Sugar Bowl 2021: Examining Key Stats, Matchups for Ohio State vs. Clemson
The most frequent semifinal matchup of the College Football Playoff era will open another chapter at the 2021 Sugar Bowl.
The Clemson Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes have played each other on three occasions at the semifinal stage. Friday's matchup in New Orleans will be their second consecutive semifinal meeting.
Last season's clash could provide some clues as to how the Sugar Bowl will play out. Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields were both at the helms of their respective offenses in that game.
Lawrence and Fields are two of the most talented quarterbacks in college football, but only one of them has been able to show off the true extent of his talent over a long span of games in 2020.
Lawrence's edge in playing time, and title-winning experience, could help Clemson power past Ohio State, but he does have to solve a difficult matchup in the passing game to advance back to the national championship.
Key Stats
Lawrence comes into the Sugar Bowl with a much larger set of stats than Fields.
The Clemson quarterback threw for 2,753 yards and 22 touchdowns in nine games, while Fields produced 1,521 passing yards and 15 scoring throws in six games.
The other major difference between the two is their respective performances on conference championship weekend. Lawrence had 410 total yards, while Fields took a back seat to a 300-yard rushing game from Trey Sermon.
Lawrence also holds more playoff experience over his Ohio State counterpart. In three of his four playoff appearances, the Clemson junior had multiple touchdown throws. He also threw for 300 yards twice on the way to Clemson's title two years ago.
At the 2019 Fiesta Bowl, Fields recorded 320 passing yards, but he was intercepted twice and sacked on four occasions.
In last season's meeting, Ohio State outgained Clemson 516-417 and held the ball for close to seven minutes more, but its two turnovers proved to be costly.
Fields committed a pair of turnovers in the Big Ten Championship game, which led to the team focusing more on the run game in the second half. Ohio State only had 114 passing yards versus the Northwestern Wildcats.
Conversely, Clemson overcame its one turnover in the ACC Championship game and used a balanced approach to pick apart the Notre Dame Fighting Irish defense. Dabo Swinney's Tigers had nearly doubled Notre Dame's output and held the playoff qualifier to 44 rushing yards.
If Clemson displays the same versatility through Lawrence, Travis Etienne and others, it could command the yardage battle and land another playoff win over Ohio State.
Top Matchups
Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne vs. Pete Werner
During his three-year stint at Clemson, Lawrence has developed a ground aspect to his skill set.
Lawrence's versatility in the rushing game alongside Travis Etienne could give Clemson the offensive advantage it needs to extend drives and open up a gap on the scoreboard.
Lawrence and Etienne combined for 214 rushing yards on 24 carries in the ACC Championship game against a unit that featured Butkus Award winner Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
Ohio State linebacker Pete Werner could be the key to shutting down the Lawrence-Etienne combination. He leads the Buckeyes in tackles with 37 and forced a pair of fumbles.
If Werner is able to plug the gaps on the interior and get to Lawrence on a few occasions, Ohio State could win the field position battle and set Fields up for success.
However, if Lawrence and Etienne continue to run rampant over their competition, Clemson may cruise into the title clash.
Ohio State's Offensive Line vs. Clemson's Pass Rush
Clemson's pass rush may not be as fierce as the unit that produced three top 17 picks in the 2019 NFL draft, but it has game-changing potential.
Myles Murphy, and Trenton Simpson lead a pass rush that features seven players with at least three sacks.
In six games, Fields was taken down on 18 occasions, and the only elite front seven he faced was Northwestern on December 19. Ohio State's offensive line allowed three sacks and seven tackles for loss to the Wildcats.
If Murphy and others get into the backfield on a consistent basis, Clemson could force a few short possessions that allow Lawrence and Co. to open up a large lead.
If the Buckeyes offensive line gets a few key players back and protects Fields well, Ohio State could stay in the contest through sustained drives and keeping Lawrence on the sidelines.
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Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.