Justin Fields' 6-TD Effort Leads OSU Past Trevor Lawrence, Clemson in Sugar Bowl

Quarterback Justin Fields completed 22-of-28 passes for six touchdowns and 385 passing yards as No. 3 Ohio State advanced to the College Football Playoff National Championship after defeating No. 2 Clemson 49-28 on Friday at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

OSU running back Trey Sermon added 254 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown for the Buckeyes, who led 35-14 at halftime after scoring 21 unanswered points in the second quarter. OSU wideout Chris Olave scored a touchdown in each half en route to catching six passes for 132 yards.

Clemson struggled on both sides of the ball in the defeat. The Tigers scored a pair of touchdowns in the first 10 minutes but scored just once after until the fourth quarter. On defense, Clemson had no answer for Fields or the running game, giving up seven offensive touchdowns and 639 yards from scrimmage. Clemson amassed 444 yards.

OSU improved to 7-0. The Tigers' 10-2 season is over.

Notable Performances

Ohio State QB Justin Fields: 22-of-28, 385 passing yards, 6 TD, 1 INT; 8 carries, 42 rushing yards

Ohio State WR Chris Olave: 6 catches, 132 receiving yards, 2 TD

Ohio State RB Trey Sermon: 31 carries, 193 rushing yards, 1 TD; 4 catches, 61 receiving yards

Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence: 33-of-48, 400 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 1 rushing TD

Clemson RB Travis Etienne: 10 carries, 32 rushing yards, 1 TD; 4 catches, 64 receiving yards

Clemson WR Cornell Powell: 8 catches, 139 receiving yards, 2 TD

Fields Puts on Quarterback Clinic

Fields entered Friday coming off arguably the worst game of his collegiate career, completing just 12 of 27 passes for 114 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in a 22-10 win over Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game.

That game is a distant memory after the best game of Fields' Ohio State tenure helped the Buckeyes lead by two scores or more for the entire second half.

Fields and his tight ends showcased a great rapport, starting when the quarterback threw the ball in the eye of a needle to Luke Farrell for an eight-yard score:

Fields then executed an excellent play call, rolling left before finding Jeremy Ruckert wide open for a 17-yard score to give OSU a lead it wouldn't relinquish:

The signal-caller found Olave for a nine-yard touchdown to put OSU up 27-14 before connecting with Ruckert once again off a laser that evaded two defenders and gave the Buckeyes a three-score edge:

Fields had four passing touchdowns at halftime, but he wasn't done, launching a rainbow pass to Olave for a 56-yard score:

He wasn't done tossing moon balls in New Orleans, however, finding Jameson Williams for a 45-yard TD:

Somehow, Fields finished off the Buckeyes despite suffering a ribs injury in the second quarter after a tackle from Clemson linebacker James Skalski.

Fields described the pain he was in afterward:

Still, Fields threw four touchdown passes after that moment en route to setting all kinds of records Friday, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:

Thanks largely to his efforts, OSU is now in the national championship game for the first time in six years.

Clemson in Disarray on Both Sides of the Ball

The Sugar Bowl appeared headed for a classic shootout between Ohio State and Clemson in the first 10 minutes. The two teams combined for a pair of touchdown drives of 75 yards or longer, with Clemson scoring touchdowns off a Lawrence rush and Etienne run.

However, everything that could go wrong did for Clemson afterward.

For starters, OSU scored 21 points during a 10:24 span in the second quarter. The Buckeyes' three touchdown drives accounted for 239 total yards. Meanwhile, the Tigers' final four first-half drives following their second touchdown resulted in 37 yards on just 11 plays.

Clemson's offense did get on the board twice in the second half thanks to a pair of Lawrence touchdown passes to Cornell Powell, but it was too little and too late. OSU scored a pair of touchdowns itself and ultimately cruised to a 21-point win.

The offense appeared to be in disarray for much of the night. Perhaps that was inevitable with offensive coordinator Tony Elliott out after testing positive for COVID-19, but at times, Clemson appeared far too conservative, especially compared to OSU's ruthless passing aggression.

Clemson also showed an aversion to going for it on fourth down, even with the team down multiple scores in the second half:

Both of those facts were problems considering that Clemson had no answers for Ohio State on the ground or in the air. The reason for that largely lied in the trenches, as Sam Vecenie of The Athletic wrote:

OSU averaged 13.8 passing yards per attempt and rushed for 5.8 yards per carry. The Buckeyes routinely gashed Clemson for explosive plays at a wildly successful rate.

The onus was on Clemson to match that success, and the normally stout offense could not get it done.

What's Next?

Ohio State will advance to the CFP National Championship on Monday, January 11, in Miami Gardens, Florida.

The Buckeyes will face No. 1 Alabama, who beat No. 4 Notre Dame 31-14 in the Rose Bowl in Arlington, Texas, on Friday.