CFB: Buckeyes blast Clemson in CFP rematch
#3 Ohio State (7-0) defeated #2 Clemson (10-2), 49-28, in the College Football Playoff at the Sugar Bowl on Friday, Jan. 1 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The Buckeyes compiled 639 total yards in the win, led by Justin Fields, who set a Sugar Bowl record with six passing touchdowns. Fields finished with 385 yards on an incredible 78.6% completion rate. Trevor Lawrence threw for 400 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the loss. Tuf Borland was named Defensive MVP after picking up four tackles for the Buckeyes. After avenging their last-second loss to the Tigers from 2020, Ohio State advances to play #1 Alabama (12-0) in the national championship game next Monday.
"First off I want to give respect to coach Swinney and his team. They're a championship team. What we were able to do against them was huge. I think today showed our character and we've been through so much this year, I mean, the journey that we've been on to get right here... We knew we had to play our best tonight and I think we did," Ryan Day said after the Buckeyes win. "These guys wanted a chance to come back and play. Who would have imagined that the journey would come all the way to right here to play Clemson again? To come back and play the way we did, and now get a chance to go win the whole thing and have one of the best stories ever in college football history."
Justin Fields, Sugar Bowl Offensive MVP, took a hard hit to the ribs from James Skalski in the second quarter and left the game for a play, before leading a touchdown drive to give the Buckeyes a 28-14 lead. The Ohio State junior quarterback discussed his performance on the field following the victory: "After that loss last year, it kind of fueled the whole team in the offseason, workouts, practices, fall camps... So I'm just proud of my brothers that we got the dub. I took a big shot in the first or second quarter but what really kept me going was my brothers. I believe in these guys and I just love them. I don't know how it's (the season) going to end but I know we're going to go out there and play our butts off and play our hardest."
Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated.
