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Ohio State football reacts to Clemson Fiesta Bowl matchup

By The Sports Xchange
The Ohio State Buckeyes and quarterback J.T. Barrett will face Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal of the College Football Playoff. Photo by Molly Riley/UPI
1 of 2 | The Ohio State Buckeyes and quarterback J.T. Barrett will face Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal of the College Football Playoff. Photo by Molly Riley/UPI | License Photo

Ohio State finds itself in the College Football Playoff final four for the second time in three years, and while the resume suggested the Buckeyes had a good chance of getting in, it's never a sure thing until the announcement is made.

So there was a collective sigh of relief and excitement at the same time when coach Urban Meyer and his players learned their fate early Sunday afternoon. Ohio State became the first team in the short history of the CFP not to win its conference championship and land a spot in the four-team field.

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The third-ranked Buckeyes (11-1) will face second-ranked Clemson (12-1) in the Fiesta Bowl at 7 p.m. ET Dec. 31 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

"I found out today when they flashed our sign on ESPN," Meyer said at an afternoon news conference. "A lot of anxiety, a lot of hope. I think we certainly are one of the best teams in the country, but I think there's some great teams out there."

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Meyer actually learned the Buckeyes made the playoff while at a maternity ward. Several hours earlier, at 5:30 a.m., his oldest daughter, Nicki, gave birth to a son at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus.

It was quite a day for Meyer. He became a grandfather for the first time and then learned that his team was one of the chosen ones.

"I'm just one of those guys, I understand these are all gifts and you're just very grateful that God blessed my daughter with a healthy baby and a great husband. So that's the first thoughts," Meyer said.

"I'm going to send a text out to my players and staff right now that we receive this opportunity with incredible humility and class because I can name six, seven teams right now that are that quality of teams. ... We're going to do the best we can to represent."

Two of the teams left out were Big Ten brethren Penn State and Michigan, who finished Nos. 5 and 6 in the poll. Penn State (11-2) was passed over for the playoff despite beating Ohio State during the regular season and defeating No. 8 Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game.

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In the final CFP rankings, the Buckeyes fell one spot behind Clemson, which outlasted Virginia Tech 42-35 in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game on Saturday night. Ohio State, which has wins over three top-10 teams, sat at home during the weekend while Penn State and Wisconsin battled for the conference title in Indianapolis.

The Ohio State-Clemson winner will advance to the championship game to face No. 1 Alabama or No. 4 Washington.

But first things first for the Buckeyes is a date with the Tigers. Meyer knows them well after losing to Clemson in the Orange Bowl after the 2013 season. The other meeting between the programs was the infamous 1978 Gator Bowl that was Woody Hayes' last game as Ohio State coach.

In the past two years, Clemson and Ohio State each have lost only two games. The programs are two of the best in the country.

Both are led by dynamic quarterbacks. Ohio State's J.T. Barrett and Clemson's Deshaun Watson are friends off the field and looking forward to the matchup. They texted each other after Sunday's announcement.

"I said, I'll see you in Arizona, brother," Barrett said. "He's like, 'All right, let's get it.' "

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Two years ago when Ohio State beat Oregon and Alabama to win the title, Barrett was unable to play after suffering a broken ankle in the regular-season finale against Michigan.

This year, a healthy Barrett led Ohio State to a double-overtime win at home over Michigan to ultimately lock down the playoff spot.

Barrett, a Big Ten MVP candidate, has completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 2,428 yards and 24 touchdowns and has run for 847 yards and nine touchdowns on 194 carries.

Watson, a Heisman Trophy candidate, has connected on 68 percent of his passes for 3,914 yards and 37 touchdowns. He also has rushed for 529 yards and six touchdowns.

"It's going to be exciting," Barrett said. "We're both competitors. Love our teams. We're going to fight to the end in order to get that victory. So it's going to be good."

Both defenses are ranked in the top 20 in the country in fewest points allowed.

One of Ohio State's leaders is defensive end Tyquan Lewis, who echoed the sentiments of many teammates who thought the Buckeyes were in but relieved when the announcement confirmed their participation.

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"It's not in your hands, it's up to a committee to decide the best four teams," Lewis said. "But all along I believe we were one of the four best teams in the country."

Now the Buckeyes have the chance to prove it on the field.

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