Game Prediction: No. 2 Clemson Tigers vs. No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes

The BuckeyesNow staff makes our predictions for the Sugar Bowl matchup between Clemson and Ohio State.

It's almost time for the Buckeye and Tigers to kick off for the second straight season with a berth in the national championship game at stake. Ohio State has dropped each of the four games all-time to Clemson, including three matchups since January 2014.

Will this finally be the year where the Scarlet and Gray can get past the only team in college football that's consistently had their number this decade?

If you missed our predictions for the Alabama-Notre Dame game, you can check them out here.

Here's what a few of our staff members think:

Brendan Gulick, BuckeyesNow on SI Publisher

I'm feeling exactly the way that I want to feel as kickoff approaches. I'm nervous, I'm excited, I'm cautiously optimistic, I'm terrified. It's nice to be feeling the emotions of a big game again because frankly, I expected the Buckeyes to be here and even though there were a few close calls during the last two months, I never thought Ohio State was in danger of losing a game.

This game is just as winnable as it is losable, in my opinion. Clemson is the real deal. A Buckeyes win would certainly mean a great game from all parts of the defense: a good consistent pass rush that keeps Trevor Lawrence contained, linebackers that play well in coverage and make tackles in space, and a secondary that doesn't give up big plays on broken coverages.

X's and O's: Three Keys for the Buckeyes to Beat Clemson in the Sugar Bowl

Offensively, Ohio State absolutely has to establish a run game early on. I think if the Buckeyes become too reliant on Justin Fields in this game, they're in for a long day. Fields is quite capable of playing well, but he's struggled in the two biggest games he's played in so far this year (Indiana and Northwestern). There's no margin for error against Clemson.

For some sneaky reason, I think this game between two high-octane offenses may be lower scoring that you'd expect. It's counter-intuitive for sure. All signs point toward an unstoppable Clemson offense against an Ohio State defense that has been gashed a few times. But I have a hunch defense plays a more prominent role in this game than many expect it will. I'm picking the Buckeyes in a classic game that brings back similar thoughts from the last Sugar Bowl they played in when they beat Alabama en route to winning a national title.

Final Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Clemson 29

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Jarrod Kilburn, BuckeyesNow on SI Football Analyst

The line of 7.5 in favor of the Tigers is too much - these two teams are far closer than that. The loss of play caller Tony Elliott will certainly have an effect on the Clemson offense, but to what extent remains to be seen. 

I think this game turns into a shootout, with QBs Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence trading body blows in the form of explosive plays. It very well could come down to which quarterback has the ball in his hands last, making turnovers and defensive stops a premium. 

However, I think in the end the truncated schedule of the Big Ten finally works against the Buckeyes - the Tigers have played more football and have been pushed in more games this season, allowing them to survive and advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship in Miami.

Final Score Prediction: Clemson 31, Ohio State 27

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Eddie Marotta, BuckeyesNow on SI Contributor

Ohio State has been dealt a tough hand all season long, and the team has developed a bond and chemistry off the field the likes of which we haven’t seen in many years. They’ve also seen teams play them like it’s their last game all season long and have had their ups and downs in that environment. 

Even with Ohio State getting many of their offensive pieces back for Friday night’s rematch with Clemson, I don’t have confidence in a Buckeye secondary that has looked inconsistent at best against competition much lesser than that they will face against Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson offense. 

This will be a fun game to watch for many reasons, but I believe the Buckeyes deficiencies and inconsistent play on the defensive side of the ball will be their undoing against the Tigers.

Final Score Prediction: Clemson 38, Ohio State 31

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