Ohio State Buckeyes Vs. Clemson Tigers: Bold Predictions For Fiesta Bowl

If you are looking for the most exciting game of bowl season, then look no further than the Fiesta Bowl. Two of the most stacked teams in the nation will be partaking in this College Football Playoff clash. It would only be fitting if two of the best quarterbacks in college football were also meeting up, and that will in fact be the case when Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett and Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson take the field.

If you are a fan of teams that can make it rain on the offensive side of the ball, then you are going to love this contest. After all, Clemson is averaging 40.2 points per game and Ohio State is putting up 42.7 points per contest. With that in mind, both teams just so happen to have stingy defenses as well. The Buckeyes are only giving up 14.2 points per game and Clemson is allowing 18.4 points per contest.

After looking at those stats, it should come as no surprise that Ohio State is ranked No. 3 in the country and Clemson is ranked No. 2.

The winner of the Fiesta Bowl will go on to play the winner of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, which will be played against the Alabama Crimson Tide and Washington Huskies.

Before we get to the bold predictions, here are two interesting facts, if you will, about the Buckeyes and Tigers: (1) Clemson made the national championship last year, which was the College Football Playoff’s second year of existence, and (2) Ohio State won the national championship the year before.

And now, let’s unleash some bold predictions for not only one of the most exciting games of bowl season, but the entire season as well.

J.T. Barrett Records Five Total Touchdowns, One Turnover

J.T. Barrett didn’t win the Heisman (he wasn’t even a finalist), but he is still easily one of the best players in college football, and he might just be the best player on the field when these two teams meet up.

Barrett didn’t have the magical season that many fans hoped for — well, at least from a stats standpoint, that is — but he still did work all year long. Barrett racked up 2,428 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, just five interceptions, 847 rushing yards, and nine more scores on the ground.

He is more than capable of torching any defense in the sport, and he will do just that in the Fiesta Bowl. Five touchdowns against a team that only allowed 18.4 points per game might be bold, but bold is the name of the game.

Deshaun Watson Is Good For Four Touchdowns, No Turnovers

If you are a Clemson fan, or football fan in general, then you might think Deshaun Watson is the best player in this showdown, and you might be right.

Watson was a Heisman finalist once again and he helped lead the Tigers to a 12-1 season, which, of course, featured a win in the ACC title game. Side note: The Buckeyes finished the season with a record of 11-1 and didn’t even make the Big Ten championship.

Once again, Watson’s stats were out of control in 2016. He racked up 3,914 passing yards, 37 passing touchdowns, 529 rushing yards, and six rushing touchdowns. He did, however, have 15 interceptions on the year.

Although both defenses are more than capable of taking over this battle, the quarterbacks will steal the show. Look for Watson to drop four touchdowns on Ohio State’s defense.

The Buckeyes Win On The Final Drive Of The Game

This is being deemed the most exciting matchup (on paper) of bowl season, so it might as well end with a bang, right? More likely than not, the Fiesta Bowl will go down to the wire. Both teams are stacked with talent and both teams have been near the top of the rankings for the entire season.

If this clash does in fact go down to the wire and the Buckeyes have the ball, all eyes will surely be on Barrett.

For all it’s worth, Clemson took down Ohio State in the Orange Bowl in the 2013 season. Of course, both teams look completely different now.

Nonetheless, this showdown will be filled with some of the best players in college football, and we could see fireworks early and often as a result. In other words, don’t be surprised when players like Barrett and Watson take over on the offensive side of the ball and the touchdowns come raining down.

Is it December 31 yet?

[Featured Image by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images]