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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1. Curtis Samuel

Mike Weber and J.T. Barrett are terrific players, but Curtis Samuel may be the best one on the Ohio State offense. He’s their primary x-factor toward getting the win and moving onto the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Despite being third on the team is rushing, Samuel may still be Ohio State’s best running back coming out of the backfield. He put up 704 yards on just 91 carries for a ridiculous 7.7 yards per carry. Add eight touchdowns to this as well, just one behind Barrett and Weber.

However, the junior may be Ohio State’s best receiver too. He led the team in catches (65) and receiving yards (822) by a wide margin over Noah Brown, the top true receiver on the team.

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The goal here is simple: get Curtis Samuel the ball and don’t let Clemson take him out of the equation. He needs to get going early and often to make those dynamic plays that he’s been known for throughout the season. This would potentially lead to some big plays to open up the passing attack, something that hasn’t come easily. So, working a few intermediate passes to Samuel may help the offense push down field if he can find some space.

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