The undefeated Clemson Tigers will square off against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Capital One Orange Bowl, with the winner advancing to the National Championship game to face either the Alabama Crimson Tide or the Michigan State Spartans.
The number one ranked Tigers come into this game with a 13-0 record after defeating the UNC Tar Heels in the ACC Championship game on December 5th. The Oklahoma Sooners have had a really long layoff, since there is no Big 12 championship game, so they last played on November 28th when they beat up on rival Oklahoma State.
The Clemson Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners played last season in the Russell Athletic Bowl. In that game the Tigers destroyed the Sooners all night long, eventually winning by a final of 40-6.
Adversity Strikes Clemson
Clemson did have some controversy today as head coach Dabo Swinney announced that their second leading receiver Deon Cain, starting kicker Amon Lakip and tight end Jay Jay McCullough were all sent home from the Orange Bowl due to violation of team rules, which reportedly was failing drug tests.
Cain was the only one of the three to release a statement on Instagram saying, “I apologize to any and everyone I hurt or let down. I’m gonna learn from this mistake and become a better person on and off the field. I’m determined to come back stronger than ever before! #beatOU #orangebowl.” Swinney addressed the situation saying, “You don’t do the right thing there are consequences.”
Keys To The Game
A huge key for the Clemson Tigers is to get out ahead early and force turnovers. Clemson has started well all season long, scoring first in every single one of their games except three (vs Boston College, vs Florida State, and - UNC in ACC title game). Clemson is tied for 31st in the country with 14 interceptions and tied for 47th in the country with nine forced fumbles. They need to pressure Baker Mayfield and force him into bad throws that they can take advantage of and get a few picks.
The keys to the game for the Oklahoma Sooners are to put a lot a points on the board, stop Deshaun Watson from having a big day, and force turnovers. Oklahoma scored a whopping 549 points while going 11-1 this season. Their only loss came to Texas in the Red River Rivalry when they lost 24-17.
The Sooners defense has stopped top quarterbacks like Trevone Boykin and Jarrett Stidham, so the Sooners defense have to do the same thing to one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and Heisman finalist Deshaun Watson. Oklahoma has forced opposing quarterbacks into bad throws all season long, as they are tied for ninth in the country for interceptions with 19 and tied for 87th in the country with seven fumbles recovered. They have to force Watson into turnovers and make him rush his throws if they want to advance to the National Championship game.
Key Players
Key players for the Clemson Tigers are Jordan Leggett and Shaq Lawson. Jordan Leggett is one of the best tight ends in the country and has been Watson's security blanket on offense. Leggett has 34 catches for 442 yards and seven touchdowns.
Defensive end Shaq Lawson leads the nation in tackles for loss and played well in the ACC Championship game, gathering six total tackles and one sack. Lawson wil undoubtedly be a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft this year and has to solidify his draft stock with a big performance in this one.
Key players for the Oklahoma Sooners are Baker Mayfield and Sterling Shepard. The former quarterback transfer from Texas Tech has played well all season long, finishing the season with a 68.8 completion percentage, 3,389 passing yards and 35 touchdowns. Mayfield is also a threat with his legs, racking up 420 yards on 131 carries and seven touchdowns.
Senior wide receiver Sterling Shepard has played well this season for the Sooners, and has earned himself a spot as a first round pick this year. This season, Shepard caught 79 balls for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns, which is a career high. Expect Mayfield to toss the ball a considerable amount to his favorite target and help Oklahoma try to pull the upset.