College football’s 5 best bets for 2019-20 bowl season
By Will Koger
3. Playstation Fiesta Bowl (playoff semifinal)
No. 3 Clemson (13-0) vs. No. 2 Ohio State (13-0)
Saturday, Dec. 28 (8 p.m. ET)
State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Pick: Under 63
This edition of Ohio State vs. Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl figures to be a much better game than the 2016 one. Both teams certainly have explosive offenses headlined by 2020 Heisman frontrunners Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence. Elite skill position players are all over the field in this one, but that goes for both sides of the ball.
More from College Football News
- Michigan State vs. Maryland: Location, time, prediction, and more
- Ranking college football’s top 10 quarterbacks after Week 3
- Things are going to get much darker for the Houston Cougars
- Biggest winners and losers from College Football Week 3
- #10 Alabama football: 3 takeaways from close road win against USF
There are likely three top 10 draft picks on defense in this game in Ohio State monster defensive end Chase Young, shutdown corner Jeffrey Okudah and Clemson’s do-it-all linebacker Isaiah Simmons.
The fact of the matter is that these are the second and third best defenses in the country according to the SP+ rankings, while their offenses are — only — fourth and sixth. And by total yards allowed, these two are first and second, allowing less than 250 yards per game apiece. Of course, they haven’t been playing each other’s offenses, but the strengths of both teams are their defenses, however slightly so.
I expect both teams to rely on their all-conference running backs in what will be a close game wire-to-wire. This total should be in the 50s rather than in the 60s.