Orange Bowl First Look: Clemson vs. Oklahoma

A first look at the Capital One Orange Bowl with the No. 1 Clemson Tigers taking on the red-hot Oklahoma Sooners.

Capital One Orange Bowl Broadcast Info

Date: Thursday, December 31
Time: 4:00 pm ET
Network: ESPN
Venue: Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL

Clemson is finally peaking over the hump

The Tigers have been good for a long time under Dabo Swinney, winning at least 10 in each of the last five years. But they’ve been ACC-good, winning just a single major bowl game over that span. This season’s team, though, has a chance to move into an entirely different echelon. Clemson, despite wholesale changes on both lines, is the only remaining undefeated team in college football. It has cleared every hurdle, from Notre Dame and Florida State to streaking Carolina Saturday in Saturday’s league championship game. And led by precocious QB Deshaun Watson and a terrific defense, the Tigers now stand within two wins of their first national title since 1981.

Oklahoma Is Offensive

11-1
The Sooners switched up the offense to more of an Air Raid style with increased tempo, more diversity, and more from the quarterback. Overcoming the dud of a loss to Texas, everything kicked into overdrive with a seven-game winning streak thanks to one of college football’s most efficient passing attacks to go along with a big-time running game averaging 235 yards per game. With wins over Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State to close things out – including the victories over the Bears and Cowboys on the road – this was the hot team down the stretch that comes into the CFP with the swagger to win the whole thing. It has the offense now, too.

For complete College Football Playoff coverage, visit our CFP home.