Four first-round games in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff will begin this weekend. A showdown between No. 5 seed Texas and No. 12 seed Clemson is on the card.

In the ACC championship, Clemson (11-3) defeated SMU on a last-second field goal to steal a spot in the CFP. Alabama was eliminated from consideration when the Tigers secured an automatic bid.

After falling to Georgia in a close SEC championship game—the same team that dealt the Longhorns their lone regular-season loss of the year—Texas (11-2) advanced.

Here is all you need to know about Texas vs. Clemson’s CFP first-round matchup.

DIRECTIONS FOR WATCHING

Date: December 21, Saturday

Time: 4:00 PM ET

Location: Austin, Texas’s DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium

TNT/Max for TV and streaming

ODDS FOR BETTING

As stated by FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread: -11.5 Texas

Moneyline: Clemson (+290); Texas (-385).

Above/Below: 51.5 points

PARTICIPANTS TO VIEW

(In parenthesis are the player’s jersey number.)

Texas DB Jahdae Barron (7): With good reason, Barron was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the best defensive back in college football. The fifth-year senior has 47 tackles and five interceptions while playing in college football’s top secondary.

Clemson wide receiver Bryant Wesco (12): The 2024 five-star is tied with Georgia’s Arian Smith for the most receptions in the CFP field with nine of 30 yards or more. In the ACC championship victory over SMU, Wesco had eight receptions for 143 yards, including touchdowns of 35 and 43 yards.

Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner (26): In the SEC championship game, Georgia held the Longhorns’ lead back in check. However, against two elite defensive fronts, Texas A&M and Kentucky, he finished the regular season with 344 total rushing yards.

See also  ‘What did I do?’ Harrisburg shooter said to dying victim: court documents

Clemson Parker, DE T.J. (3):The sophomore is tied for fourth place in the ACC with 19 tackles for loss. He was given the name

DATA TO BE Aware OF

(Parenthesis indicates ranking among 134 FBS teams.)

Texas scored 33.6 points per game (ranked 25th); Clemson scored 35.5 points per game (16th).

Clemson: 6.3 yards per play (30th); Texas: 6.25 yards per play (35th)

Defense points: Clemson: 22.3 (43rd); Texas: 12.5 ppg (2nd)

Allowed yards per play: Clemson: 5.44 (59th); Texas: 4.01 (1st)

ADVANTAGES

Texas: In the trenches, the Longhorns are in control. Cameron Williams and Kelvin Banks Jr. are two offensive tackles that Texas could select in the first round. Texas ranks in the top 10 nationally in terms of TFLs and sacks. Two of college football’s top defensive tackles are Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton. Beating Texas up front is a difficult challenge.

Clemson: Cade Klubnik has been among the nation’s top quarterbacks since the team’s Week 1 loss to Georgia. Klubnik has scored 40 touchdowns this season and amassed 3,761 total yards (3,303 passing, 458 rushing). The Austin native will now lead Clemson in a game versus the Longhorns, his hometown. Clemson has a chance to compete if Klubnik is playing well.

DEFECTS

Texas: Quinn Ewers’ performance has recently declined. Last year, the quarterback helped Texas advance to the four-team CFP. However, Ewers has only averaged 6.9 yards per attempt and completed 61.3% of his passes in his last four games. Will Arch Manning, the backup, play?

Clemson: In Clemson’s last four games, Phil Mafah, a prolific veteran tailback, has only accumulated 125 running yards. Prior to the ACC championship game, Dabo Swinney disclosed that Mafah is battling a persistent injury. When facing the perhaps finest secondary in the nation, Texas, Clemson cannot afford to be one-dimensional.

See also  Snow squall warning for Carbon and Monroe counties Thursday morning

Stories by

Johnny McGonigal

Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!

By admin

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *