The Tigers head to Texas : CFB Playoff Preview

CFB Playoffs Round one: Clemson v texas

By GEORGE SOMERVILLE

After much anticipation, the expanded College Football Playoff is finally here! This weekend Playoff football embarks on uncharted territory with round one being played on Campus.

Texas fans have waited some time to host a Playoff game on campus and Austin is sure to be jumping’ on Saturday. Meanwhile Clemson are the dark horses. With their last minute invite many have overlooked the Tigers. But Texas should underestimate the Tigers at their peril!

It all shapes up for a classic game!

Where and When

The Texas Longhorns host the Clemson Tigers at the Darrell K Royal Memorial stadium in Austin, Texas on Saturday 21st at 4.00pm ET/ 9.00pm UK. The game is being broadcast by TNT and streamed live via Max, but in the UK you can watch on Sky Sports Mix (channel 416).

Story so far…

In the storied histories of both of these blue chip football programs this is the first time that they have ever met playing football.

Texas are firm favourites

For most of the season Texas has been a juggernaut of a football team. However losses twice to Georgia have pierced the armour of invincibility that most thought the Longhorns possessed. However make no bones about it, Steve Sarkisian has built a team capable of winning a National Championship. And a Natty is what Longhorn fans want.

While Texas lost out to Georgia for a first round bye when they were defeated in the SEC Championship game, the next best prize was a home game in the first round of playoffs. Playing Clemson away from Tiger stadium is a real bonus for the Longhorns, although the Tigers should not be underestimated.

Clemson are dangerous underdogs

Two weeks ago the prospect of Texas playing Clemson was remote. Texas was not expected to lose to Georgia and Clemson made it into the Playoff game by winning the ACC Championship game.

However Clemson isn’t coming to Austin to make up the numbers. A 9-3 record belies how this Tigers team has evolved and improved as the season unfolded. An early season defeat to Georgia inspired a 6 game unbeaten run before falling to Louisville in a shock defeat. Clemson’s third defeat of the season came at the hands of South Carolina who by that point in the season were the form team in college football.

The Quarterbacks…

Texas : Quinn ewers

Quinn Ewers definitely splits opinion and that’s just with Texas fans. Part of the problem is that Arch Manning is waiting in the wings which means that when patience runs out in Austin (and that doesn’t take long) the fans and boosters are ready for change.

To be honest Ewers doesn’t always help the situation. He turned the ball over five times in the defeats to Georgia, which was the difference between winning and losing. And that’s when patience is lost in Austin. The real concern from Texas fans is that this is their best chance in the longest time to win a Natty. These are tense times in Austin.

clemson : Cade Klubnik

Ewers and Klubnik have prior beef. Back in Texas high school both faced off in the 2021 Texas High School State Championship. On that occasion Klubnik and his Westlake High team defeated Ewers and his Northlake team. So there is previous and dare I say it some revenge on the mind of Ewers.

Klubnik has also come under severe criticism this year. Which quarterback hasn’t these days! However Klubnik has had the mental toughness to fight his way out of the criticism and has transformed his season. Klubnik is a true dual threat quarterback which will keep this Longhorns defense on its toes. However at the other end of this scale Klubnik’s accuracy has struggled when he finds himself under real pressure.

Who to watch…

With the potential for the Texas offense to have another off day, the Longhorns elite defense may well be asked to save the day. The question is if Clemson guided by Cade Klubnik has enough in the locker to get around the Longhorns D-line. So I have chosen one defensive player from the Longhorns and one offensive player for the Tigers.

Alfred collins

Defensive Tackle Collins is having a truly awesome season. Ask Texas fans and they will tell you that Collins is playing the best football of his career and just at the right time. Colins has become a leader in this Texas defense stepping into the shoes of Byron Murphy who departed for the NFL last season. Collins has improved game after game this season and set single game school records in the game against Arkansas. If Collins can maintain his physical presence against Clemson, Cade Klubnik could have a very uncomfortable afternoon.

Jake briningstool

Tight end Briningstool became Clemson’s all time tight ends leader in career interceptions this year (123) proving his worth to this Tigers team. At 6’6″ and 240lbs Briningstool is physically imposing and uses his size effectively. Briningstool came back for another year at Clemson to help take the team to the playoffs and his beliefs were true. He is already catching the eye of NFL prospects and another great performance in the playoff game will only enhance those scouting reports.

Prediction

With this being the only time the teams have met there is no prior history to go on. It is also the first time that these teams are playing in the first round of the playoffs, albeit Clemson is well versed in the four team version.

Home advantage is definitely a major advantage for Texas although it appears Clemson fans are travelling in numbers to Austin.

Taking all of this into consideration Vegas has Texas as 12.5 point favourites in this game.

As I said at the very start of this piece, Texas started this season very much as a favourite to win the National Championship. Their failure to get past Georgia, not once but twice has some doubting how good this Longhorns team actually is.

However the Texas defense is legit. Elite. So even if Ewers and the offence is having an off day, it is likely that the defense can get them out a hole. And as wiser people than me have said for decades….defense wins Championship. But don’t rule out that wiley ol’ fox Dabo Swinney. He’s one of the few head coaches left in the game who has been there, done it & got the t-shirt. This has all the makings of a tight game!

Clemson 28 – Texas 31

GEORGE IS A LONG STANDING FANATIC OF LIFE AND FOOTBALL IN THE DEEP SOUTH AND WRITES HIS WEEKLY COLUMN CALLED “IT’S ONLY SEC” FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. HE IS ALSO CO-HOST AND ONE THIRD OF THE COLLEGE CHAPS PODCAST, THE UK’S FIRST PODCAST DEDICATED TO THE COLLEGE GAME.