SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Like with Ohio State's roster, there are plenty of players from Clemson that were on the team during Ohio State's loss to Clemson in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl.
There weren't many that played in the 2016 game that are on Clemson's roster now, but for some that weren't making a big impact in 2016, they're leaders on the team now, and they're looking to finally get their shot at Ohio State.
While other Clemson players may be familiar with the Buckeyes, Lawrence isn't one of them, so where does the star quarterback think Ohio State excels heading into Saturday's Fiesta Bowl?
"I think just everywhere. They're good at every part on defense, and especially their D-line. Obviously, everyone talks about their D-line. And not even just Chase Young," Lawrence said. "All of those other guys you have up front, a lot of other guys, too. They're pretty deep up front."
The defensive line will present an obvious challenge for Lawrence with their production this season. The Buckeyes are tied for the nation's lead with 51 sacks in 13 games with 16 players having contributed at least half a sack. Young, the freshly-minted single-season sack leader for Ohio State with 16.5 sacks this year, will be of the utmost concern for Lawrence and company.
If the sophomore quarterback can avoid getting sacked, his job doesn't get much easier after that. Ohio State's starting linebackers in Malik Harrison, Pete Werner and Tuf Borland have combined for nearly a quarter of the Buckeyes' 775 tackles in 2019.
Once he gets past the second level, he'll be going up against a secondary allowing just 148 passing yards per game, miles better than any other team that Clemson has faced this year.
After spending the better part of three weeks preparing for the Fiesta Bowl, Lawrence said there isn't a true weakness on Ohio State's defense.
"Linebackers are a really good group. And then DBs, both corners and the safety are really good players," Lawrence said. "I think everywhere, there's not really a weak link. That's going to be a challenge."
While there may not be a clear reason beyond competitive purposes why Lawrence would be hyped for this matchup, Lawrence may have something to prove around where the Tigers ended up ranked in the College Football Playoffs.
Clemson was handed the No. 3 seed, and despite not having some of the marquee wins that LSU and Ohio State had, the Tigers felt slighted by the ranking given that they're the defending national champions.
It may seem petty given that with three undefeated teams there was guaranteed to be one pushed down to the No. 3 seed, and Lawrence said that him and the Tigers aren't upset about the rankings, but they'll certainly use it as bulletin board material heading into Saturday's game.
"Not really. It gives us a little fuel and something to work for. We're still -- if people think we're the third best team, so that's just how it's going to be until we prove it," Lawrence said. "Since we've got the opportunity, we're not upset. We're happy to be here and happy to have the opportunity to prove ourselves."
At the end of the day, regardless of rankings and where each team thinks they should be, it will be clear soon enough which team deserved to be ranked where they are.
Lawrence has experience on the big stage in the playoffs last season, but Ohio State's defense will be nothing like Lawrence has dealt with during his time at Clemson, and he's excited to play against the Buckeyes.
"Definitely the best. We have the same defense that's good this year," Lawrence said. "We're really excited about that opportunity to go against them and see what we can do."
