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The most orange an Orange Bowl could get. Two different shades of orange representing two top-tier programs in college football. Clemson makes their 18th consecutive bowl game appearance, the 15th with Dabo Swinney. Tennessee is in a bowl game for back-to-back seasons with Josh Heupel.
When: Friday, December 30th @ 8:00 PM ET
Where: Miami, Florida
Who: Tennessee vs. Clemson
Spread & Total: Clemson -4; O/U 61
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Tale of the Take: Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee’s offense was one of the most fun to watch this season. But they will be without key pieces that made the offense so electrifying. Hendon Hooker is out for the year to a torn ACL. Top receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman are opting out to prepare for the NFL Draft. This leaves the Vols with backup and Michigan transfer Joe Milton III throwing to top targets Bru McCoy and Ramel Keyton. Milton went 34 for 54 (63%) for 720 yards (13 YPA), 7 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
The rushing attack is what’s slept on with this team. Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small anchor a top-20 rushing attack in yards, and both contributed double digit touchdowns on the ground.
The pass defense for Tennessee is a concern. But poor pass defenses have not been penalized – yet – in bowl mania; Ohio has yet to play, but teams below Tennessee in pass defense (East Carolina & Middle Tennessee) both won. The rush defense has been strong for Tennessee, allowing just 3.2 YPC. That’s the 13th best mark for a team. They’ve also forced 12 fumbles.
Opt Outs
WR Jalin Hyatt
(Winner of the Biletnikoff Award for best receiver, regardless of position. Top-5 nationally with 1,267 receiving yards. Tied with Houston’s Nathaniel Dell for most receiving touchdowns at 15.)
WR Cedric Tillman
(37 receptions for 417 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns in 6 games)
LB Jeremy Banks
(53 touchdowns (4.5 for loss) is 3rd most on team. Added 4 pass deflections, forced and recovered a fumble)
Transfer Portal Departures:
WR Jimmy Calloway
WR Jimmy Holiday
TE Miles Campbell
DT Jordan Phillips
Players to Know:
RB Jaylen Wright & Jabari Small
Anchor a top-20 rushing attack. Wright leads the team with 786 rushing yards on 135 carries (5.8 YPC) and adds 10 touchdowns. Small leads the team with 144 rushing attempts and 12 touchdowns. 696 rushing yards on the year for Small
DL Byron Young
First Team All-SEC. 34 tackles (10.0 for loss). Led the team with 5 sacks
Tale of the Tape: Clemson Tigers
Clemson’s offense moved on the ground. Whether it was Uiagalelei or Klubnik for Clemson, the quarterback averaged just 6.9 yards per attempt. The mark ranked below average nationally. Now there will be no controversy at quarterback as Uiagalelei is in the transfer portal. It’s all Cade Klubnik for the Orange Bowl. Uiagalelei did add 120 carries for 684 rushing yards on the ground, the second most on the team.
The Clemson defense once again ranks as one of the best in the country. 13 interceptions was top-20 nationally. 40 defensive sacks ranks 4th among FBS programs. Clemson allows 3.3 YPC on the ground, 14th nationally. They have forced more fumbles (12) than rushing touchdowns allowed (12).
Opt Outs:
EDGE Myles Murphy
(First Team All-ACC. 40 tackles (11.0 for loss). 6.5 sacks was tied for the most on the team.)
LB Trenton Simpson
(Third Team All-ACC. 73 tackles (4.0 for loss) was 2nd most on team. Added 2.5 sacks.)
Transfer Portal Departures:
QB DJ Uiagalelei (Started 11 games; 2,521 passing yards, 6.8 YPA, 22 touchdowns and 7 interceptions)
RB Kobe Pace
WR Decari Collins
WR EJ Williams
EDGE Kevin Swint
LB Sergio Allen
LB Vonta Bentley
CB Fred Davis II
Player to Know:
RB Will Shipley
All-ACC First Team. 193 carries for 1,110 yards and 15 touchdowns. Added 34 receptions for 221 receiving yards.
LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
Led team with 80 tackles (12 for loss). 6.5 sacks was tied with Murphy for most on the team. 5 pass deflections and 2 interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.
Bowl Game Trends:
- Dabo Swinney is 5-3 in non-CFP bowl games
Game Synopsis:
It’s a small sample size for Milton. He came in at garbage time for South Carolina, and routed a bad Vanderbilt team. Now he goes against one of the better defenses in Clemson. While Clemson’s defense is weak via the pass, they allowed multiple touchdowns in just three games this year. Clemson gets the job done in the Orange Bowl.
Bowl Mania Pick To Win: Clemson
Bowl Mania Confidence: 29/43
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