Teams that back their way into playoff situations are often dangerous and that’s what Clemson did. Yes they held off a game SMU squad in dramatic fashion in the ACC championship game, but they needed a loss by Miami in the last regular season game just to get to the conference championship so yeah they backed in. Now they travel to Austin to take on a Texas team that was ranked number one in the country for part of the season that was very good if not for its Georgia problem.
CFP Preview: Clemson at Texas
Clemson
Quarterback Cade Klubnik was a Heisman contender early, then he wasn’t. Regardless when you pass for over 3,300 yards with 33 touchdowns and only five interceptions you can play. Klubnik also had seven rushing touchdowns coming in second on the team.
Phil Mafah is the top back for the Tigers averaging 5.2 yards per carry and rushing for over 1,100 yards. He only ran for eight scores but Klubnik had something to do with it.
Receiver Antonio Williams led the way for Clemson with 10 receiving touchdowns. No other receiver had half as many as Williams. A lot of this is attributed to Klubnik who spread the ball around well. Williams fell well short of 1,000 receiving yards however four receivers had over 400 yards. Tight end Jake Briningstool also took some touchdown receptions away from the wide receiving group as he pulled down seven on the season.
The Tigers’ defense hasn’t been what we’ve been accustomed to in recent years. They surrendered more than 20 points in seven of their 13 games. Only a couple of those games can really be considered bad performances but they will need to bring their best defensive effort to have a chance against the Longhorns.
Texas
The calls have begun for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian to bench starting quarterback Quinn Ewers in favor of much heralded Arch Manning. This would not only be a very controversial move but a gutsy one as well. We don’t think he’ll replace Ewers as the starter for the first playoff game. But if he struggles then all bets are off.
Ewers also missed some time which is a contributing factor in his less than gaudy stats. He still threw for over 2,600 yards and 25 touchdowns. His nine picks which are about one per game are a bit concerning. Manning is a much better runner than Ewers so we expect him to see some action even if he doesn’t get the start.
The Horns lost stud running back Jonathan Brooks and stud receivers Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell to the NFL. As a result, both positions suffered drops in production from 2023. Back Quintrevion Wisner led the team in rushing yards with 863 but only found the end zone three times. Jaydon Blue is generally considered the best back on the team but had injuries throughout the season. He rushed for 564 yards and six scores.
Same story with the receivers as nobody lit it up but overall production was decent. Matthew Golden led the way with 738 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Three other wideouts scored at least five times showing that the team has good depth at the position.
In many years the Texas defense is led by either the defensive line or the secondary. This season the two biggest playmakers were at linebacker with Anthony Hill Jr. getting 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and an interception. Colin Simmons was equally as impressive with eight sacks and 3 forced fumbles although he didn’t have a pick. The defensive line lost a lot of talent to the NFL from the 2023 national semifinal squad. They were still good but not as good.
Prediction
Dabo Swinney will have his guys ready to play after receiving an early Christmas present from the Miami Hurricanes. Klubnik has been under the radar a bit this year. The Tigers will need to run the ball and play some keep-away to have a chance. There’s a very good chance we see The Arch if the Texas offense struggles at all. Clemson will give it their best effort but the Longhorns two linebackers will put enough pressure on Klubnik to keep him from going off.
Texas 30 Clemson 24
If our prediction is correct then Arizona State v Texas should be a heck of a matchup in the quarterfinals. The Sun Devils are coming in hot and it’s a lot of fun to say “Skateboo” over and over.
Main Image: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
