Fiesta Bowl 2016: Updated Odds and Comments for Ohio State vs. Clemson

Of all of the matchups between this year's College Football Playoff and the various bowl games, few—if any—are better than Ohio State taking on Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl with a spot in the national championship on the line.

The game is compelling on several fronts, which we will touch on below. But first, let's take a look at the schedule and odds for the contest.

Date	Time (ET)	Watch	Odds
Dec. 31	7 p.m.	ESPN	Ohio State (-3) vs. Clemson

Ohio State comes in as the slight favorite, and that isn't hard to understand. After all, the Buckeyes accumulated the most impressive resume in college football this season, beating Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Michigan while losing to Penn State on the road by three points.

The Buckeyes are loaded on offense, led by a dangerous rushing attack that includes mobile quarterback J.T. Barrett, dynamic playmaker Curtis Samuel and Mike Weber. They also score a ton of points (42.7 per game, ninth in the nation) and stymie opposing offenses (14.2 points allowed per game, 18th in the country).

Clemson has a strong front seven, however, and will likely focus on slowing down the running game, meaning wideout Noah Brown will have to have a big game. If Ohio State becomes too one-dimensional, the Tigers will adjust.

On the other side of the ball, Deshaun Watson has once again been excellent, and while he isn't as dangerous a runner as Barrett, he keeps the defense honest with his ability to scramble. He has a trio of dangerous weapons in the passing game in future first-round pick and wide receiver Mike Williams, wideout Artavis Scott and tight end Jordan Leggett.

That trio will represent a challenge for the Buckeyes, though they do have one of the best secondaries in the country. And Watson will have to avoid turnovers as well—his 15 interceptions have been a major concern this season.

From a coaching perspective, the CFB scene isn't new to either Urban Meyer or Dabo Swinney. The former has won three national championships (two with Florida, one with Ohio State). The latter led Clemson to the national championship game a year ago.

"At the end of day, we're where we wanted to be," Swinney told the Associated Press (via Fox Sports). "We wanted to be in the final four, that's where we are. We've got a shot to get back to the championship."

Jack Lambert Award winner Ben Boulware added: "The hunger has been there from day one, been there since January. It will continue to be there until the last game."

Certainly, Clemson's goal is to finish what they couldn't a year ago and win a national championship. But while Ohio State compiled an incredibly impressive resume this season, Clemson won five games by a touchdown or less, playing with fire throughout much of the year against an easier schedule than the Buckeyes faced.

Perhaps that has left the Tigers battle-tested in close games. But against an Ohio State team that won four games by a touchdown or less and is just as battle-tested, that won't represent an advantage.

Look for the Buckeyes to sneak past Clemson and into the national championship game.

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