Though I’m not stepping out on a limb here, it’s safe to say the Orange Bowl between No. 1 Clemson and No. 4 Oklahoma will be all about the quarterbacks.

Two of the game’s best this year in College Football will be on display in Miami on Dec. 31. – Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield.

Both are the same, but both are unique too.

It’s a different contrast from last year when these same two programs met in the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl. Heading into that game, quarterback play was the main topic of conversation as well. Cole Stoudt, who had struggled for much of the year following injuries to Watson’s hand and knee, was the Tigers’ starter, while Trevor Knight, who was coming back from a neck injury, started for the Sooners.

Clemson, as we all know, was a different team without Watson in the lineup, while Oklahoma struggled to throw the ball all year no matter who was playing quarterback.

Stoudt turned out to be the better option than Oklahoma’s Knight. The Clemson defense, which was the nation’s best, harassed Knight the entire game and shutdown the Sooners’ running game. Stoudt took home MVP honors after completing 26 of 36 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns in the 40-6 victory.

Stoudt was the difference in the game. The Tigers did not have any success running the ball against Oklahoma, gaining just 68 yards on 42 carries. The Sooners were held to their second-lowest rushing total of the season, gaining just 172 yards, most of which came in the fourth quarter after the Tigers’ took their starters off the field.

But while Stoudt picked apart the Oklahoma secondary, Knight had a horrible night doing anything against Clemson. He was sacked four times, hurried several others and completed just 17 of 37 passes for 103 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.

The reason the Tigers won the game? They got better play from the quarterback position.

It’s the same reason why Clemson is the only undefeated team in the country heading into the national semifinal game this year. Watson, who won the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s best quarterback, brings qualities to the table that only a few quarterbacks in the country have.

Though he may be listed as a dual-threat quarterback, Watson is a quarterback first and foremost, not a runner. What do I mean? When he is asked to throw the ball, he sits in the pocket and his eyes are always downfield. Even when offensive coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott have him roll out of the pocket on run-pass option plays, the sophomore wants to throw the ball first.

When Watson runs, usually they are designed runs that have been built into the offense especially for him. But if you just watch Watson as a passer, it is easy to see how special he is. He stands tall in the pocket. His balance is perfect and he usually knows where the pressure is coming from. It is easy to see that he never worries about what’s around him.

He also trusts his arm. He is not afraid to make tight throws. He is one of the few quarterbacks in the country that makes throws that you usually see on Sundays.

Watson’s demeanor also makes him special. Seldom, if at all, does he get rattled or flustered. When he makes a mistake—and he does because he is human after all—he does not let it get to him. When things get tight, like against Florida State, Syracuse, South Carolina or in the ACC Championship Game against North Carolina, he stays calm and in the process keeps his teammates calm.

He is heady as well. Few quarterbacks in the country have the ability to walk up to the line of scrimmage and pre-snap read a defense better than Watson. Few also have the luxury or trust from his coaches to change the play on his own if they see something they don’t like. Boston College, who led the nation in total defense, admitted after Watson threw for 420 yards and three touchdowns against them, that it seemed as if Watson knew what they were doing and where every blitz was coming from.

Clemson’s defensive players have told me Mayfield is going to be very similar to what they see in practice from Watson. Mayfield is a little smaller than Watson, but he is every bit as athletic. Like Watson, he is a dual-threat quarterback, but also like Watson, he looks to throw the ball first.

Even when he is scrambling, he keeps his eyes downfield. He uses his legs to extend plays, which is what makes him so difficult to stop.

Clemson defenders have told me they need to keep Mayfield in the pocket and keep him in front of them. But that’s easier said than done. There is a reason why Mayfield has thrown for 3,389 yards and completed nearly 69 percent of his passes. There is a reason why he has thrown 35 touchdown passes to only five interceptions.

Like Watson he is hard to stop, and also like Watson he is smart.

The only difference in the two is their demeanor. Though Watson plays loose, he does it with a calm demeanor. He seldom lets his emotion show. Mayfield is just the opposite. He is rah-rah kind of guy. Like Watson he is loose, but his emotions are on display for everyone to see.

Is this the area that’s going to be the difference? Is this the area that’s going to decide who wins and who loses? I don’t know, but it sure is going to be fun to watch.