After the final College Football Playoff Top 25 and New Year’s Six bowl games were revealed Sunday afternoon on ESPN, a couple of the network’s analysts previewed the upcoming Orange Bowl featuring seventh-ranked Clemson (11-2) and No. 6 Tennessee (10-2).

Sam Acho, asked what he likes about that game, quickly pointed to Cade Klubnik.

The true freshman quarterback is set to make his first career start for Clemson after replacing DJ Uiagalelei early in the ACC Championship Game against North Carolina and leading the Tigers to a 39-10 victory.

Klubnik finished the game 20-of-24 passing for 279 yards, added a team-high 30 rushing yards and accounted for a couple of touchdowns – one through the air and one on the ground – en route to being named the game’s Most Valuable Player. He even had a 19-yard reception on a pass from running back Phil Mafahin the first quarter.

“We saw what he did against a subpar defense… Tennessee’s defense has struggled… I want to see him build on what he did (Saturday),” said Acho, the former Texas and NFL linebacker. “You saw him catch that pass, throwing balls, running it. So, that’s what I want to see in this matchup. It was so impressive in (Saturday’s) game. Build out of that, because that’s what’s gonna be the future for Clemson Football.”

As for Tennessee, the Volunteers will play in the Orange Bowl without quarterback Hendon Hooker, who had been a Heisman Trophy candidate before suffering a season-ending torn ACL late in the Volunteers’ loss to South Carolina on Nov. 19.

Redshirt senior signal-caller Joe Milton replaced Hooker in Tennessee’s regular season finale, a 56-0 victory over Vanderbilt.

“Tennessee coming in, no Hendon Hooker, but Joe Milton’s coming in,” ESPN analyst and former Florida/Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen said. “They lost their starting quarterback, they lost their playoff dreams, and what did they do? Went and played a Vanderbilt team that was hot, 56-0. So, they’re going to come in and I think they’re going to be ready to play. I think it’s going to be a really entertaining game.”

The Orange Bowl is set for an 8 p.m. kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Friday, Dec. 30. The contest will be televised on ESPN.

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