Sugar Bowl 2021: Latest Odds, Prediction for Ohio State vs. Clemson Playoff

Here we go again: Clemson vs. Ohio State in a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup, playing for a chance to advance to the CFP National Championship Game. It happened last season, and now, we're going to get a rematch on New Year's Day.

The No. 2-seeded and ACC champion Tigers will go head-to-head with the No. 3-seeded and Big Ten champion Buckeyes in the Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on Jan. 1. It's a rematch of last season's Fiesta Bowl, which Clemson won 29-23.

Can the Tigers win another semifinal game in their sixth straight CFP appearance? Or will the Buckeyes win their first CFP game since they won the national championship at the end of the 2014 season, the inaugural year of the Playoff format?

It should be an exciting game, especially with so many returning players from last season on both sides.

Here's everything you need to know as we get closer to the 2021 Sugar Bowl.

Sugar Bowl Information

Date: Friday, Jan. 1, 2021

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Odds

Via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: Clemson (-7.5)

Over/Under: 65.5 points

Moneyline: Clemson (-286; bet $286 to win $100); Ohio State (+210; bet $100 to win $210)

Preview, Prediction

Clemson and Ohio State have both overcome adversity this season to get to the College Football Playoff. Both teams have had players test positive for COVID-19 and had their schedules affected by the pandemic.

The Tigers played two games without star quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and that led to them suffering a rare regular-season loss. On Nov. 7, they lost at Notre Dame 47-40 in double overtime with Lawrence sitting out, marking the first time they had been defeated in the regular season since Oct. 13, 2017.

After that loss, Clemson didn't play again until three weeks later due to its game at Florida State getting postponed (and eventually canceled). But when the Tigers returned to action, they reeled off three straight wins, which included avenging their loss to the Fighting Irish in the ACC Championship Game, beating them 34-10 to capture their sixth straight ACC title.

Now, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney believes his team is playing its best football of the year.

"I’m just really proud of this team and how they’ve just worked and found—and our staff, just found a way each and every week to get better and to stay the course," Swinney said, per Phil Harrison of Buckeyes Wire. "It is good to see them now after 11 games just battle-tested. We’ve been forced to develop a lot of depth, placing guys maybe before they were really ready, but I felt like that paid off for us in [the ACC title game]."

Ohio State didn't even begin its season until Oct. 24, after the Big Ten had originally planned to have a 2020 campaign amid the pandemic. The Buckeyes played three straight weeks to begin their schedule, but then they didn't play in consecutive weeks again the rest of the way due to cancellations.

Even though Ohio State didn't have momentum with its stop-and-start schedule, it never lost along the way, going 6-0. That included a 22-10 victory over Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game, marking the Buckeyes' fourth straight conference title.

There was debate over whether Ohio State should make the College Football Playoff, having not played nearly as many games as the other top teams in the country. However, head coach Ryan Day and his team are now in the Playoff, preparing to try to stay undefeated and prove their doubters wrong.

"There was a time when we didn’t have anything, we didn’t have a season," Day said, according to Mitch Stacy of the Associated Press. "And here we are, ranked No. 3 going into CFP. And so it’s been kind of that way all year. You talk about anxiety. It’s been anxiety for a long time."

These teams should know each other well, considering many of the top players went head-to-head in last season's CFP. So, it should be a competitive game early on, providing similar excitement to their last meeting.

But Clemson is tough to beat this time of year, as Ohio State knows quite well. And this will likely be Lawrence's last chance to win a second national title before he moves on to the NFL—the same applies for some of the other top players on the Tigers.

Both teams averaged more than 500 total yards of offense per game, so there should be plenty of scoring. However, Clemson will prove that it's just a bit better, pulling away with a couple of late scores and advancing to the CFP National Championship Game for the third year in a row.

Prediction: Clemson 38, Ohio State 24

---

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or call or text the TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN).

21+. NJ/PA/WV/IN/IA/CO/IL/TN only. In partnership with Meadows Racetrack & Casino. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.