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We have finally passed the crazy year of 2020 where all of our lives drastically changed. Many things remain the same in the new year for sports fans though. Rivalries still exist and there are teams that you probably still can’t stand.
For Browns fans, the Pittsburgh Steelers stand in the way of a playoff spot on Sunday. Most likely this past week has that burning dislike of the Steelers elevated due to how important Sunday has become.
Today is the day for Ohio State. Despite the Big Ten conference making it difficult to play games, despite the issues with Covid and despite the disrespect towards the Buckeyes, tonight can be a night Ohio State makes a statement.
Michigan has always been the hated rival of the Buckeyes. Despite the hate, Michigan is more of a joke to Ohio State because they have not even been close to the same level in the last decade. Due to not even being a threat, I have noticed my hate for the maize and blue go down a bit.
Instead, Alabama and Clemson have risen to the top of the list. Alabama is annoying because they are often looked at as the current kings of college football. Ohio State always matches up well against the Crimson Tide. The frustration goes more towards the fact that Alabama fans, players and the media often believe they are untouchable. They most certainly are not.
Clemson is the only program in the country that has Ohio State’s number. Ohio State has been blown out by the Tigers in the playoff once before. Even last year, the Buckeyes outplayed the Tigers for three quarters. A scoop and score called incomplete, a Shaun Wade targeting call and a JK Dobbins ankle sprain changed the momentum and Clemson took advantage. To their credit they got the job done in the fourth quarter.
There are things I like about the Clemson program. They have some extremely talented players, the orange uniforms look great and they can recruit with the best of them.
That’s where the healthy respect ends. Dabo Swinney is an outstanding coach but has become a polarizing figure. 2020 was a bad look for Dabo. It started with his cringeworthy TikTok… From there it felt like he was always making comments that kept him in the spotlight. Finally, 2020 ended with Dabo ranking Ohio State 11th and just adding more fuel to the fire for the Buckeyes. It seems pretty stupid to give the scarlet and grey any added motivation.
Defensive coordinator Brent Venables is a talented coach with an aggressive style. He always seems to know what the opponent is about to do next. That is either incredible knowledge from watching film or as some believe, he could be the master of stealing signs. Regardless of what you believe, Venables is tough to play against. His defensive will always put up a fight against any team.
