No. 16 Clemson (10-3, 7-1 ACC) will travel to Austin, Texas, to tangle with No. 3 Texas (11-2, 7-1 SEC) in the opening round of the College Football Playoff, it was announced Sunday on ESPN. The game will be played on Saturday, December 21st, at 4:00 p.m. and will be televised on TNT and Max. It will be Clemson’s first appearance in the Playoff since falling to Ohio State in the 2021 Sugar Bowl.
“We are super excited,” head coach Dabo Swinney said on Sunday. “What a great experience for our guys to compete against one of the best teams in the country, if not the best team in the country.”
The Tigers qualified for the inaugural 12-team field after a thrilling victory over previously No. 8 SMU in Charlotte. Clemson roared to a 24-7 halftime lead on the strength of three Cade Klubnik touchdown passes and a Nolan Hauser 44-yard field goal. It looked like the Mustangs might be on their way to a blowout loss, dampening their own playoff hopes.
But SMU rallied. Kevin Jennings racked up 202 passing yards in the second half, throwing for three touchdowns. The last of those came to star receiver Roderick Daniels Jr. with just 16 seconds remaining, tying the game at 31. With the game looking like it was headed to overtime, Adam Randall broke free for a 41-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, setting up Clemson at its own 45-yard line. Klubnik connected with Antonio Williams for a 17-yard completion, setting up a 56-yard field goal attempt for Hauser. He connected, giving the Tigers their seventh ACC title under head coach Dabo Swinney. The moment marked the first time in college football history that a team had made a 50-yard field goal as time expired to win a conference championship.
As for the Texas Longhorns, they enter the matchup after dropping a 22-19 overtime heartbreaker at the hands of Georgia in the SEC Championship. Both of the team’s two losses came to the Bulldogs, including a 30-15 defeat in Austin on October 19. Though Texas avoided some of the quality depth found in the SEC, they were able to notch road wins over a pair of ranked opponents (No. 25 Vanderbilt and No. 20 Texas A&M).
Head coach Steve Sarkisian has revitalized Texas football, bringing it back to where it was during the glory days of Mack Brown’s tenure in the 2000s. Following a 2021 campaign that saw Texas finish 5-7, the Longhorns improved by 3 wins per year in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, the team finished ranked No. 25 in the final polls after going 8-5. 2023 was even better, with Texas bookending its time in the Big 12 with a 12-2 record, a conference title, and a College Football Playoff bid. The burnt orange fell just short of a national championship appearance, losing 37-31 to the Washington Huskies.
“I think Sark’s done an amazing job,” Swinney said. “He’s recruited well and they’ve got a great roster, a very, very talented roster. They’ve got elite quarterback play, explosive players outside. I mean this is a complete football team in every sense of the word. They’re good enough to win the whole thing. And we’ll have our hands full for sure. But I’m excited to go compete.”
When looking at the Texas offense, redshirt junior quarterback Quinn Ewers is where things have to begin. Though he’s thrown for 2,665 yards and 25 touchdowns, his 9 interceptions and struggles against Georgia have defined the conversation about him in the media. In the SEC title game on Saturday, his 358 yards through the air gave the team plenty of scoring opportunities, but a pair of interceptions and a pair of missed field goals kept the Bulldogs in the game.
As for the Longhorn defense, they’re one of the stingiest units in the nation. They’re allowing just 12.5 points per game and have only allowed an opponent to score 20 or more points three times—twice versus Georgia and once against Vanderbilt. Defensive back Jahdae Barron (#7) leads the team with 5 interceptions on the season. Edge rusher Colin Simmons (#11) is another player to watch, with 12.5 tackles for loss and 8 sacks during the season. His sack total leads the team.
