No. 3 Clemson returns to site of championship disappointment

Despite seeing some of his numbers dip compared to last year’s Heisman-winning campaign, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson is still a complete nightmare to deal with.

In the fall of 2014, the Texas native earned the starting job as a freshman and led Ohio State to an 11-1 record, setting 19 school records with his passing and running. They tried to (indiscernible) committed to Clemson.

And you might be right, Barrett could be scared. I would not have got back in if not for Ohio State. What keeps the creative team working so hard is Meyer’s desire to be best, and if his creative team isn’t the best, they find out what they can do to beat the competition. And they respected that. “It’s not going to faze us at all”.

“It’s getting to the point where I feel like I’m ready to play and I would be disappointed if I didn’t get to play next year probably, ” Burrow said. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it yet”.

“Next year, I don’t know”. So at the time it wasn’t right.

“Just a tough runner”, Clemson defensive lineman Christian Wilkins said.

Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott, who was receivers coach back then, said the Tigers hardly practiced the quick passes and screens that were a big part of their offense leading up to the Orange Bowl because they figured Ohio State would hug the line of scrimmage to take them away. In a game in which you have two very talented teams playing one another, the margin for error is so small that every turnover, every mistake, every little thing is magnified.

STS: How do you think Ohio State is going to try to cover Clemson’s potent group of receivers and force Watson to make some poor decisions in the passing game? I go into a sandwich shop, Subway, and there are four people standing in line, what do I do? “I felt like I should have been offered before he even got there”. Throughout the workouts of offseason and spring, it’s a big motivation for us to get back to that point. The linebacker tops the team charts with 87 stops on the season, including a career-high tying 16-tackle performance against MI in the regular season finale. “We were able to get the experience we needed to put ourselves in a position to play at this type of game”. Just striving to be great each and every week. Prince has been anything but that, and I’m fearful that the Tigers will eat him alive in Phoenix. “(OSU coach Urban) Meyer has proven himself over the years as being as good as anybody in these situations”. “The one thing that you don’t want to do is to give a great opponent extra at-bats, and that is exactly what a turnover does – gives them extra at-bats”. Then Barrett’s teammates came to his defense, while some Clemson players downplayed the original comment. Has it felt different? Here for one day and a day and a half. “Not just to get in the playoffs but to finish the deal”. On Wednesday, Clemson visited with the Special Olympics organization in Scottsdale as part of the Fiesta Bowl’s community outreach program. “They have guys that attack the ball in the air like receivers”. What’s the connection like even (indiscernible)? Will Williams be that guy this time? “Two or three of the best corners in college football”.

Cain said that the receiving corps that has five guys with 30-plus receptions – Hunter Renfrow with 29 – has had so much success due to the play of Watson and the Clemson offensive line. Already they could have met in 2015-16 but for one screamer of a game in Columbus. Meyer had the pedigree of two national championships at Florida, and he had deep OH ties, having been born in Toledo. And nothing changes because of previous year.

“It’s going to be playing on the biggest stage”. “Just to be able to play, man, it’s insane”. I mean, I’m okay, really. But it happens from time to time.

Q. The other guy was mentioning last year’s game.

In a way no other American sport quite echoes, college football games scream from the past – some giddily, some bloodcurdlingly and one louder than all others in these three playoff years.

“We don’t really have to change up schemes and sets too much”.

“I actually, I feel like he is a great quarterback with his legs”, Johnson said.