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TheSouthShoreMagazine.com On the other side of the bracket, we have a much more closely matched game between the No. 2 Clemson Tigers and the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes. Both teams suffered only one loss each, but Clemson has something under its belt that the 2016 Buckeyes lack, and that is a conference championship. Clemson defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies en route to winning the ACC Championship, while Ohio State was left out of its conference title game due to a tiebreaker scenario. The BIG 10 Championship game between the Wisconsin Badgers and Penn State Nittany Lions was a bit of a fluke scenario, and I do believe that the College Football Playoff Committee made the correct choice in granting Ohio State a playoff spot. Now, having a conference championship on a team's resume undoubtedly boosts their legitimacy, but I think it also can factor into the team's performance on New Year's Eve. One could make the argument that the intangible credibility boost could increase a team's confidence and translate to tangible, on- field results, which I somewhat agree with to a certain point. But I think the true difference maker is that Ohio State's gap between games is one week longer than Clemson's. The gap between the end of the regular season and New Year's Eve is already long enough, and I believe that having an extra week off added on to that can hurt a team's momentum. I said the same thing in 2015, when Clemson took on the Oklahoma Sooners, which ended in a 37-17 blowout in favor of the Tigers. It's just something to consider. It also shouldn't go unnoted that the last time Clemson and Ohio State played each other, the Tigers came out on top with a 40-35 Orange Bowl Victory in 2014. I think that these two teams matchup really well against each other. The Buckeyes have a more balanced offense, averaging 221.2 yards per game through the air and 258.3 yards per game on the ground. The Tigers are much more pass-focused (332.6 yards per game), but the rushing duo of dual-threat quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Wayne Gallman is nothing to look past (173.1 rush yards per game). I think, as expected, Watson and his elite receiving corps will be the difference maker, allowing Clemson to beat Ohio State by 10, despite being three point underdogs. If my predictions are correct, then we will be looking at a repeat of last season's National Championship matchup between Alabama and Clemson. Unfortunately for Clemson fans, I see this game having the same outcome as last season, with the Crimson Tide being crowned National Champions once again. In order to beat 'Bama, an opponent has to play mistake-free football. As good as Clemson has looked this season, I think that the Tigers are far from perfect, and the Crimson Tide will pounce on any opportunity to put points on the board. If I'm correct about the outcomes of these games, you might want to start investigating if I somehow got a hold of Doc Brown's DeLorean. If I completely butchered these predictions, well, then I'll need to start figuring out a way to find a later edition of Gray's Sports Almanac. by Caleb Blackmur A Look Back 19