FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — When Clemson met Oklahoma in the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl, Deshaun Watson was watching on the sideline while recovering from ACL surgery on his left knee. Also on the sideline during the Tigers’ 40-6 victory was Baker Mayfield.

“It’s tough, just because it’s the last game of the year and it was already a very disappointing season, so that left kind of a bitter taste in our mouth. It embarrassed us, there’s no doubt about it,” the Oklahoma quarterback said.

Mayfield was a transfer student during last year’s Russell Athletic Bowl and had to sit on the sideline and watch as Clemson held the Sooners to 278 total yards and force five turnovers.

“We can’t sugar coat that. It was very disappointing to be on the sidelines for a game like that, knowing you can’t help,” he said.

It was a different feeling for Watson as he watched senior Cole Stoudt have a career day. Stoudt completed a 26 of 36 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns in leading the Tigers to victory.

“I knew that Cole was going to have a great game, and I knew our team was going to play well,” the sophomore said. “Clemson has been successful with or without me, so it’s not a one player or one man show.

“It’s about the team. You know, even if you take me out of this game, I think we’ll still be successful and can win. It’s not all about me. It’s about my teammates and coming together as a unit.”

But Watson and Mayfield will not be sitting on the sideline when top-ranked Clemson and No. 4 Oklahoma battle in today’s Capital One Orange Bowl at Sun Left Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. This time, both will be leading two of the more prolific offenses in the country in one of the biggest games of their young lives.

Win, and you are playing for the National Championship on Jan. 11. Lose and your season is over.

Watson has had an All-American season for Clemson and is the winner of the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s best quarterback. Mayfield has garnered All-American status himself, and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting behind Alabama running back Derrick Henry, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey and Watson.

“He’s a special player for their team,” Watson said. “He does a great job because without him they wouldn’t be in this position. It takes a special guy to lead a great team, and they’re pretty good, and they wouldn’t be here for any reason.”

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield has thrown for 3,389 yards, while completing 68.6 percent of his passes, including 35 touchdown passes and just five interceptions.

Mayfield has thrown for 3,389 yards, while completing 68.6 percent of his passes, including 35 touchdown passes to just five interceptions. He brings a different element to the game, an element that was not there last year when these two teams met.

“He’s a great competitor, a great winner, throws the ball well when he’s creating plays outside of the pocket and buying time,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “It’s hard to cover great athletes for a long time, so you’ve got to do a great job of keeping him in the pocket and not letting him extend plays. But that’s easier said than done, so that’s what jumps out at you is he just makes plays.”

Watson makes his share of plays, too. The Clemson quarterback has thrown for 3,512 yards, while completing 69.5 percent of his passes. He has thrown 30 touchdown passes, while throwing just 11 interceptions.

The sophomore has also rushed for 887 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.

But those things are not what make Watson so special.

“His poise is remarkable. I think that is a rare quality, especially in a young player,” Swinney said. “It’s one thing to have great skills, size, strength, ability to run, understanding of what you’re doing, be able to make all the throws. Those are very measurable things. But his poise is uncommon, and then I think the other thing with him is how he prepares.

“He is very uncommon. To see a young guy that prepares so relentlessly like he does, I mean, he is relentless in how he prepares each and every week, and I said this last year when he was a true freshman, it was like coaching a fifth-year senior. That was the conversations that we would have. His aptitude for the game is just off the charts.”

Mayfield’s aptitude isn’t too bad either.

“He’s going to run the ball. He’s going to be effective in that. He understands their system,” Swinney said. “He has a great understanding of where everybody is and the little nuances of the position. He’s got a great feel for that, as well, just a great competitor,” Swinney said.

Mayfield has rushed for seven touchdowns and has 420 yards this season.

“You can’t ignore the two quarterbacks,” Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops said. “That’s a major difference in this game. If you’re not going to let me say that, I don’t know what else you want?

“They’re the two focal points, and should be. One is runner up in the Heisman, or I don’t remember who was second or third, and the other guy was fourth, so they’re two exceptional players, and that’s a big difference from a year ago when they didn’t have Deshaun and we didn’t have Baker. It’s different.”