The Clemson Tigers and Texas Longhorns are preparing to play in the newly expanded College Football Playoff.
It will be a matchup between the 12th seeded Tigers and the 5th seeded Longhorns. The No. 5 seed slot was one of the desirable spots, as the Longhorns would face the lowest seed in the first round and potentially face the Arizona State Sun Devils in the second round.
Texas has been doing very well this season with only two losses against the Georgia Bulldogs. However, they ranked first in overall bids.
The Longhorns will enter the game with one of the best defenses in the country. They will rely heavily on a unit that ranks third in yards allowed per game, second in points allowed and first in passing yards allowed.
Texas has arguably the best secondary in the nation and will be a challenge to Cade Klubnik and Clemson’s passing offense. The Tigers have a very strong offensive unit as they rank 16th in the country in points per game.
The battle between the Tigers’ passing attack and the Longhorns’ passing defense should be fun to watch as Clemson ranks 17th in passing yards per game.
Texas’ pass defense has gotten a lot of attention, but their passing offense is also ranked 15th in the nation. It’s true that there could be a lot of passing in this game.
Where the Tigers could potentially find an advantage is on the ground. Phil Mafa had a very strong season overall, but the senior back has been plagued by a shoulder injury and is far from 100 percent.
However, with a week off, Mafa is expected to get healthier and closer to the running back he was at the beginning of the season.
It won’t be an easy game for Clemson, as the Longhorns are one of the best teams in the country and are a strong team on both sides of the ball. The Tigers’ defense will be under a lot of pressure to contain the Texas offense, as Klubnik won’t be expected to score 30 points with this defense.
There are contrasting styles, and it should be a fun matchup between two strong university schools.
It all ends Saturday at 4pm on TNT.
