Clemson’s offense primed for the BCS stage

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It’s certainly not your dad’s Orange Bowl.

In fact, it’s not even your grandpa’s Orange Bowl.

Due in large part to the strict contractual obligations of the BCS system, this year’s Orange Bowl features two of the worst ranked teams ever to face off in Miami: No. 15 Clemson and No. 23 West Virginia. You’d have to go all the way back to 1955 to find a match-up where neither team was ranked in the top-15 or better.

Clemson (10-3, 6-2 ACC) locked up its spot by winning the ACC Championship Game, knocking off Virginia Tech for the second time this season. West Virginia (9-3, 5-2 Big East) won a watered down Big East, capturing the title despite finishing in a three-way tie for the best conference record and a game behind Cincinnati in total victories, who won a league-best 10 games.

Clemson’s recent bowl history:

YEAR	BOWL	RESULT
2010	Meineke Bowl	LOSS
2009	Music City Bowl	WIN
2008	Gator Bowl	LOSS
2007	Chik-fil-A Bowl	LOSS
2006	Music City Bowl	LOSS

Overall post season record: 16-17

 

Keys to the game:

The Tigers rode a consistent, high-powered offense to a record 8-0 start, finishing the regular season with the most wins they’ve had since 1990. If they want to pull off the capstone victory of their season, the offense will need to play like it did against ACC opponents. Luckily for the Tigers, West Virginia gives up nearly 27 points per game (26.3), ranking near the bottom of the FBS (63^rd). The Mountaineers also allowed a lot of points to less than impressive offenses, giving up 47 to LSU, 49 to Syracuse, and 38 to Louisville, all three of which were losses.

 

Players to watch-Offense:

 

Tajh Boyd – Quarterback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boyd was the source for much of Tigers’ offensive prowess. Only a sophomore, he directed Clemson’s offense onto the national scene (274-453, 3,578 yards, 31 TD, 10 INT), finishing the season with the ACC’s fourth best passer rating (145.0). He led the conference in passing yards and finished tied for first in passing touchdowns. Not bad for a quarterback who saw limited action last season (7 games). If he manages to capture Clemson’s third Orange Bowl trophy, he’ll secure himself as a campus legend.

 

Sammy Watkins – Wide Receiver

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watkins’ 2011 season made it a near toss-up as to who was the Tiger’s most valuable offensive weapon. As a true freshman, Watkins was phenomenal, finishing the season with a loaded stat line. He caught 77 passes (3^rd-ACC) for 1,153 yards (3^rd) and 11 (2^nd) touchdowns. He’ll be a tough matchup for West Virginia. If he and Boyd stay healthy, this duo should be the jewel of the ACC Atlantic division over the next few seasons.

 

Andre Ellington – Running Back

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only difference between Ellington and his two stud teammates is that he is an upper classman. Other than that, he did more than his fair share of carrying the offensive load, finishing the regular season as a top five ACC running back (213 carries, 1,062 yards, 10 TD). He stayed healthy for most of the season, only missing one game (Georgia Tech). If he comes back for his senior year, Clemson might be able to make a run at the BCS National Championship game.

 

Players to watch-Defense

 

Andre Branch – Defensive End

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seemingly made up solely of playmakers, Clemson’s defense features nearly as many stand outs as its offense. The 6-foot-5 senior defensive end was a whirlwind force this season, endlessly tormenting quarterbacks on his way a career best 10.5 sacks (1^st-ACC). As the Tiger’s defensive anchor, Branch finished the season with 34 solo tackles, also a career best. You can bet that head coach Dabo Swinney has him ready to finish his final season as a BCS Champion.

 

Bashaud Breeland – Cornerback  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breeland has everything a coach looks for in a cornerback: speed, toughness, agility – you name it, he has it. And to the glee of Clemson fans, he’s just a freshman. While he only picked off two passes this year, he returned both of them for a combined 93 yards, the fourth most in the ACC. Despite there being a usual transition period for freshman players, Breeland seems to have mastered the learning curve, making over 40 tackles (32 solo, 8 assisted). If he can manage to hold West Virginia’s primary target, Stedman Bailey (67 rec., 1,197 yards, 11 TD), to just a reasonable stat line, the Mountaineers might be left scrambling to score.

 

Prediction

Clemson’s last trip to the Orange Bowl (1982) resulted in a big win over No. 4 Nebraska to capture the national title. This year’s game might not be quite as important, but you can bet that since it’s technically the Tiger’s “first” BCS appearance (4^th Orange Bowl-1951, 1957, 1982, 2012), they’ll want to make a statement that they belong on this stage. There are some chinks in the armor, though, as Clemson’s overall defense has been less than impressive (26.2 ppg, 9 of 12 ACC). If it wants to beat West Virginia, it’ll have to win in a shootout, which the Tigers can certainly do. It’ll be a fitting finish to a trend in this year’s bowl games: a good old-fashioned shoot out.

Clemson-37

West Virginia-24

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