By Will Vandervort.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Here is a look at all the top matchups for today’s Russell Athletic Bowl as No. 17 Clemson plays No. 24 Oklahoma at 5:30 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPN.
Clemson’s defensive front vs. Oklahoma’s offensive line: This is perhaps the best match up of the day. On one side there is a defensive front that is considered one of the best in college football. On the other side is an offensive line that has four seniors and averages 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds across the front. The Sooners have helped freshman running back Samaje Perine rush for 1,579 yards and 21 touchdowns this year. The Sooners are averaging 269.6 yards a game which ranks ninth in the nation. On the other side is a Clemson defensive front that will start four seniors and is led by All-American defensive end Vic Beasley and All-ACC defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. The Tigers lead the country in tackles for loss and rank third in sacks. They have helped Clemson rank seventh nationally in rushing defense at 97.7 yards per game. The Tigers have held 8 of their 12 opponents to 88 rushing yards or less and 10 of 12 to 120 yards or less. Advantage: Clemson
Vic Beasley vs. Oklahoma’s offensive tackles: Oklahoma’s offensive tackles Tyrus Thompson (6-5, 336) and Daryl Williams (6-6, 329) are two of the biggest, if not the biggest, offensive tackles Beasley has encounter. How will the All-American defensive end look against these two? How will he use his hands to get around them, and more importantly, how will he hold up in running situations? There will be a lot of eyeballs watching this matchup and if Beasley can have some success, it can go a long way in helping the Tigers pull off the upset. Advantage: Clemson
Cole Stoudt vs. the Oklahoma secondary: The Sooners just aren’t very good defending the pass. They rank 117th in the country in passing defense, yielding 272.7 yards per game. Opponents are completing 55.2 percent of their passes for 3,272 yards. They have allowed 20 touchdown passes, while intercepting 12 passes. Oklahoma leads the nation in passes allowed of 30 yards or more. But that should not be an issue against Stoudt. The senior is averaging just 5.91 yards per attempt. Stoudt has completed a few long passes this season, but few have been thrown over 30 yards down the field. Stoudt has completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,573 yards, six touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Advantage: Oklahoma
Clemson’s offensive line vs. the Okie front: When Clemson played Louisville earlier this season the Tigers struggled to do anything against the Cardinals’ Okie defensive front. The Tigers rushed for just 72 yards and finished the game with 229 total yards. Stoudt was sacked three times. The Sooners will play the same style against Clemson. The 3-4 Okie front wants the nose tackle and the defensive ends to sit inside and force the offense to bounce the ball either outside to their linebackers that will be coming off the edge or up inside where the inside linebackers will be filling in the gaps. With the two defensive ends and the nose tackle playing their alignments, the two outside linebackers will be on the ball and will try to make plays in the backfield. The weakside (WILL) backer will be looking for cutbacks and bootleg action, while the strongside backer (SAM) will try to contain his side of the field. Advantage: Oklahoma
Clemson’s linebackers vs. Perine: Clemson middle linebacker Stephone Anthony will miss the first half of the game due to a suspension for his targeting call against South Carolina quarterback Dylan Thompson in the regular-season finale. Ben Boulware will get the start in his place. Though Boulware is good and will get better, he isn’t Anthony so look for the Sooners to try to attack the middle of the Clemson defense. Perine is a bruising back as he stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 243 pounds. He will challenge the Clemson defense and the linebackers in particular. He is the hardest hitting running back the Tigers have seen since Georgia’s Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb. Perine rushed for 791 yards and 10 touchdowns in the last three games. Advantage: Oklahoma
Clemson’s kick coverage vs. Oklahoma’s return specialist: Since the Georgia game—when the Tigers allowed Gurley to return a kick 100 yards for a score—Clemson has done a great job covering kicks. Opponents are averaging just 20.6 yards per return, one of the best coverage teams in the ACC. However, Oklahoma’s Alex Ross is one of the best kick returns in the country. He has returned two kicks for touchdowns this season with a long of 100 yards and averaged 32.0 yards on 22 returns. Advantage: Oklahoma
Bottom line: This game has the makings of a defensive battle. The Tigers and Sooners are both good at stopping the run and Clemson’s secondary is one of the best in the country. But Oklahoma has more weapons on offense than the Tigers do and eventually they will get a score or two. The question is can Clemson find a way to match those scores? The Tigers have playmakers on offense, but can Stoudt find a way to get guys like Mike Williams and Artavis Scott the ball. Does anyone remember what the 1988 Citrus Bowl was like? I do. It was a defensive struggle and in the end, the Tigers found a way to win the game on the last play. This year’s Clemson vs. Oklahoma matchup will be very similar, but in the end, the Sooners will find a way to win the game. Prediction: Oklahoma 13, Clemson 6