Clemson hopes to hang onto ball against Sooners in semifinal

No. 1 Clemson and No. 4 Oklahoma kick off the 2015 Capital One Orange Bowl at 4 p.m. Thursday in Sun Life Stadium.

It’s a big game, the biggest of their career. Last December, the Tigers crushed OU, 40-6, in the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

College football has been a New Year’s Day staple for decades, with the Rose Bowl a standard on the first day of each year.

That opening contest has No. 14 Houston facing ninth-ranked Florida State. Known for an explosive offense, Clemson actually has a pretty good defense that allows just 20.2 points and 166.9 passing yards per game this season. Punter Andy Teasdall had a rough moment in the ACC Championship Game but has been steady if not spectacular.

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield’s favorite target throughout the regular season, Shepard has become even more productive during the Sooners’ charge into the Playoff.

Mayfield threw for 35 touchdowns this season with just five interceptions on his 354 attempts. Samaje Perine is Oklahoma’s top rusher with 1,291 yards and 15, while Wayne Gallman leads Clemson on the ground with 1,332 yards and 10 TDs…. The high-scoring Sooners are favored by 3.5 points. Watson also rushed for 887 yards and another 11 touchdowns in 2015.

“Going to be a battle right there”, Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney said. The Charleston, S.C., Post and Courier reports one of the three is wide receiver Deon Cain, who saw extensive action this season.

In a stop-motion animation commercial promoting the games, the four playoff teams – Clemson, Alabama, Michigan State, and Oklahoma – are represented by a players created out of Lego bricks.

The Crimson Tide will roll out Heisman Trophy victor Derrick Henry, who led the nation in rushing with 1,986 yards while producing 23 touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball is the Oklahoma Sooners. But three Spartans – LJ Scott, Gerald Holmes, and Madre London – each rushed for 500 yards or better this season. Both teams use speed, tempo and spread-offense formations to keep defenses off balance, and both teams rely on winning individual matchups at the offensive skill positions.

The two teams’ defenses are outstanding. He’s just the second Tiger to pass the 1,200-yard threshold in the past 20 seasons.

Meanwhile, the Spartans’ defense is 24th in the country, allowing 342 yards per contest in 2015. Last year, these two got into quite a verbal tussle during pre-game warmups before the bowl.