Saw a stat this morning that Ohio State had faced as many top 50 defenses in yards per play as the rest of the playoff field combined (9). So I wanted to dig in a bit.
Clemson's offense and Ohio State's offensive stats are very similar.
| CLEMSON | CATEGORY | OHIO STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 534.8 | YPG | 531.5 |
| 7.2 | YPP | 6.8 |
| 239.1 | Rushing O | 272.8 |
| 295.8 | Passing O | 258.8 |
| 45.5 | Scoring O | 48.7 |
But let's see who each team has played.
Ohio State has played 9 FBS teams in the top 50 nationally in opponent yards per play:
#4 - TTUN
#12 - Wisconsin (twice)
#14 - Penn State
#22 - Michigan State
#26 - Northwestern
#33 - Miami (OH)
#38 - Cincinnati
#50 - Florida Atlantic
Clemson has played 2:
#40 - Texas A&M
#44 - Florida State
The other teams they have played were ranked between 56-114. The average defensive ranking of teams they played in YPP was 71. The average defensive rankings of teams we played in YPP was 40.
Put simply, Ohio State's gaudy offensive numbers were put up against defenses that rank much higher in yards per play. Also worth noting that Clemson's stats include a game vs 8-4 FCS team Wofford where the Tigers were able to lay 702 yards on them.
Put even more simply, Clemson's offense, while talented, has not been tested by a truly elite defense all year, in any sense of the imagination. Ohio State has faced 4 top 15 defenses and averaged 39 ppg in those games.
