(12) Clemson (10-2) vs. (7) Ohio State (12-1)

Jan. 3, 8:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN

 The only meeting between these two schools ending in stunning fashion in which Ohio State coach Woody Hayes punched Clemson linebacker Charlie Bauman after he intercepted a pass in the Tigers’ 17-15 win in the 1978 Gator Bowl. This years matchup will feature two of the best quarterbacks in the country, where we may not even see an interception.

Clemson had national title aspirations after opening the season with six consecutive wins. The Tigers were ranked No.3 heading into a home matchup with Florida State, but were demolished 51-14 and knocked out of the BCS conversation.  While they struggled against the Seminoles and in a 31-17 loss to rival South Carolina in the regular-season finale, its offense has otherwise been sensational. The Tigers average 45.1 points and 534.6 yards in their wins. Their 11th ranked passing offense (329.3 yards per game) and ninth ranked scoring offense (40.2 points per game) is led by senior quarterback Tajh Boyd and junior wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Boyd passed for 3,473 yards and 29 TDs, and is the teams second leading rusher with 273 yards and nine touchdowns with his feet. His 102 career touchdown passes are an ACC record and are tied for 15th most in FBS history. Watkins led the ACC with 1,237 yards on 85 catches for ten touchdowns and was named a second-team All-American. Boyd will have more than just Sammy Watkins, however. Martavis Bryant had 800 yards and five scores on just 39 receptions for an average of 20.5 yards per catch — sixth in the nation. Roderick McDowell is the Tigers leading rusher with 956 yards and five touchdowns. On defense, Clemson has had trouble stopping the run allowing an average of 169.5 yards on the ground in their last four games, but have been solid against the pass, yielding an average of 132.2 yards and two passing touchdowns over that same span. Defensive end Vic Beasley will lead the charge as his 12 sacks were among the nation’s leaders. If Clemson wants to redeem their 70-33 loss to West Virginia in the 2011 Orange Bowl, they will need to be able to stop Ohio State’s third ranked rushing attack. Clemson has key wins against Georgia (8-4) and Georgia Tech (7-5). Their two losses were Florida State (13-0) and to South Carolina (10-2).

Like Clemson, Ohio State had national title aspirations. Ohio State was No.2 in the AP preseason poll after going 12-0 last year — though the team was barred from the postseason due to NCAA infractions. This year, led by dual-threat quarterback Braxton Miller, the Buckeyes went virtually unchallenged throughout the regular season and went 12-0 again after needing a failed two-point conversion to beat Michigan 42-41. Unlike last year, however, the Buckeyes had to play in the Big Ten championship game. They entered this year’s game ranked second in the BCS standings, but they’re title aspirations were dashed after losing 34-24 to Michigan State. The Buckeyes weakness was exposed in their final games; pass defense. Ohio State’s defense allowed their last four opponents to complete 63.7 percent of its passes for an average of 340.8 yards and 11 total touchdowns. The Spartans’ Connor Cook, who came in averaging 176.6 yards, threw for a career-best 304 yards and three touchdowns. On the season as a whole, Ohio State is ranked 105th in pass defense allowing an average of 259.5 yards per game. Head coach Urban Meyer said personnel changes on defense are possible with freshman Tyvis Powell and Vonn Bell seeing more playing time. They will also be without sophomore defensive end Noah Spence, who was suspended for three games for violating an undisclosed Big Ten rule. Spence led the Buckeyes with eight sacks this year and also had 14.5 tackles for a loss (second-most on the team). Ohio State has one of the best offenses, however, ranking fourth in scoring offense with 46.3 points per game and seventh in total offense with 518.5 yards per game. Most of the damage comes from their run game, featuring Carlos Hyde and Braxton Miller. They are ranked third with an average of 317.5 yards per game on the ground. Miller, the Big Ten offensive player of the year, averaged 155.8 rushing yards per game, 9.4 per carry and ran for eight touchdowns over his last four contests. He also led the Big Ten with 22 passing touchdowns while throwing for 1,860 yards, making him a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard passer. Carlos Hyde, a third-team All-American, was second in the Big Ten with 14 TDs despite missing the first three games due to suspension. In the last six games he’s rushed for 965 yards with an average of 8.7 per attempt. Their rushing attack will be key in beating Clemson and their 51st ranked rushing defense. Ohio State has key wins against Wisconsin (9-3) and Iowa (8-4). Their only loss was to Michigan State (12-1).

Tiago- Clemson

Matt- Ohio State

Tom- Clemson