COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State and Clemson meet in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday for a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game for the second time in four years. Here’s everything you need to know before kickoff.
Game information
Who: No. 3 Clemson (13-0, 8-0 ACC) vs. No. 2 Ohio State (13-0, 9-0 Big Ten).
When: Saturday, 8 p.m.
Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale (63,400).
TV: ESPN, with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Tom Rinaldi and Maria Taylor on the call.
Twitter: Follow Nathan Baird, Doug Lesmerises and Stephen Means.
Live chat: Join the cleveland.com live chat at 6:30 p.m.
Latest line: Clemson -2.
Series record: This is the fourth meeting between the two schools. Clemson has won all three, including a 31-0 shutout vs. Ohio State in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl.
See when and where to watch the game on TV and online.
Catch up on the latest Ohio State news
* Check out the game picks and outrageous predictions from our Ohio State coverage team.
* See the Fiesta Bowl injury status report and how that impacts Ohio State’s depth chart.
* Two days after saying his knee was around “80-85 percent,” Justin Fields declined to provide an update on the status of his injury.
* Doug ranked the top offensive opponents Ohio State has faced in the last 15 years, which includes two Clemson quarterbacks.
* See why Ohio State’s defense, especially the front four, is designed to slow down the Clemson offense.
* Jeff Hafley will be a one-and-done at Ohio State as he leaves the Buckeyes to be the head coach at Boston College. Doug wrote why.
* The Buckeyes have gotten seven stars out of their top seven recruits in the 2017 recruiting class.
* Stephen wrote about Chase Young’s mindset as he plays in the College Football Playoff for the first time.
* Lining up opposite Young for most of the game will be Jackson Carman, the former five-star Ohio offensive tackle who signed with Clemson over the Buckeyes in 2018.
* Nathan wrote about how Larry Johnson’s desire to keep coaching is still growing even after 44 years on the sideline.
Listen to our latest Fiesta Bowl podcasts
Doug, Nathan and Stephen have been doing multiple daily episodes of Buckeye Talk while in Arizona getting ready for the Fiesta Bowl. Listen to their latest one from Friday where they examine the quarterback battle between Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence. You can also listen to the podcasts from Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday here.
Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Subscribe to Buckeye Talk at these places:
News from Clemson
* Matt Connolly of The State picked out five Clemson players who could become household names during the College Football Playoff.
* Eric Boynton of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal wrote about tight end Braden Galloway, who is back in the lineup after missing the entire regular season due to a failed drug test.
* Matt also wrote about Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott, who accepted the head coaching job at South Florida heading into the Fiesta Bowl.
* David Hood of Tigernet.com looked at the matchup between Chase Young and Jackson Carman.
* Scott Keepfer of The Greenville News examined how Clemson had to replace its entire defensive line heading into this season.
Stat leaders
Passing: Clemson: Trevor Lawrence, 232-337 (68.8 percent), 3,172 yards, 34 TDs. Ohio State: Justin Fields, 208-308 (67.5 percent), 2,953 yards, 40 TDs.
Rushing: Clemson: Travis Etienne, 182 carries, 1,500 yards (8.2 avg.), 17 TDs. Ohio State: J.K. Dobbins, 283 carries, 1,829 yards (6.5 avg.), 20 TDs.
Receiving: Clemson: Tee Higgins, 52 receptions, 1,082 yards (20.8 avg.), 13 TDs. Ohio State: Chris Olave, 46 receptions, 799 yards (17.4 avg.), 11 TDs.
Tackles: Clemson: Isaiah Simmons, 93. Ohio State: Malik Harrison, 69.
Sacks: Clemson: Simmons, 7. Ohio State: Chase Young, 16.5.
Interceptions: Clemson: Tanner Muse, 4. Ohio State: Jeff Okudah, 3.
Get Buckeyes Insider texts in your phone from Doug Lesmerises: Cut through the clutter of social media and communicate directly with the award-winning OSU football reporter, just like you would with your friends. Sign up for insight on the Buckeyes for $3.99 a month. You can register in just a minute or two below by entering your phone number.
New OSU gear
New Ohio State merchandise for playoffs: Here’s where you can get Buckeyes shirts and hats for men, women and youth commemorating OSU’s third straight Big Ten championship and berth in the College Football Playoff at the Fiesta Bowl.
More Buckeyes coverage
Chase Young is finally in the College Football Playoff and ‘it’s go time’
Why Ohio State DL coach Larry Johnson feels the passion to coach ‘now more than ever’
Buckeyes’ senior receivers come full circle at the Fiesta Bowl: Friday Focus
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit on Ohio State-Clemson: ‘It feels like a national championship’
Inside the Justin Fields-Trevor Lawrence QB showdown: Buckeye Talk Podcast
OSU left tackle Thayer Munford won the fight to stay on the field for the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl Predictions: Which team moves on to the National Championship Game?
How could Ohio State’s depth chart change on Saturday?
Which OSU players are unavailable for the Fiesta Bowl?
How Michigan’s Nico Collins helped prepare OSU cornerbacks for Clemson
Former Ohio State safety Brendon White signs with Rutgers
Jeff Hafley calls Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence ‘the future of the NFL’