With pure determination and toughness, the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes advanced to their second College Football Playoff National Championship game with a 49-28 victory over the No. 2 Clemson Tigers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome Friday evening in New Orleans, La.
Justin Fields tied the school record for touchdown passes with six scores for 385 yards, while running back Trey Sermon also had another monster game, registering 252 total yards, including 191 on the ground. Chris Olave returned to action in elite fashion with six catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns.
With the win, the Buckeyes (7-0) face No. 1 Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game set for Monday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
In a frenzy, back-and-forth first-quarter, Clemson struck first on the opening possession of the game with an 8-play, 82-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown run by quarterback Trevor Lawrence. On third down, a key 27-yard completion to Cornell Powell from Lawrence put the Tigers inside the five-yard line to set up the scoring chance.
Following a 3-and-out by the Buckeye defense midway through the quarter, the Scarlet and Gray offense exploded, scoring in three plays in 77 yards, capped off by a 32-yard touchdown run by Sermon. The Tiger defense was caught off-guard by the push of the Ohio State offensive line, leading the Buckeyes down the field in a 1:12 span.
Sermon puts the Buckeyes on the board
The scoring continued when Clemson regained the lead after a seven-play, 75-yard drive in 2:58. The Tigers came out fast with a run, pass mix. Tiger running back Travis Etienne ended the drive with a three-yard touchdown run for the 14-7 advantage.
But the Scarlet and Gray punched right back, this time through the air to tie the game. Justin Fields was in his rhythm and tossed a 47-yard completion to Garrett Wilson to push the Scarlet and Gray into the red zone. On third down, Fields connected with Luke Farrell for an eight-yard touchdown pass. The drive took 3:25 and covered 75 yards in six plays.
The two teams combined for 332 yards of total offense in the first quarter.
Fields connects with Farrell for six
