NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Let’s be clear before we get into this. Everyone is getting the highest grade possible. It's the only sensible option.

Ohio State absolutely rocked Clemson’s world on Friday night.

Beyond a three-and-out on their opening drive and a few unmemorable possessions with the game out of reach, the Buckeyes were incredibly efficient on offense against the best defense they’ve seen all season.

When the offensive line only allows two sacks, Justin Fields lights the state of Louisiana on fire, and Trey Sermon continues to have one of the best stretches of any running back in program history, there isn’t much to nitpick.

The Buckeyes ran for 254 yards and passed for 385 more. That makes 639 total yards against a defense that allowed less than 300 to Notre Dame two weekends ago. It was as close to perfection as one finds in college football.

With that being said, let’s hand out some nice-looking grades to the Ohio State offense after its 49-point performance against Clemson.

You know the scene in A Christmas Story where Ralphie dreams of getting a perfect grade on his theme paper?

That was reality for Justin Fields on Friday night.

After a three-game slump, the junior quarterback took back his rightful place as one of the best players and leaders in college football, posting 385 yards passing, a Sugar Bowl-record six touchdowns through the air, and one interception that was batted at the line of scrimmage.

Fields was a touchdown machine on Friday, finding his tight ends across the middle early and going deep to Chris Olave and Jameson Williams late, taking advantage of a Clemson secondary that appeared a step slow.

He spread the ball around; seven different receivers had at least two receptions and four caught their very own touchdown pass. He hit his check-downs when necessary and moved up in the pocket on the rare occasion that he was pressured.

It was poetry in the backfield.

Oh, I forgot to mention the side-destroying blow he took in the second quarter that would have sent most players straight to the locker room.

Fields missed one play, re-entered, and promptly found Olave for a touchdown, all while wincing with every movement of his arm.

It was an unbelievable sequence in what turned out to be an unbelievable game-- one that Ryan Day said would be remembered for a long time to come.

Above all else, Justin Fields is a winner.

He made that clear on Friday.

Grade: A+

By now, it’s probably fair to say that Alabama knows who Trey Sermon is.

Sermon, who actually played against the Crimson Tide as a sophomore at Oklahoma, is establishing himself on a national level.

The senior rushed for 193 yards against Clemson after his historic output against Northwestern, and added four receptions and 61 yards through the air in another explosive performance. He wasn’t touched by the Clemson defense for large portions of his yardage and was a threat to break free on every touch.

On a day where Fields was the main course, Sermon proved to be an effective side dish. Maybe a dessert? Something like that.

He ate up yardage and clock time as the game ticked away and sparked the charge for Ohio State when it needed an early score to keep up with Clemson.

Master Teague’s absence allowed the Oklahoma transfer to take 31 carries on Friday night. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry and eight of his rushes went for 10 yards or more. In other words, he was a workhorse-- something the Buckeyes have lacked this year.

In Sermon's one brief trip to the sideline, Miyan Williams entered and was once again effective in limited carries, rushing three times for 21 yards and showcasing impressive agility and burst for a player of his size. The future is bright!

But the present remains even more encouraging.

Trey Sermon is the go-to option at running back for a team contending for a national title, and Ohio State couldn’t have asked for a more well-timed breakout.

Grade: A+

The level of balance we saw from Ohio State’s receivers on Friday is not something that has frequently happened this season.

Before the Sugar Bowl, 62 percent of the Buckeyes’ receptions landed in the gloves of Olave or Garrett Wilson. Northwestern was prepared for that one-dimensional style, and Fields and the Ohio State offense suffered, especially with no Olave.

That wasn’t the case against Clemson.

Olave (six receptions, 132 yards) was back and made his fair share of huge plays, but he and Wilson only combined for eight of the Buckeyes’ 22 catches.

Williams finally made a significant impact, hauling in a deep touchdown. Sermon was good in the passing game. Jaxson Smith-Njigba made a few plays early. It was a well-rounded night from the receiving corps as a whole.

However, it was much more than a well-rounded night for the tight end room.

It was a beautiful night.

Luke Farrell and Jeremy Ruckert were massively important in the biggest game of each of their careers, catching three combined touchdown passes in the first half and ending up with 66 receiving yards on the evening.

Combined with their always-consistent efforts in the blocking game, the tight ends may have secretly been the most impactful unit on this offense against Clemson.

After being mostly ignored all season, it was a nice thing to see some tight end love coming from Fields and Day.

The unit certainly deserved some time in the spotlight.

Grade: A+

Over 200 rushing yards.

Only two sacks allowed.

Untouched runs for Sermon through wide-open holes.

Plenty of time for an injured Fields to maneuver in the pocket and make plays.

Minimal penalties.

It was a performance approaching perfection from the offensive line-- a unit that has grown with the season and now stands as one of the best in the country.

This group deserves all of the praise it will certainly receive over the coming weeks. Its ability to not only adapt, but get better while rotating players in and out of the lineup, has been remarkable.

The chemistry is fully there. So is the talent, and the work, and the accolades, and the game experience.

That's why it is no surprise that everything came together against Clemson.

Grade: A+

This was by far the best game the Ohio State offense has played this season.

There are so few negative things that took place in this contest that it’s hard to even consider not giving the group a perfect grade.

So I won’t consider it. Everyone gets an A+.

After a season like 2020, what better way to kick off the new year than with some much-needed positive reassurance?

Alabama awaits.

Grade: A+