COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Orange Bowl: Clemson at Ohio State

1/3/2014

Orange Bowl

No. 12 Clemson at No. 7 Ohio State

■ Where: Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.

■ Time: 8:30 p.m.

■ Records: Clemson 10-2; OSU 12-1.

■ TV: ESPN

■ Radio: 106.5

■ Series: Clemson leads 1-0

■ Favorite: OSU by 3

■ Notes: The Buckeyes’ second appearance in the Orange Bowl — they beat Big Eight champion Colorado 27-10 in 1977 — will match two of the nation’s most potent offenses. An OSU attack fronted by two-time Big Ten offensive player of the year Braxton Miller (1,860 yards passing, 1,033 rushing) and senior running back Carlos Hyde (1,408 rushing yards) smashed program records for points scored (602), points per game (46.3), and touchdowns (82). Senior QB Tajh Boyd (3,473 passing yards and 29 touchdowns) and Clemson average more than 500 yards and 40 points per game. ... OSU is 6-3 in a national-best nine BCS bowl appearances. ... Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is 7-1 in bowls and 4-0 in BCS games ... The Buckeyes will be down two of their top defensive players. Sophomore defensive end Noah Spence, who had a team-leading eight sacks, faces a three-game suspension for an unspecified Big Ten rules violation while junior cornerback Bradley Roby is out with a bone bruise to his knee. ... OSU will meet Clemson 35 years after the schools’ fateful last meeting — a 17-15 Tigers win in the 1978 Gator Bowl. It was Woody Hayes’ final game at Ohio State after the iconic coach slugged Clemson lineman Charlie Bauman during a fit of rage in the final minutes.