Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State vs Clemson: Highlights, score and recap
The Clemson Tigers shutout the Ohio State Buckeyes and have earned a National Championship Game rematch with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Clemson is focused and ready for Alabama again. On Saturday night, the Tigers put together a focused effort and annihilated the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Fiesta Bowl. From the beginning, it was clear the Tigers had the edge.
Using the momentum from two missed field goals by Ohio State, Clemson got on the board when Deshaun Watson sprinted in the end zone. It was his first of two rushing touchdowns on the night to go with a passing touchdown.
He threw a couple of picks, but those didn’t define how on point Watson was. It also doesn’t define how much more on point the Clemson defense was. Every time the Buckeyes looked like they were getting something going, the Clemson defense forced a turnover and shut them down.
At the half, the Tigers led 17-0 and it felt like the Buckeyes were out of it. They would fumble to start the half and would keep Clemson out of the end zone for one drive but they couldn’t stop them after that and any hopes of a comeback in the Fiesta Bowl faded.
The Tigers would tack on two more scores and would seal their trip to Tampa Bay to take on Alabama. It will be a rematch of the National Championship Game from last season and it has the potential to be yet another classic.
Three Stars
3. Deshaun Watson
Despite throwing a couple of tough interceptions, Watson was fantastic in this game for the Tigers. He constantly put his team in a position to score and he also rushed for two touchdowns to go with his passing touchdown.
2. Mike Williams
The wide receiver is back and healthy for the Tigers. He abused the Ohio State secondary and led the team in receiving yards.
1. Ben Boulware
The heart and soul of the defense came up big and led the charge for a unit that shut out Ohio State. They looked like a defense ready to win a National Championship.
Highlights
What’s Next?
The Tigers will now face the Alabama Crimson Tide in a rematch in the National Championship Game in Tampa. Clemson fell short in their battle last year which was an entertaining game from start to finish.