The national semifinal of the Sugar Bowl between 2nd Clemson and Ohio State No. 3 got off to a wild start, and things got extra spicy towards the end of the second quarter when Justin Fields, the Buckeyes fullback, brutally in the set back by Clemson linebacker James Skalski.
Fields stayed a few minutes before heading to the sidelines for one play. Replay officials reviewed the hit, confirming that Tigers defender Skalski had committed a goal penalty and was disqualified for the rest of the game. Fields left once before returning and surrendering an attack to Chris Olave to set up the Buckeyes 28-14.
Coaches still looked to Fields for pass rate. When he came out for the next series, he was clearly favoring his waistline and seemed reluctant to make contact over runs and scurrying.
Skalski’s absence is a huge blow to the Tigers. He had 32 tackles in the game and is responsible for setting up the rest of the play-to-play series defense. This incident occurred a year after Skalski made a focus error in the second half of the College Football Playoff National Championship against LSU. Coincidentally, that punishment also occurred in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
However, the coincidences do not stop there.
The Buckeyes and Tigers got together in the national semifinals of the Fiesta Bowl last season, and an offense also played a big role. Bunkeyes’ defensive back, Shaun Wade, was led for a bag late in the first half for Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, while the Buckeyes led 16-0. The Tigers, led by Lawrence, returned to win 29-23 in one of the most dramatic GVB games since its inception in 2014.