Three weeks after beating Wisconsin to win the Big Ten Championship, Ohio State will look to get one step closer to another national title.
On Saturday, the second-ranked Buckeyes will face No. 3 Clemson in the College Football Semifinal Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. The winner of the contest will advance to the College Football Championship Game in New Orleans on Jan. 13, where they’ll meet No. 1 LSU, who beat No 4 Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl Semifinal earlier on Saturday.
Despite possessing the higher ranking, Ohio State enters Saturday’s showdown in the desert as a 2-point underdog against the defending national champion. Coming off an undefeated 2018 season, the Tigers lay claim to a 13-0 record and are riding the nation’s longest active winning streak at 28 games.
Saturday’s showdown will possess no shortage of star power with Clemson possessing one of the nation’s most talented quarterbacks in Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State laying claim to two Heisman Trophy finalists in quarterback Justin Fields and defensive end Chase Young. Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney has won two of the last three national championships (2016, 2018), while Ryan Day is currently in his first season as the Buckeyes’ head coach.
What follows is a live blog of Saturday’s semifinal contest between Ohio State and Clemson, complete with highlights and analysis.
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