For the second year in a row, Clemson (10-1) and Ohio State (6-0) will play one another for the right to advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Catch the game live Friday on TSN1/4/5, TSN Direct and the TSN App beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

Though the two teams meet again, 2020’s version of the game looks much different compared to the matchup from just the year before.

COVID-19 hit the college football landscape pretty hard, particularly in regards to both Clemson and Ohio State. Clemson’s star quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, who has since recovered and has had a strong season overall, missed two games this season after testing positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, Ohio State has only played six games up to this point because of the Big Ten’s delayed start to the season as well as other COVID-19 issues.

The Buckeyes will be looking to get revenge in this year’s game after falling to Clemson 29-23 in the Fiesta Bowl last year. This year’s game will likely be the final collegiate outing for Lawrence, or Ohio State QB Justin Fields, as both pivots are expected to be high first-round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, with Lawrence expected to be the No. 1 overall pick.

Clemson leads the all-time series between the schools 4-0. The winner of the Sugar Bowl will advance to face the winner of the Rose bowl between No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Notre Dame.

Players to watch

Clemson: Lawrence, who is one of four finalists for this year’s Heisman Trophy, has passed for 2,753 yards and 22 touchdowns versus just four interceptions. The dual-threat has another 211 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Running back Travis Etienne, the ACC's all-time leading rusher, has put up 882 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns as well as 524 yards receiving and two more touchdowns.

Ohio State: Fields, who had a season-low 114 yards passing in the Buckeyes’ last outing while hampered by a thumb injury, has thrown for 1,521 yards and 15 touchdowns against five interceptions. He’s added 274 yards rushing and another five rushing touchdowns. Running back Trey Sermon rushed for a school record 331 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ last outing. He has a combined 675 yards rushing and three touchdowns this season.

Michael Simmons' TSN Edge outlook

Spread: Clemson -7.5

Total: 66.5

This is a showdown between the projected top two quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL Draft in Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields. However, Lawrence is the consensus No. 1 pick for a reason and has not lost many games at all over the course of his college football career. Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney has built his program into an absolute machine. Aside, from the two games Lawrence missed, Clemson has not had a close game all season. On the other hand, Ohio State had some tough battles against non-traditional powerhouses in Indiana and Northwestern. The Buckeyes have also really struggled against the pass this season. There is a real chance that the Tigers run away with this one. I’m leaning Clemson to cover the -7.5.

The Pick: Clemson -7.5

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