DANIA BEACH, Fla. – Clemson will look to take some momentum into the offseason today when the seventh-ranked Tigers face off against No. 6 Tennessee in the Orange Bowl. Kickoff from Hard Rock Stadium is set for 8 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPN.

Clemson’s defense vs. Tennessee’s offense: The Vols come into this one with the nation’s top scoring offense and top passing offense. Tennessee does it by spreading the field, creating space for its playmakers and, at times, going at warp speed.

But there’s a major caveat involved here.

Tennessee will be without its starting quarterback and two of its top receivers in this one. Hendon Hooker, one of college football’s most prolific signal callers this season, tore his ACL late in the regular season. Jalin Hyatt, the Biletnikoff Award winner, and Cedric Tillman (417 receiving yards) have opted out.

Clemson isn’t without some significant personnel losses of its own, though. Star defensive end Myles Murphy has opted out, and star linebacker Trenton Simpson, the team’s second-leading tackler, also won’t play as he deals with an injury. Meanwhile, starting cornerback Sheridan Jones (hip flexor) is questionable.

From a statistical standpoint, Tennessee still has two of the top three available receivers in this game. Quarterback Joe Milton III, in his fifth collegiate season, isn’t exactly a newbie, and the Vols also have a top-20 rushing attack (206 yards per game). All of that to say, the Vols’ offense is still plenty capable. But even without some key pieces, Clemson’s defense – a top-25 unit in points and yards allowed – will be maybe the best the Vols have faced all season.

There’s always concern for Clemson on the back end given the way the Tigers have struggled at times against top-notch passing games this season, but will Tennessee’s offensive line be able to fend off Clemson’s pressurized front seven and give Milton and his receivers time to operate? Advantage: Draw

Clemson’s offense vs. Tennessee’s defense: The Tigers will officially start a new era today with Cade Klubnik behind center. D.J. Uiagalelei is off to Oregon State, and Klubnik will make his first career start after bringing Clemson back from an early deficit in the ACC title game against North Carolina.

Klubnik completed better than 70% of his passes and accounted for two scores with no turnovers against a UNC defense that ranks 115th nationally in yards allowed. Tennessee hasn’t been much better. The Vols yielded the fourth-most yards on average in the SEC during the regular season (398.8), though they’re allowing fewer than 24 points per game.

Tennessee will also be without a major defensive opt-out in linebacker Jeremy Banks, the team’s third-leading tackler. And Clemson has the ACC’s fifth-best rushing attack (179 yards per game) led by 1,000-yard rusher Will Shipley, who brings 15 rushing touchdowns into this matchup. Klubnik, who ran for a score in the ACC title game, is a more mobile quarterback than Uiagalelei who gives the Tigers another option that the Vols will have to contend with on the ground.

Tennessee is also allowing the fifth-most passing yards in the FBS on average (287 per game), so there are a lot of things that could work against the Vols’ defense. But Clemson has to stay away from turnovers, an area in which Tennessee has feasted. The Vols are plus-9 in turnovers on the season thanks in large part to the 20 takeaways they’ve forced. Advantage: Clemson

Special teams: Both of these teams have a solid kicking game. Clemson’s B.T. Potter is 18 of 21 on field goals this season while Tennessee’s Chase McGrath is 15 of 19. Tennessee’s Dee Williams is a threat in the return game (19.4 yards per punt return). So is Shipley, who’s at nearly 24 yards per kickoff return for Clemson.

It’s Clemson, though, that loves to throw block parties. The Tigers rank in the top 5 nationally with five blocked kicks this season. That’s more than twice as many as Tennessee has (2). The Tigers’ most recent block came their last time out on a field-goal attempt by North Carolina. Advantage: Clemson

Bottom line: Bowl games are always difficult to predict because it’s hard to gauge the motivation factor. Which team cares more about playing this game? But seeing how Tennessee hasn’t played in an access bowl since 2009 and Clemson is back in a New Year’s Six bowl after a one-year absence, that doesn’t figure to be a problem for either side here. Give me the one with fewer significant pieces missing and the better defense.

Prediction: Clemson 34, Tennessee 23

Dear Old Clemson has a limited number of replica road signs to our store.  These have reflective properties just like real road signs.  Will Shipley, Tyler Davis and Antonio Williams have signed road signs with their numbers.

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