FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The top-ranked Clemson Tigers take on No. 4 Oklahoma today in the Capital One Orange Bowl as part of the College Football Playoffs. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 4 p.m. from Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Here are the key matchups to watch in today’s national semifinal game.
Clemson’s defensive line vs. Oklahoma’s offensive line: Oklahoma has two freshman offensive tackles and one sophomore guard on an offensive line that has held its own at times, but has also struggled, too. The Sooners are averaging 235 yards per game on the ground and have 31 rushing touchdowns. Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon have rushed for a combined 2,040 yards so the offensive line has opened up some holes. Oklahoma has averaged 300 rushing yards per game during its current seven-game win streak. But, the Sooners have struggled in pass protection. Though some of the sacks allowed can be blamed on quarterback Baker Mayfield holding onto the football too long, the fact of the matter is that they have allowed 36 sacks. Clemson without a doubt is the best defensive front the Sooners O-line has seen this year. Led by consensus All-American defensive end Shaq Lawson, the Tigers rank second in the country in tackles for loss (108) and sixth in the country in sacks with 38. Opponents are averaging just 3.7 yards per carry on the ground. Lawson leads the country with 22.5 tackles for loss. Advantage: Clemson
Deshaun Watson vs. the Oklahoma secondary: Not having Deon Cain might take a little bit the sail out of the Tigers’ deep passing game, but Watson and Clemson is still going to take some shots down field. Clemson likes to throw six to seven deep balls a game and that will not change because Cain has been suspended. Watson is the best deep ball passer in the country, completing nearly 50-percent of those passes. The Tigers’ receivers have a nation-high eight touchdown passes of 40 or more yards. The Sooners’ secondary is much improved from a year ago. They are allowing just 201.5 yards per game and 52.6 percent of the passes to be completed. They have also snared 19 interceptions. But the secondary likes to take chances, especially junior cornerback Zack Sanchez. Though he is one of the Big 12’s best corners, he is prone to coming up too soon, allowing him to be beat deep. Look for Clemson to try to exploit that. Advantage: Clemson
Wayne Gallman vs. the Oklahoma defense: Gallman needs 14 yards to become Clemson’s new single-season rushing leader. Perhaps the least talked about of all the offensive weapons in the Orange Bowl, Gallman has quietly rushed for 1,332 yards, while averaging 111.0 yards per game this season. He is averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Oklahoma’s defensive front is allowing just 3.6 yards per carry. Led by outside linebacker Eric Striker and defensive end Charles Tapper the Sooners have been a lot more aggressive. They have given up just 12 rushing touchdowns. But the Sooners have just 85 tackles for a loss and 38 have come off sacks so there might be some room inside for Gallman and the Tigers’ offensive line to do some damage. Last year, the Sooners held Gallman to 55 yards on 19 carries. Advantage: Clemson
Clemson’s Mackensie Alexander vs. Oklahoma’s Sterling Shepard: In last year’s Russell Athletic Bowl, Alexander and Shepard got into a little shouting match before the game, one in which Clemson coaches and security had to break up. It seemed as if Alexander got in Shepard’s head a little as he held the Sooners’ top receiver to one catch for 13 yards. This year, Shepard says he will not play those kinds of games. He says he lets his play on the field do the talking these days. He also says he is 100 percent healthy, something he was not when he matched up against Alexander in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Alexander on the other hand ended the regular season a little banged up with a knee injury and was not 100 percent. How healthy is he after the three-week break? Advantage: Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s Alex Ross vs. Clemson’s kick coverage unit: As a whole, the Sooners are averaging just 21.1 yards per kick return, while Ross is averaging the same number. Clemson should have no worries, right? As much as everyone is making about Cain’s suspension, losing kicker Ammon Lakip may be even harder to overcome. Lakip has driven 38 percent of his 72 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks, helping take pressure off a coverage unit that has allowed two 100-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns this season. In case you are wondering, placekicker Greg Huegel, who will handle kickoffs, has only knocked 18.1 percent of his kicks through the end zone. Oh by the way, Ross did have a 90-yard kickoff return against Oklahoma State in the regular season finale and has three kick returns of at least 90 yards in his career. Advantage: Oklahoma
Bottom line: The more I look at this game, the more I can see how Clemson is better at the lines of scrimmage. That’s usually a sign of how things are going to go in a game. If the Tigers can avoid special teams blunders and take care of the football and win the turnover margin, then Clemson will this game.
Prediction: Clemson 37, Oklahoma 30