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

Nov 12, 2016; College Park, MD, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Curtis Samuel (4) scores a touchdown on a revers during the second quarter against the Maryland Terrapins at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

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What are the keys to victory for Ohio State in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl?

On Saturday, December 31, the 2016 Fiesta Bowl will take place between Ohio State and Clemson. The winner will play whoever walks out of Alabama vs. Washington victoriously, which will take place earlier that evening.

For the Buckeyes, they are looking to make their second national championship appearance in the College Football Playoff era. The first one came in 2014 when they beat Alabama to advance to the final, which saw them defeat Oregon to give Urban Meyer first title win with the school.

In 2016, the expectation is there again for results. This is from a top running game and a defense that came through during the regular season. Will they be needed again to get by Clemson, though?

There are a handful of factors that could lead to an Ohio State win. Here are five of them:

Nov 26, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) fires a pass upfield in the first quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports /

5. J.T. Barrett needs one of his best games of the season

Ohio State is facing one of the best passing attacks in college football. It’s going to be plenty of Deshaun Watson launching the ball downfield and using his legs to create plays. Even though Ohio State has one of the toughest defenses in college football, there still should be an expectation that Clemson will be putting up plenty of points given their firepower.

On the other side of the field, there’s J.T. Barrett who may use his legs more than Watson. He doesn’t have the passing acumen of the potential first-round pick in 2017, but there’s still the ability for Barrett to be very good when needed. However, he’s going to need one of his best games of the season to counter the Tigers offense.

For this Ohio State offense to hold up, Barrett may need just his second 300-yard passing game of the season (the only other one came against Bowling Green in Week 1). The Buckeyes have hardly played top offenses this season, as this may be their first one. While they have Curtis Samuel and Mike Weber to use, will it be enough with a superior passing quarterback on the other sideline?

If the defense holds up and limits Watson, then this may be a different story. But it would be difficult to expect that Clemson will stay quiet for most of the game. Ohio State has shown the ability to score points throughout the season, so they may need a quick and powerful offense to go through one of the best teams in the nation.

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