Ohio State Football: 3 reasons to watch 2019 Fiesta Bowl vs. Clemson

2. Defense wins championships

The Fiesta Bowl will see two of the nations top defenses on the field. If the old adage that defense wins championships hold true, then one of these two should win the National Championship. Unfortunately, one of them won’t get that far.

Ohio State have arguably the bigger names on defense to watch for in this game. Ok, they have the biggest name on defense in the whole country in Chase Young.

Young has been an absolute beast this season. Not even an NCAA imposed suspension has been able to slow him down. He leads the nation in sacks, with 16.5, which was a Buckeyes record.

A large amount of what he does isn’t reflected in the stat sheet which is frankly terrifying when you consider how good the statistics are.

Then you add the likes of Damon Arnette and Jeff Okudah in the secondary, and you’re looking at a truly dominant defense. They rank third in points allowed, and second in total yardage allowed per game.

The team that’s ranked above them in both categories?

Clemson.

When the Tigers lost all their defensive front four to the NFL Draft, the main concern for this season was how they would replace that production. No-one should have worried.

They currently rank first in the nation in points allowed and total yardage allowed per game.

Tyler Davis has been a force from the defensive tackle position. Tanner Muse is one of five players with multiple interceptions. Six different Tigers have forced fumbles this season.

One man has been the difference maker for Clemson this year.

Isaiah Simmons.

With a combination of speed, athleticism and strength, Simmons is one of the most exciting draft prospects. He leads the team in tackles for loss, sacks, and forced fumbles.

In the Fiesta Bowl he has the opportunity to be a game wrecker on the big stage.