Ohio State Football: 3 takeaways from dominant win over Clemson

1. Ohio State shocked everyone

For Clemson, they will be going into a new era. Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Amari Rodgers, Cornell Powell, Nolan Turner, and James Skalski all seem to be moving on. They do have a great recruiting pipeline, so they will be back next year at the top of everybody’s top 25 rankings.

DJ Uiagalelei will be tasked with finishing off the job Lawrence and these seniors started. Dabo Sweeney will continue to retool a program that he has done a brilliant job in building up. Justyn Ross will be a player to watch, as he could make a huge impact if he chooses to return to Clemson.

As for Ohio State, they have been in this spot before. The first CFP National Championship trophy came to Columbus. That journey started when Ohio State (with the help of Ezekiel Elliott) took down the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

These are two very different teams than the ones that battled in 2015. But one thing that remains the same is the skill players on both teams being among the best in all of college football. Chris Olave, DeVonta Smith, Najee Harris, and Trey Sermon will all have a major impact in Miami.

We cannot sleep on either of these defenses who were lights out on New Year’s Day. For Ohio State, dominating against a quarterback who seems to be No. 1 in the 2021 NFL Draft will be a major confidence booster. As for Alabama, they smothered a Notre Dame offense that featured one of the best offensive lines in the nation.

But of course, all eyes will be on the quarterbacks. Both Mac Jones and Justin Fields have had great seasons. Justin Fields may be more NFL-ready, but draft stock doesn’t impact the game on the field.

Mac Jones and the Alabama offense will be ready to compete against Fields and his Buckeyes. This National Championship has potential to be one of the better championship games we have seen.