Ohio State proved us wrong.
Yes, we both picked Clemson to beat Ohio State in last week's Sugar Bowl, and we're here to admit we whiffed on our predictions. The Buckeyes didn't just beat the Tigers, they rolled to a 21-point victory, as Justin Fields had the performance of his career, Trey Sermon continued his Ezekiel Elliott-esque postseason run and Ohio State dominated both sides of the line of scrimmage.
We spend the first half of this week's episode going over all the highlights from the Buckeyes' 49-28 win, how Justin Fields furthered his case for being Ohio State's best quarterback ever, how Brent Venables' Clemson defense looked completely overmatched and which other players and units impressed us most in New Orleans.
Then, around the 36:30 mark, we dive into looking ahead to the national championship clash with Alabama, which both of us expect to be a shootout between two great offenses and two suspect defenses. And this time around, we're believes in the Buckeyes' potential to win even though they're once again an underdog by more than a touchdown.
There's reason for confidence that Fields, Sermon and the rest of Ohio State's offense can keep things rolling, but there's no question the Buckeyes' defense is in for its toughest test of the season against Heisman winner DeVonta Smith, Mac Jones, Najee Harris and the rest of Alabama's offense. What does Ohio State's defense need to be able to do for the Buckeyes to have a chance to win, and what does Ohio State's offense need to do to overcome the likelihood the Crimson Tide will put a big number on the scoreboard?
We discuss it all, and answer your listener-submitted questions about the matchup, before giving our best bets for the game (we're taking the over and the points) and taking our best guesses at how the game will play out.
Listen to this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays in the audio player above or click subscribe to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or another platform of your choice.
