No. 5 seed Texas and No. 12 seed Clemson are scheduled to square off in a captivating first-round game of the College Football Playoff on Saturday afternoon in Austin, Texas. The winner will advance to the CFP quarterfinals, where they will face No. 4 seed Arizona State in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on January 1st. In the first-ever matchup between the world’s most storied programs, Texas opened as a 10 1/2 point favorite. My favorite of the first round matches. The Longhorns (11-2) will be looking to bounce back from a 22-19 overtime loss to the then No. 1 Longhorns. 5th place Georgia wins the Southeastern Conference. The Tigers (10-3) clinched the final CFP spot with a last-minute 34-31 victory over the then No. 1 Tigers. 8 SMU in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship. Texas fought until the end in its loss to Georgia, with quarterback Quinn Ewers playing with a sprained right ankle and left tackle Kelvin Banks (who won the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in college football) playing with a sprained right ankle. Despite being shelved, they dominated the first half. Also an ankle injury. Both players are expected to be healthy for Saturday’s game. Ewers was asked Monday about his health and his role as the focal point of the Longhorns’ offense. Ewers explained, “I’m feeling good. I’m glad I was able to get some rest.” “I’m just trying to get the ball to my playmakers and let them go to work at the end of the day. It sounds like an easy answer, but it’s that simple.” Both losses came against Georgia, and those two setbacks cost the Longhorns a chance to win the SEC Championship in their vaunted first year in the league. “Even though it’s two weeks after the SEC Championship, this game is pretty exciting,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “One of the things that’s always a concern for us as coaches is long-term layoffs. How do we keep our team sharp, stay competitive, and still recover and get healthy at the same time?” The Tigers advanced to the CFP using a wealth of big-game experience, quarterback Cade Klubnik’s arms and legs, and freshman kicker Nolan Houser’s 56-yard final-play field goal. Clemson lost to Georgia in the season opener and finished the season with losses to Louisville and South Carolina at home. In order for the Tigers to advance, they will need to do their best in what is certain to be an unfavorable venue. “It’s tough when everything is against you, but it’s also fun,” Clemson coach and two-time national champion Dabo Swinney said. “This is awesome. Someone asked me today, ‘What’s going to happen?’ I said, ‘Well, it’s going to be like a million times more than a normal road game.'” Klubnik said this season: He completed 63.7 percent of his throws for 3,303 yards, 33 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. He also added 458 yards and 7 TDs on the ground. The Tigers’ junior signal caller is from Austin and was a prep school star at Austin-Westlake, which also produced quarterbacks Drew Brees and Nick Foles. Klubnik and Ewers faced off in the high school state championship game, with Klubnik leading Westlake to victory. Ewers, who led Texas to a four-team CFP a year ago, threw for 2,665 yards and 25 TDs this season. Coach Siwinney announced Tuesday that Clemson running back Phil Mafa (1,106 rushing yards, 8 rushing TDs in 2024) will play against the Longhorns despite a shoulder injury that will require postseason surgery. . “Mafa is going to give us everything he has,” Swinney said. “He’s a player we definitely have to play well.” –Field Level Media
Storyline of 5th place Texas and 12th place Clemson clashing in the playoffs | Nationwide
