MARK MAY contest of the week: Ohio State Buckeyes vs Clemson Tigers ($50 Prize!)
"The Crowd" has Ohio State as (-2.1) favorites
Prizing:
1st Place: $50 Amazon gift card
2nd-10th Place: $10 Starbucks gift card
Top 10 Winners:
1. ropel***@outlook.com (500 points)
2. Zachery Lewis (329 points)
3. cowzro***@gmail.com (317 points)
4. adrian1***@yahoo.com (300 points)
5. Allen Reece (300 points)
6. aultst***@yahoo.com (300 points)
7. bdubfos***@yahoo.com (300 points)
8. bdutti***@palmettorail.com (300 points)
9. bmcguf***@elkinswholesale.com (300 points)
10. Brandon Angle (300 points)
Overview:
On Saturday, December 31st, at 7:00 P.M. the Ohio State Buckeyes will take on the Clemson Tigers in the Fiesta Bowl.
Mark May:
Mark is going against “The Crowd” predicting a final score of Clemson 41 – Ohio State 30.
The Crowd:
“The Crowd” projects a final score of Ohio State 31.7 – Clemson 29.9 with an over/under of 61.3.
2016-17 Statistics (127 total teams):
Passing offense: Clemson 332.6 YPG > Ohio State 221.2 YPG
Rushing offense: Ohio State 258.3 YPG > Clemson 173.1 YPG
Scoring offense: Ohio State 42.7 PPG > Clemson 40.2 PPG
Scoring defense: Ohio State 14.2 PPG > Clemson 18.4 PPG
Passing defense: Ohio State 164.5 YPG > Clemson 188.2 YPG
Rushing defense: Ohio State 117.8 YPG > Clemson 125.8 YPG
Turnover Margin Per Game: Ohio State +1.3 > Clemson -0.2
Strength of schedule:
Ohio State is (11-1) with wins over Bowling Green, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Indiana, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Nebraska, Maryland, Michigan State, and Michigan. Their only loss came on the road against a ranked Penn State team. Clemson is (12-1) with wins over Auburn, Troy, South Carolina State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Boston College, North Carolina State, Florida State, Syracuse, Wake Forest, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech. Their lone defeat was a one point loss at home to an unranked Pittsburgh team
Summary:
Ironically, Ohio State’s last defeat in a bowl game came at the hands of Clemson in the 2013 Orange Bowl. Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is (10-2) all time in bowl games while Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is just (5-4). The statistics seem to fall in Ohio State’s favor though they are very close in nearly every category. The one distinct advantage for Clemson is passing offense where they average over 330 yards per game. Ohio State has one of the best defensive backfields in college football so they may be able to limit some of the downfield throws from DeShaun Watson. Watson’s dual threat ability provides a unique challenge that the Buckeyes defense will have to account for.
The key to this game is whether Ohio State can run the football effectively against a tough Clemson defense. The Buckeyes get into trouble when quarterback J.T. Barrett is forced to throw into third and long situations. Barrett is dynamic running the football but struggles to throw from the pocket. Ohio State ranks 3rd in the nation in turnover margin while Clemson is 79th. Ultimately I think the lack of ball security will be Clemson’s undoing.
**LISTEN HERE** to the latest edition of “The Berger Shop” podcast, sponsored by The Crowd’s Line. This week’s episode features an in-depth discussion about the return of Tiger Woods with golf pro Jason Birnbaum.
Note:
To be eligible to enter a Crowd’s Line contest you must be over 18 years of age, a resident of the United States/Canada, and submit your score prediction on our prediction tool (blog widget). The winner will be selected according to The Crowd’s Line scoring methodology. If more than one entrant has the same winning score the winner will be selected by random drawing. Only one prize will be awarded per contest and that winner will receive their prize in 5-7 business days.
