GLENDALE, Ariz. – After jumping out to a 16-0 lead, the Buckeyes were unable to hold off the defending national champions.
It looked like Ohio State was finally about to get the best of Clemson, but a 21-0 run and a late score would result in yet another shortcoming against the Tigers. Clemson was able to extend its winning streak to 29 games in the 29-23 victory.
Let’s take a look back at the takeaways from the final game of the 2019 Ohio State football season.
Clemson makes a few more plays.
With a 23-21 lead with just over three minutes remaining, the Ohio State defense was unable to deliver the final stop needed to advance to New Orleans. The Tigers were able to march form their own six-yard line to get the game-winning score.
Trevor Lawrence would find Travis Etienne for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:49 remaining in the game. The Buckeyes would receive the ball down 29-23, but Justin Fields and the offense was unable to pull off the magic to extend the season.
The game would end with Fields throwing only his third interception of the season on a miscommunication with Chris Olave in the endzone. In the end, the Buckeyes proved that they could execute with the defending national champions, but the Tigers were able to make a few more plays than the Buckeyes to send them home a game early.
Red zone struggles kept Clemson around.
Ohio State's offense was humming along in the first half. Earning 297 total yards of offense in the and 12 first downs in the first half, the Buckeyes were able to move the ball on the defense that was allowing the fewest yards in the nation at 244.7 yards per game.
The Buckeyes were able to march inside the Clemson five-yard line on the opening possession, but Ohio State was forced to settle for the field goal. Kicking field goals in the red zone became the theme of the first half for the Buckeyes, who ended all-three trips into the red zone with field goals. The Buckeyes scored its only touchdown on a long run from Dobbins.
Leading the game 16-0 with less than four minutes in the half, a crucial targeting call on Shaun Wade shifted the tide. The Tigers would use the call to extend the drive and score a touchdown to spark their 14-point run to end the half. Due to an inability to finish drives with touchdowns, the Buckeyes clung to a two-point lead heading into halftime.
Penalties loom large.
Last season the penalty bug bit the Buckeyes continuously. After navigating the 2019 season with the problem largely eliminated, critical flags hurt the Buckeyes. Ohio State came into the game with only 75 penalties on the year; the 2018 Buckeyes led the nation with 116 penalties.
The first big penalty came on a third down in which Wade came on a corner blitz. Wade was able to connect on the blitz and bring down Lawrence with the help of Chase Young. It appeared that Clemson would have to punt the ball back to Ohio State, who was leading 16-0 at the team, but a review would culminate in a targeting penalty that would extend Clemson’s drive and an ejection Wade. The Tigers would turn the extra chance into seven points.
In the second half, another personal foul would give the Tigers extra life on a drive. After stopping Clemson on third down up 16-14, the Buckeyes would go hard after the punt. Being solid all year on special teams, the Buckeyes appeared to be close to another block but Olave was unable to get a hand on the ball and Cameron Brown made matters worse by roughing the punter. The Tigers would convert the bonus downs into points when Etienne took a screen 53 yards to the house.
Ultimately, the penalties would hurt the Buckeyes to the tune of 14 points and a loss of Ohio State’s best slot cornerback.
J.K. Dobbins calls on Ezekiel Elliott's postseason magic.
J.K. Dobbins was running so free in the first half that it looked like the No. 2 on the back of his jersey was blurring into a No. 15. Similar to Ezekiel Elliott in the inaugural playoff, Dobbins was able to explode on the heightened stage.
Against Alabama, Elliott rushed for 230 yards and two touchdowns. Dobbins was on pace to beat that, accumulating 142 yards and a touchdown on nine carries in the first half, but an ankle injury late in the half would throw him off his rhythm.
After wrapping up the ankle at half time, Dobbins ran a route on Ohio State’s opening possession of the second half and came up gimpy. Dobbins would immediately go to the locker room and return halfway through the third quarter. Dobbins would finish the game with 174 rushing yards on 18 carries.
