of 26 yards and he notched 1 touchdown for the game. He scurried for 114 yards on 14 carries which had him averaging 8.1 yards per run. Tee Higgins was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 182 yards on 9 catches. He earned an average of 20.2 yards per catch for the game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Tigers was Trevor Lawrence who went 16/22 with 302 yards through the air and threw 4 touchdowns. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. The Tigers rushed the ball a total of 38 times and racked up a total of 211 yards which earned them an average of 5.6 yards per carry. For the game, they ran 67 plays which added up to 619 yards. On the day, the Tigers racked up 28 first downs and they had a total of 4 infractions for 25 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. When discussing the defense, Clemson gave up 30 completions on 48 tries for a total of 283 yards, and a completion percentage of 62.5%. On the day, they allowed 387 yards and forced 3 turnovers. Against the run, the Tigers gave up 104 yards on 27 runs which gave them an average of 3.9 yards per carry allowed.

The Tigers come into this matchup with a record of 13-0 for this year. For total yards, they currently sit at 1st in the conference and 3rd in D-1 with 7,120 yards. They are one of the most potent offenses in the country averaging 46.5 points per game, which has them at 4th in D-1. As a unit, they have an average of 252.9 yards on the ground per contest which is 2nd in the conference. The Tigers have one of the top tier defenses in D-1, giving up 10.6 points per contest which has them at 1st in the conference. When it comes to yards on the ground, Clemson is giving up 106.2 yards per game ranking them 1st in the ACC and 9th in Division 1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 3 yards per rush ranking them 2nd in the ACC and 9th in the country overall. In total, they have allowed 1,381 yards rushing through 13 games. When it comes to passing yards, the Tigers have conceded 3,832 yards. Opponents are completing 50.3% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 5.3 yards per try.

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The last time they took the field, the Ohio State Buckeyes played the Wisconsin Badgers and ended up getting the win by a score of 34-21. J.K. Dobbins led the team in rushing for the game. His longest run of the day went for 24 yards and he notched 1 touchdown during the game. He rushed for 172 yards via 33 carries which had him averaging 5.2 yards per run. Chris Olave was the receiving yardage leader with a tally of 94 yards on 5 catches. He earned an average of 18.8 yards per reception for the game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Buckeyes was Justin Fields who went 19/31 with 299 yards passing and tossed 3 TD's. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. The Buckeyes ended up running the ball 46 times and racked up 172 yards earning them an average of 3.7 yards per run. In the game, they ran 78 plays which gave them a total of 492 yards. On the day, the Buckeyes earned a total of 28 1st downs and they totaled 4 penalties for 40 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. When it comes to their defensive performance, Ohio State gave up 17 completions on 34 throws totaling 232 yards, and a completion percentage of 50.0%. For the game, they allowed 432 yards but didn't get any takeaways. In the running game, the Buckeyes gave up 200 yards on 37 runs which gave them an average of 5.4 yards per attempt allowed.

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The Buckeyes come into this game with a record of 13-0. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Buckeyes have one of the best offenses in the nation. Ohio State is making teams fear their ground game this season by averaging 272.8 yards on the ground per game, putting them 5th in college football. As a team, they have compiled a total of 3,546 rushing yards through 13 contests, and if they want to continue their dominance, they'll want to keep running the ball. The Buckeyes average 531.5 yards per contest overall which has them at 5th in the nation and 1st in the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes are conceding 12.5 points per game ranking them 1st in the conference and 2nd in D-1. Their passing defense is one of the top groups in the country. They are conceding 148.1 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Buckeyes are ranked 1st in the conference. When talking about points allowed, they have allowed 163 total points. In discussing rushing yards, they are giving up 99.8 yards per game ranking them 6th in the country and 2nd in the Big Ten. In 2019, they have conceded a total of 1,297 yards rushing and 11.7 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Tigers/Buckeyes college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Buckeyes +2

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