College Football Playoff 2016: 5 keys to victory for Clemson in Fiesta Bowl

What are the keys to success for Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State?

To get to the College Football Playoff National Championship game, Ohio State and Clemson will have to battle each other on New Year’s Eve. The winner will face whoever walked out of the Alabama vs. Washington game victorious (this will be played earlier in the day).

For Clemson, they are looking for their second consecutive CFP title game appearance. They lost to Alabama in January in one of the best National Championship games in recent memory. Can the Tigers return for another shot at glory, though?

To beat Ohio State, Clemson must do a few specific things. What do these include?

5. Create pressure with the front seven

One of Clemson’s greatest strengths is their front seven, which is among the best units in the nation a sacking the quarterback. This means they create pressure on the opposing team’s backfield to get them into uncomfortable situations. Their goal will be going after J.T. Barrett to make him maneuver and throw off balanced, which could be difficult given the way he can move.

Carlos Watkins and Dexter Lawrence will be the players to watch on the defensive line. They led Clemson in sacks with 8.5 and 6.5, respectively, and a combined 18 tackles for a loss. The Ohio State offensive line has had problems on the right side, so look for these two to potentially target the weak side to get to the quarterback.

Not getting into the backfield will give Barrett, Curtis Samuel and Mike Weber time to evaluate the field in front of them and get into space. Or in the quarterback’s case, throw without pressure. If the defensive line can attack, then this will go a long way toward Clemson moving on to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.