COLUMBUS, Ohio — When Ohio State and Clemson took the field at the Fiesta Bowl in a College Football Playoff semifinal on Jan. 31, 2016, Clemson was the No. 2 seed, but the No. 3 seed Buckeyes were a 1-point favorite. By kickoff, No. 1 seed Alabama had dominated its semifinal, so the Ohio State-Clemson battle was for another shot at the Tide and the clear role as the primary challenger to Nick Saban’s Tuscaloosa machine. Back then, Clemson was still behind Ohio State in that race. • The Buckeyes were just two seasons removed from a national championship, while Clemson hadn’t won a championship in 34 years. • Ohio State had beaten Alabama two years earlier in the first playoff, while Clemson had lost to the Tide the year before in the championship game. • Urban Meyer was a three-time national championship coach who was 37-3 in the last…
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