The Post’s Zach Braziller breaks down the Fiesta Bowl (Saturday, 8 p.m., ESPN) between Ohio State and Clemson.
When Clemson has the ball
Here’s what could be on the field at the same time when the Tigers are on offense: the top pick in the 2021 draft (Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence), the top pick in this coming draft (Ohio State defensive end Chase Young), the first cornerback taken (Ohio State’s Jeffrey Odukah) and a likely first-round pick at wide receiver (Clemson’s Tee Higgins). Obviously, NFL scouts and executives will be paying close attention as elite prospects face elite prospects. After leading Clemson to a national title as a true freshman, Lawrence started slowly this year, with five interceptions in his first three games, but finished incredibly strong, tossing 20 touchdown passes without a pick in his last six games. Clemson enters the showdown fifth in scoring, at 46.5 points per game, but for the first time, will see a defense capable of matching its athleticism at all three levels.
Edge: Clemson
When Ohio State has the ball
The Buckeyes led the country in scoring (48.7), were fifth in total offense (531 yards per game) and fifth in rushing yards (272.2). They feature Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback Justin Fields — the country’s top-rated passer in touchdown-to-interception ratio at a mind-boggling 40-to-1 — game-breaking rusher J.K. Dobbins and a slew of playmaking receivers. The Buckeyes racked up 72 points in two games against Wisconsin’s 10th-ranked scoring defense and 56 on Michigan’s 19th-ranked unit. Fields’ sprained left knee could limit the ground game, and Clemson was ninth in the country against the run, creating a potential opening for the Tigers. Of course, they haven’t seen an offense anywhere close to Ohio State’s. The best they faced was Virginia’s 43rd-ranked scoring attack.
Edge: Ohio State
Travis Etienne and J.K. DobbinsGetty Images (2)Special Teams
The kicking game was insignificant for both teams during the regular season, but it could decide the winner Saturday. Ohio State’s strong-legged Blake Haubeil enters having made seven straight kicks, while Clemson’s B.T. Potter was shaky this year, making just 12-of-19 and missing 6-of-12 between 30 and 49 yards.
Edge: Ohio State
Coaching
Even the most positive Ohio State fans couldn’t have expected Ryan Day to excel this fast, seamlessly replacing Urban Meyer and leading the Buckeyes back to the playoff for the first time in three years. Everything is new for the 40-year-old, first-time head coach and this will be, too. This stage, meanwhile, has become an annual tradition for Dabo Swinney, who has Clemson in the final four for the fifth straight year and is looking for his third title in four years. If experience matters, and it has to count for something, Swinney has a major advantage.
Edge: Clemson
Players who could decide the game
J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State
Fields’ iffy knee could limit his mobility, increasing the importance of Dobbins producing on the ground to keep Ohio State’s offense unpredictable. Dobbins had a sensational junior year, running for 1,829 yards, 20 touchdowns and a whopping 6.5 yards per carry. The second team Associated Press All-American dominated Wisconsin’s eighth-ranked run defense, gashing the Badgers for 335 yards and three touchdowns in a pair of victories, so he’s more than capable of dealing with Clemson’s high-caliber front seven.
Travis Etienne, Clemson RB
It’s easy to overlook the junior because he shares a backfield with Lawrence, and everyone is often so focused on the dynamic downfield weapons the quarterback has at his disposal. But Etienne is the engine to this dynamic offense, a complete back who improved as a receiver this season and has produced an ACC-record 58 touchdowns in three seasons.
Chase Young, Ohio State DE
The nation’s premier defensive player and sack leader (16.5) can wreck a game. He’s an almost-certain top-three NFL draft pick and was the first defensive player to be a Heisman finalist since Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers in 2016. Clemson doesn’t allow many sacks — it gave up just 13, tied for the fifth-fewest in the country — but the Tigers haven’t seen anyone quite like Young.
Prediction:
The money has gone Ohio State’s way, the line dropping a full point, from three in favor of Clemson to two, in the past week. There are questions about the Tigers’ résumé coming from the incredibly soft ACC and concern that an untested defense won’t be ready for an offense like the Buckeyes. But Lawrence and company will provide answers over four hours of scintillating football. The sophomore reminds everyone he’s still the best player in the country and the defense does enough, picking off Fields once and once and containing Dobbins to create a stress-free final quarter.
Clemson 41, Ohio State 28
