NCAAF · 11 months ago

Clemson’s 5 Keys to Upsetting Texas in the CFP

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

5. Putting Together A Complete Game
Clemson has had a bit of a strange season. They began the campaign with an excellent defensive first half against Georgia in Atlanta before falling apart midway through the second half and getting blown out. They then exploded for 66 points against Appalachian State and 59 points against North Carolina State and rattled off six straight wins. The Tigers had a confounding performance, losing to Louisville and falling to 6-2. Despite injuries, they won three in a row and then lost a heartbreaker to South Carolina, but a few hours later, Miami lost to Syracuse, and the door opened back up for the Tigers. They looked remarkable in the first half against the SMU Mustangs but fell apart in the second half. Then, they needed a miraculous field goal as time expired to win the ACC and make the College Football Playoff. Clemson has shown plenty of flashes of great football, but they have yet to play a complete game this season. Can Dabo Swinney find that magic in the College Football Playoff?

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1. The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You
Cade Klubnik starred as quarterback for legendary Westlake High School in Texas. In fact, he battled against Quinn Ewers in a state title game in Texas while both were in high school. Klubnik spurned in-state offers and went to Clemson, returning to the state for a huge spotlight game against the Texas Longhorns in Austin. Klubnik has a tall mountain to climb as the Tigers are 11.5-point underdogs and facing one of the nation’s best pass defenses. Texas has a terrific secondary and a loaded pass rush, and Klubnik will need to play his best game to give the Tigers a real shot at the upset.

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2. Time to Shine For Moore and Wesco
The Clemson coaching staff probably feels good about what they will get from Antonio Williams. For the Tigers to challenge the Texas secondary, Clemson will need strong games from freshmen T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. Wesco Jr. has been banged up for a chunk of the season. Still, he had his best game of the season against SMU in the ACC Championship Game, and he now has 678 yards and is averaging 17.84 yards per catch. Moore has 535 yards and is averaging 14.86 yards per reception. The trio has not clicked, but the Tigers will be a problem for Texas if they can on Saturday.
3. Is Mafah Healthy?
The Clemson Tigers need balance for their offense to work well. Quarterback Cade Klubnik will be a part of the running game, but the main cog of the rushing attack is Phil Mafah. Mafah is a real problem for defenses, but only if he is healthy. He’s a warrior and will play, but if the week off has given Mafah a bit of time to rest his banged-up shoulder, Clemson’s offense becomes more dangerous. Texas has to key in on the only running back the Clemson coaches trust and limit his ability to keep the Tigers’ offense on schedule.
4. Turning Over Texas
One of the quickest ways for an underdog to spring a big upset is to win the turnover battle. Quinn Ewers has been a bit careless with the ball, and the Clemson Tigers are third in the country in turnover margin at +1.3 per game. If Clemson can win the turnover margin by two or three turnovers through interception or fumble, this game gets dicey for the Texas Longhorns. T.J. Parker has turned into a dominant pass rusher and has racked up 11 sacks, including a number of forced fumbles and strip sacks. He was a terror against SMU and will challenge the Texas offensive line.
5. Putting Together A Complete Game
Clemson has had a bit of a strange season. They began the campaign with an excellent defensive first half against Georgia in Atlanta before falling apart midway through the second half and getting blown out. They then exploded for 66 points against Appalachian State and 59 points against North Carolina State and rattled off six straight wins. The Tigers had a confounding performance, losing to Louisville and falling to 6-2. Despite injuries, they won three in a row and then lost a heartbreaker to South Carolina, but a few hours later, Miami lost to Syracuse, and the door opened back up for the Tigers. They looked remarkable in the first half against the SMU Mustangs but fell apart in the second half. Then, they needed a miraculous field goal as time expired to win the ACC and make the College Football Playoff. Clemson has shown plenty of flashes of great football, but they have yet to play a complete game this season. Can Dabo Swinney find that magic in the College Football Playoff?

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
1. The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You
Cade Klubnik starred as quarterback for legendary Westlake High School in Texas. In fact, he battled against Quinn Ewers in a state title game in Texas while both were in high school. Klubnik spurned in-state offers and went to Clemson, returning to the state for a huge spotlight game against the Texas Longhorns in Austin. Klubnik has a tall mountain to climb as the Tigers are 11.5-point underdogs and facing one of the nation’s best pass defenses. Texas has a terrific secondary and a loaded pass rush, and Klubnik will need to play his best game to give the Tigers a real shot at the upset.

Have all the intel you need? Free actionable info is one click away! Sign up for our daily newsletter, SportsGrid Daily.

Clemson’s 5 Keys to Upsetting Texas in the CFP

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