PTW - Prediction Time Wednesday

Because it's Bowl Season! And that means wacky weekdays filled with college football games. I averted from picking all 40 bowl games and instead am bringing you my picks from the best of the remaining matchups. I mean, how can anyone rightfully pick games involving 6-6 MAC and Conference USA teams?

Anyway, a couple picks up front from games that happened yesterday (Tuesday). I posted these on Twitter to ensure the selections were made before the games took place.

Championship week's record: 7-1

Overall: 76-30 (.717 win %)
*Rankings below are CFB Playoff Committee rankings

Tuesday, Dec. 29
Russell Athletic Bowl - Orlando, Fla.
No. 10 North Carolina vs. No. 17 Baylor (Line: North Carolina -3)
*This game has already been played. My prediction: North Carolina 45, Baylor 35
FINAL: Baylor 49, North Carolina 38

Texas Bowl - Houston, Texas
No. 20 LSU vs. Texas Tech (Line: LSU -7)
*This game has already been played. My prediction was: LSU 34, Texas Tech 28
FINAL: LSU 56, Texas Tech 27

Wednesday, Dec. 30
Birmingham Bowl - Birmingham, Ala.
Auburn vs. Memphis (Line: Auburn -3)
Memphis, which beat Ole Miss early, struggled late in the season, losing three straight to the top three teams in the AAC to fall to B-ham. Auburn was predicted by the media to win the SEC during preseason. Instead, both are here. Paxton Lynch is the X-factor in this one. Memphis 42, Auburn 27

Belk Bowl - Charlotte, N.C.
NC State vs. Mississippi State (Line: Mississippi State -6)
The Wolfpack did not beat a conference team with a winning record. The Bulldogs lost two of their final three, and should have lost the third. Each team could use a win to head into the offseason with some momentum. NC State 48, Mississippi State 47

Music City Bowl - Nashville, Tenn.
Texas A&M vs. Louisville (Line: Louisville -4.5)
The Aggies are in disarray and can't keep a quarterback to stay in College Station. Bobby Petrino played musical chairs with his quarterbacks, but seemed to settle on Lamar Jackson. The Cards defense should be able to come up with enough stops against Jake Hubenak. Louisville 27, Texas A&M 20

Holiday Bowl - San Diego, Calif.
No. 25 USC vs. Wisconsin (Line: USC -3.5)
How much does USC want to be here instead of about 90 miles north in Pasadena? Not sure. The Trojans, though, were much better under Clay Helton, who now has the full-time gig. Wisconsin's record is in part because it plays in the much maligned Big Ten West. USC 42, Wisconsin 24

Thursday, Dec. 31
Peach Bowl - Atlanta, Ga.
No. 18 Houston vs. No. 9 Florida State (Line: Florida State -7)
Tom Herman has Houston flexing its collective muscle, hoping anyone from the Big 12 will take notice. Greg Ward Jr. is a phenomenal athlete and fits perfectly in Herman's system. The Noles, however, are a powerhouse with talent across the board. This is the best team the 'Cougs will have seen. Florida State 41, Houston 31

Orange Bowl - Miami Gardens, Fla.
No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Clemson (Line: Oklahoma -3.5)
The first of the Playoff Semifinals pits the Big 12 champion Sooners against the ACC champion Tigers. Both have great quarterbacks. Both have outstanding defenses. Both are extremely talented at the skill positions. And both are here for that reason. I've been back and forth on this and may flip my decision again before it's all said and done. Clemson 34, Oklahoma 27

The four teams in their Nike Mach Speed uniforms for the College Football Playoff.
(Photo courtesy Nike)

Cotton Bowl  - Arlington, Texas
No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 2 Alabama (Line: Alabama -10)
Alabama is one-dimensional on offense. But that one dimension is a freak running back in Derrick Henry who happened to win the Heisman Trophy. Michigan State did nothing but win the big games it needed to, including at Michigan, at Ohio State, and in the Big Ten Championship against Iowa. Does Sparty have another last-minute miracle? Alabama 21, Michigan State 13

Friday, Jan. 1
Outback Bowl - Tampa, Fla.
No. 13 Northwestern vs. No. 23 Tennessee (Line: Tennessee -8.5)
Tennessee is here because it couldn't close out fourth quarter leads against Florida, Oklahoma, or Alabama. The Vols won five straight to close the year and beating a solid Northwestern team would boost Butch Jones' squad into the spring. The Wildcats, as good as their 10-2 record is, were blown out by a combined 78-10 in their two losses to Michigan and Iowa. Tennessee's offense is rolling right now, so watch out. Tennessee 49, Northwestern 21

Citrus Bowl - Orlando, Fla.
No. 14 Michigan vs. No. 19 Florida (Line: Michigan -4.5)
Michigan was humbled in a 42-13 loss at home to rival Ohio State. The Wolverines, though, have played great defense for much of the year. That bodes well against a Gator team still searching for an offensive identity. Florida dropped its final two against Florida State and Alabama, scoring one offensive TD in the two games. Michigan 27, Florida 16

Fiesta Bowl - Glendale, Ariz.
No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Ohio State (Line: Ohio State -6.5)
Call this the game of Oh-So-Close teams. Notre Dame's two losses game to the teams ranked No. 1 and No. 6 by a combined four points. Ohio State would be in the Playoff if it hadn't lost at home on a last-second field goal to Michigan State. Either way, two very talented teams in what should be a fun chess match between Urban Meyer and Brian Kelly. Ohio State 37, Notre Dame 31

Rose Bowl - Pasadena, Calif.
No. 6 Stanford vs. No. 5 Iowa (Line: Stanford -6)
The hottest ticket this bowl season is not a Playoff game, but the Rose Bowl. Stanford and Iowa match styles offensively. Kudos to Kirk Ferentz for getting his team to the Rose Bowl for the first time in several decades. Christian McCaffrey finished second in the Heisman voting. I'm going to love watching this one. Stanford 27, Iowa 24

Sugar Bowl - New Orleans, La.
No. 16 Oklahoma State vs. No. 12 Ole Miss (Line: Ole Miss -7)
Chad Kelly kept Ole Miss afloat and the Rebels are out to avenge a 42-3 loss in the Peach Bowl to another Big 12 team (TCU) a year ago. The Cowboys may or may not have their gunslinger Mason Rudolph for the game. If he's there, this could be a shootout. If not, what OSU does with JW Walsh, who is mostly a running quarterback, but can sling it himself. Ole Miss 42, Oklahoma State 34

Saturday, Jan. 2
Taxslayer Bowl- Jacksonville, Fla.
Penn State vs. Georgia (Line: Georgia -6.5)
Georgia is without its head coach and both coordinators, and never could find rhythm on offense all year. Penn State never could win the big game, losing to the top three teams in its division. The guess here is the Dawgs are able to get to Christian Hackenberg ... a lot. Georgia 24, Penn State 7

Liberty Bowl - Memphis, Tenn.
Kansas State vs. Arkansas (Line: Arkansas -13)
The Hogs finished strong again, including pulling off wins over Ole Miss and LSU on the road down the stretch after a rough 2-4 start. K-State fell in the bottom tier of the Big 12, just above Iowa State and Kansas. The Wildcats won't have enough to slow down Alex Collins. Arkansas 35, Kansas State 20

Alamo Bowl - San Antonio, Texas
No. 15 Oregon vs. No. 11 TCU (Line: Pick 'em)
Trevone Boykin and Vernon Adams Jr. should provide fireworks. The two quarterbacks are exciting to watch. Oregon won six in a row, including knocking off Stanford, once Adams came back healthy. Boykin was the Heisman front-runner until an injury derailed his campaign and TCU's season. The Frogs will be without star receive Josh Doctson, and that might hurt TCU in this fireworks show. Oregon 55, TCU 44

Cactus Bowl - Phoenix, Ariz.
West Virginia vs. Arizona State (Line: West Virginia -1)
A de facto home game for the Sun Devils, who get to stay in the Phoenix for this one. Dana Holgorsen's Mountaineers fell in the middle of the Big 12, but never threatened the top tier. Arizona State was a popular Top 15 pick, but the formula for success never came together. Will it in the final game? Arizona State 37, West Virginia 27

Orange Bowl Preview - Oklahoma O vs. Clemson D

Yesterday, we took a look at one side of the ball and broke down the Clemson offense against the Oklahoma defense. In today's post, we'll flip the script and see how the Sooners' Air Raid attack matches up against the Tigers' vaunted defense.

Oklahoma Sooners Offense
Total Offense Rank: 7th
Total Yards Per Game: 542.9
Yards Per Play: 6.95
Rushing Offense Rank: 16th
Rushing Yards Per Game: 235.0
Passing Offense Rank: 18th
Passing Yards Per Game: 307.9
Scoring Offense Rank: 3rd
Points Per Game: 45.8

Clemson Tigers Defense
Total Defense Rank: 7th
Total Yards Per Game: 295.7
Yards Per Play: 4.68
Rushing Defense Rank: 23rd
Rushing Yards Per Game: 128.8
Passing Defense Rank: 5th
Passing Yards Per Game: 166.9
Scoring Defense Rank: 18th
Points Per Game: 20.2

A couple things to point out here. First, Clemson's and Oklahoma's defense each allowed 4.68 yards per play this season. The key for Clemson has been limiting the amount of plays opposing offenses run. Getting off the field on third downs has been the Tigers' forte and a big reason why defensive coordinator Brent Venables is talked about as one of the best DCs in the game.

Second, this looks like the epitome of the unstoppable force against the immovable object. Oklahoma scored 50-plus points in five of the final seven games, including two 60-plus point games. Following the debacle of a loss to Texas in the Cotton Bowl, newly minted offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley began to utilize the strength of the Sooners: their running game.

Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon bring a one-two punch unmatched in the sport. Perine is a physical, bruising back who simply does not go down. Mixon adds a little more speed and shiftiness, along with the ability to catch passes out of the backfield, much like we discussed with Clemson's Wayne Gallman. Both Perine and Mixon are capable of taking it to the house from anywhere on the field.

Perine carried the ball for 1,291 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Mixon had 749 yards, seven rushing TDs and averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Mixon was also the fourth leading receiver for the Sooners, grabbing 25 receptions for 345 yards and four scores.

Prior to the seven-game winning streak down the stretch, OU fans already had caught a glimpse of the magic of Baker Mayfield. The walk-on quarterback, who won Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2013 for Texas Tech, has been Johnny Manziel-esque in Crimson and Cream this season.


via GIPHY

Mayfield accounted for 42 touchdowns (35 passing, seven rushing). He completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 3,389 yards and added 420 yards on the ground. Mayfield's best downfield target has been the ever-reliable Sterling Shepard. The senior leads the team with 72 receptions for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns. Dede Westbrook and Duron Neal each have 42 catches, with Westbrook hauling in four TDs and 674 yards, and Neal with three scores and 527 yards. Tight end Mark Andrews is second behind Shepard with six touchdowns. Depth is certainly a strength at the receive position for OU and Mayfield loves to spread the ball around similarly to Deshaun Watson for the Tigers.

Perhaps the Achilles' heel for OU is its offensive line. How can that be with such a great running game and Mayfield able to put up the stats he has? For one, Mayfield was sacked 34 times. Compare that to Watson who was sacked just 12 times. Perine, Mixon and Mayfield each have an uncanny ability to make a play when it's simply not there. Many times this season, Mayfield has had to scramble out of the pocket on a designed pass. And many times, he's made a bigtime play.

How do the Tigers counter? After losing nine starters on defense (eight to the NFL), Venables went to work to ensure there wasn't much of a drop-off from the No. 1 defense in 2014. Clemson reloaded up front and relied on a veteran secondary to play coverage and give the front seven time to get to the quarterback.

Defensive end Shaq Lawson anchored the line and leads the nation with 22.5 tackles for loss and added 9.5 sacks. Opposite him is Kevin Dodd, who came into his own this season, totaling eight sacks. The linebacking corps consists of a two-headed monster in Ben Boulware and BJ Goodson. The duo have wreaked havoc in offensive backfields and play like their hair is on fire. The Tigers have depth up front, but pretty much rely on the starters to play the majority of the game.

Ben Boulware (10) will lead the Tiger defense in its toughest test this season.
(Photo courtesy TigerNet.com)

That fact became troublesome down the stretch when Clemson played 10 straight games without a bye week. In Clemson's first seven games of the season, the Tigers gave up just 105.4 yards rushing per game. In the final five weeks of the season, Clemson allowed 156 yards on the ground. The Tigers were bruised and banged up, with several players commenting after the season they were needing the break to get fully healthy. The good news is this group will have rested up for its toughest test to date.

The Tigers' strength on defense lies in its defensive backfield. Mackensie Alexander and Jayron Kearse were widely known as two of the best defensive backs in the nation leading into the season. Cordrea Tankersley, TJ Green, Jadar Johnson and Travis Blanks, among a host of others, give this unit the most depth and experience on the field. Alexander's stats are low mostly because quarterbacks refuse to throw his way. Kearse proclaimed he still hasn't played his best game and he believes the defense has been slacking in the final games of the season.

So who has the advantage in this epic clash of high-flying, high-powered offense against stout, rugged defense? The key lies in the Sooners' ability to extend plays. Whether that's Mayfield escaping the pocket and giving his receivers extra time to get open or Perine and Mixon shedding tacklers to turn a short gain into a long one. As good as Goodson and Boulware have been for the Tigers this season, the area of concern is their coverage of running backs out of the backfield. If Mayfield and Mixon are able to hook-up a few times, it could spell danger for the Tigers.

Advantage: Oklahoma

-BtW

Orange Bowl Preview - Clemson O vs. Oklahoma D

We've reached single digit days until the Capital One Orange Bowl clash between No. 1 Clemson and No. 4 Oklahoma. As mentioned in yesterday's blog, I'll break down the matchups over the coming days based on what I (think I) know.

Today, we begin with Clemson's offense against Oklahoma's defense. I'll go ahead and preface all the forthcoming posts by saying this: We are down to the top four teams in the country, so there is minuscule advantages across the board.

Clemson Tigers Offense
Total Offense Rank: 12th
Total Yards Per Game: 510.7
Yards Per Play: 6.43
Rushing Offense Rank: 22nd
Rushing Yards Per Game: 222.2
Passing Offense Rank: 23rd
Passing Yards Per Game: 288.5
Scoring Offense Rank: 15th
Points Per Game: 38.5

Oklahoma Sooners Defense
Total Defense Rank: 32nd
Total Yards Per Game: 350.7
Yards Per Play: 4.68
Rushing Defense Rank: 45th
Rushing Yards Per Game: 149.2
Passing Defense Rank: 34th
Passing Yards Per Game: 201.5
Scoring Defense Rank: 21st
Points Per Game: 20.8

A simple look at the statistical rankings of each unit bears nothing for this game. Clemson benefits from playing in the ACC and while the conference had several of the top defenses statistically, many of those stats can be misconstrued because of the sub-par offenses.

On the flip side, OU's defense was the best in the Big 12, although it is outside the Top 20 in every category above. Well, think of the conference it plays in and now think about the type of offenses that conference boasts - Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, West Virginia ... six of the top 28 offenses in the NCAA.

We could sit here and argue all day, "Well, the defenses in the Big 12 aren't great, hence why the offenses seem to be so good." Or, "The ACC owns five of the Top 20 defenses, so Clemson's stats are that much more impressive."

Look, you can make stats say whatever you want them to say. What can be concluded from watching each team is that these two units match up extremely well.

For starters, Clemson has the best quarterback in the nation in Deshaun Watson. A Heisman finalist and winner of the Davey O'Brien award, Watson is a surgeon signal-caller. He completed 69.5 percent of his passes for over 3,500 yards and 30 touchdowns. Watson did throw 11 interceptions, but only four of those came in the final seven games.

It's Watson's running game, though, that has exploded in the second half of the season. Through the first six games of the season, Watson had one game where he ran for more than 60 yards. In the final five games, He had over 100 yards on the ground four times and had seven of his 11 rushing TDs. Watson finished with 887 rush yards to give him 4,399 total for the season.

While the Tigers lack a go-to playmaker at the skill positions, they make up for it with a bevy of talent. Running back Wayne Gallman ran for 1,332 yards and 10 touchdowns despite sitting out a full game (Wake Forest) and having his carries limited in others when Clemson held big leads. The Tigers' wide receiver corps consists of several reliable players and is led by Artavis Scott with 805 yards. Freshman Deon Cain and senior Charone Peake each have over 500 yards and five TDs. Lump in tight end Jordan Leggett and his team-leading seven TD receptions, and it's easy to see Watson likes to spread the ball around.

Clemson RB Wayne Gallman will be looked upon to shoulder the load against OU's run defense.
(Photo courtesy TigerNet.com)

All of this to say, Clemson's offense is good. It won't be the most explosive offense Oklahoma has seen this season, but it is arguably the most balanced and is certainly led by a quarterback better than anyone the Sooners faced.

For OU's defense, it starts up front with defense end Charles Tapper and linebacker Eric Striker. The two combined for 14.5 sacks and caused havoc in offensive backfields all season. Striker finds ways to disrupt a quarterbacks timing and is extremely quick on the edge. I expect Tapper to get double-teamed by Clemson's offensive line, but that frees up a gap and creates one-on-one matchups for guys like Striker and Matt Dimon, the end opposite Tapper. Clemson's offensive line started five new guys in 2015 and the big hogs only allowed 14 sacks.

If Clemson is able to win the line of scrimmage, that's great. But it's not the determining factor in the ballgame. In steps OU's secondary. What makes that unit scary good is the exceptional linebacker coverage. Striker, Dominique Alexander and Jordan Evans are hybrid backers who cover the short passing game probably better than any other group in the country. If they need to play up and stop the run, they can. If they need to drop back into coverage, they can. And they do both well.

The next line of defense is a veteran cornerback and safety group. Zack Sanchez, Jordan Thomas, Ahmad Thomas, Dakota Austin and Steven Parker anchor the secondary. Sanchez had a team-leading six interceptions and Jordan Thomas was one shy with five picks. They were burned a season ago by virtually this same group of receivers, so there will be plenty to play for. That and the fact that they shut down Baylor, Texas Tech, West Virginia, TCU and Oklahoma State provides more proof that they aren't fooling around this year.

Oklahoma's Zack Sanchez picks off one of his team-leading six INTs this season.
(Photo courtesy AP)

Gallman was used heavily to catch passes out of the backfield from Clemson in the latter half of the season. The Tigers love to use the short and intermediate passing game to draw defenders up. That's when Watson gets dangerous as the best downfield passer in the nation. He has to have success underneath, though, to open that up.

That's the matchup to watch. How will Clemson utilize the short and underneath passes to loosen up OU's secondary? If they are successful early, Watson could take some deep shots that might be the difference. If the Sooners don't allow Gallman to get free or Scott, Peake and Leggett to exploit the middle of the field, it could be a long night for those in orange. Historically, Oklahoma has had trouble defending dual-threat quarterbacks. Watson's legs could get another workout after eclipsing 20 carries for the first time in his career in each of the Tigers' final two games (21 carriers vs. South Carolina; 24 vs. North Carolina).

Advantage: SLIGHT to Clemson - and I mean SLIGHT!

-BtW

Clemson vs. Oklahoma - What do I know?

Deshaun Watson and Baker Mayfield add a new level of intrigue
to the Clemson-Oklahoma matchup.

I feel like I can legitimately say that I am one of very few people who sat and watched every Clemson and Oklahoma football game this season. As a reminder, I'm a Clemson grad and fanatic, and my wife is an OU grad and fanatic. Point here is, we've seen pretty much every snap of every game by both teams, and over the coming week and a half, I will be providing as much insight to the Capital One Orange Bowl as I can.

I'll start with this: Pretend Clemson and Oklahoma did not play each other last year. These two squads are completely different. For the Tigers, Deshaun Watson leads the charge and he didn't play in last year's bowl game against the Sooners as he was recovering from ACL surgery. Clemson also has several freshman impact players on the offensive side of the ball that were high school seniors last December. On defense, the Tigers lost eight starting players from the unit that played against OU.

For the Sooners, a new offensive coordinator and scheme are in place. Lincoln Riley brought the Air Raid offense back to Norman. Walk-on Baker Mayfield has orchestrated Riley's offense to near perfection with the help of a renewed running game behind returning power back Samaje Perine and new addition Joe Mixon.

The starting lineups at the Orange Bowl will look much different than those at the Russell Athletic Bowl. Of course, two teams with a combined 24-1 record don't resemble the three- and four-loss teams that showed up to Orlando.

This game has a completely different feel. The only similarities are the colors, logos, and head coaches. Most everything else has changed. Yes, the OU players who were on the sidelines in 2014 will want final revenge on a team they lost to a season ago (Oklahoma has defeated the other four teams it lost two last year). Yes, there will be a few of the same playmakers on both sides of the ball playing against each other for the second time.

But don't expect anything close to what happened in last year's 40-6 Clemson win. Don't look to last year to try and figure out what might happen this year.

This one will be fun.

-BtW

The Power of the Paw

Logo courtesy of Clemson University

The Tiger Paw is synonymous with Clemson athletics. Simple, yet unique, the Paw gives Clemson a universally recognized symbol. 

Over the past three months - since Oct. 3 really - the Paw has been on display seemingly on a 24-hour loop on ESPN. That night, Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers football team knocked off national brand Notre Dame following a full day of Clemson advertisement. College GameDay, the pregame show of all pregame shows, originated from Clemson's campus, and despite an incoming hurricane, the Tiger faithful showed up in droves for the show. There was belly-flopping in the mud and "sloppy body" shirtless guy showing off his, uh, sloppy body for the second time on GameDay.

But it was a four-letter acronym that caught fire across the country.

"B.Y.O.G."

Following the 24-22 thrilling win, Swinney was in true form for his postgame on-field interview. To paraphrase, he told his team that he could give them scholarships, meals, housing, nice equipment and gear, but for this game he wanted them to "B.Y.O.G. - Bring your own guts!" Swinney later showed off his dance moves, doing the "Whip and Nae-Nae," and the national media ran with clips of the fun-loving, over-the-top coach on a weekly basis.

Of course it helped that Clemson kept winning and Dabo kept dancing. And a week later he went on a rant about the word which shall not be named in this blog that rhymes with "Schlemsoning."

For the next several weeks, Clemson received more free advertising from ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox Sports, and other national and local media outlets. Swinney's smile and good ole boy accent graced interview after interview. Highlights were shown of the Tigers' wins. Deshaun Watson gained notoriety for his impressive stats and poise in leading Clemson to an undefeated season. Now, he's headed to the Heisman Trophy Ceremony in New York City, the first player in Clemson history to be named a finalist.

And at the center of all the highlights, interviews, and discussion is the Tiger Paw. That familiar orange and white tilted paw with the little fish hook in the bottom-right corner.

The Clemson coaching staff doesn't have to fly to California or Texas or Iowa to show off the brand and recruit.

No, the Tiger Paw has entered every living room with a TV for the better part of the past two months. It will continue to do so because Clemson is the lone undefeated team in the nation and is headed to the College Football Playoff. The focus of bowl season is narrowed to two games, one of which involves the No. 1 team in the land. That'd be Clemson.

Even on Twitter, users will be able to use the hashtag "#ALLIN" and an orange Tiger Paw will accompany the phrase for the next month. I mean, how cool is this?!?!

The Paw will continue to be seen on upcoming awards shows, discussions about the Playoff, and pretty much anytime you turn on SportsCenter or one of the upcoming ballgames. Sports talk hosts can't stop talking about Clemson.

I don't know how much marketing dollars all this has equated to or will equate to when it's all said and done, but I'm guessing Clemson could spend the next 100 years coming up with money to spend on advertising and wouldn't receive this kind of exposure.

For my university in the sleepy town in Upstate South Carolina, it's an incredible thing. Think of the people who didn't know where Clemson was or had never really given thought to the Tigers as being a top-tier football program.

That's all changed. Clemson is on its way to becoming a nationally recognized brand. People know the university rests in the foothills of the South Carolina mountains where the Blue Ridge yawns its greatness.

(Photo courtesy USA Today Sports)

How? Why?

The Paw says it all.

-BtW

The Morning After... A Championship!

1) Man, what a time to be a Tiger! Clemson completed an undefeated season 13-0, winning 13 games for the first time in school history. Dabo Swinney won the ACC Championship for the second time in five years (2011) and the win came during his 100th game as a Clemson head coach. He has a 74-26 record. The Tigers will head to the Playoff as the No. 1 team in the nation and the ONLY undefeated team in college football. Clemson has a Heisman hopeful, a young and extremely talented team, a top 10 defense, wins over four teams with 10 wins or more - three of which are in the latest Top 10 of the Playoff Rankings - and another top 10-15 recruiting class on the horizon. Clemson is making history right before our eyes. What a time to be a Tiger, indeed.

2) I'll get right to the controversial call and nip it in the bud. I've seen all kinds of explanations as to why the referee called offsides. "The players head was crossing the 35-yard-line when the ball was kicked." "They lined up a player outside the 9-yard-hash mark when the whistle was blown to put the ball in play." Look, I don't know all the rules regarding kickoffs. All I know is the call on the field happened and Clemson was the beneficiary of it. The flag came out immediately, not after UNC recovered the ball. The ref either saw, or thought he saw something. Was it wrong? Probably. Does it mean the Tar Heels would have gone down the field, scored, converted a two-point conversion, taken the game to overtime and won? I don't know.

What I do know is this...

3) Clemson had 608 yards of offense, UNC had 382. Clemson ran 98 plays, UNC ran 67. First downs: Clem-33, UNC-21. Time of possession: Clem-38:56, UNC 21:04. Third down conversions: Clem-9 of 18 (50%), UNC-5 of 14 (37%). Rushing yards: Clem-319, UNC 142. Clemson had two 100-yard rushers, UNC had zero (leading rusher Elijah Hood 81 yards). Clemson had two sacks and eight QB hurries, UNC had zero sacks and one QB hurry.

My point is, Clemson dominated the game. The scoreboard reflects an 8-point win, but the Tigers were the better team on the field. They had the better quarterback, running back, offensive line, defensive line, wide receivers ... When Clemson stopped making stupid mistakes and stopped beating itself in the second half, it pulled away. Clemson led 35-16, 42-23, and 45-30 until the final two-minutes of the game. (More on this in a moment). Over the course of a season, teams get lucky bounces and breaks, or unlucky in some cases. It doesn't change an outcome. Clemson has been on the wrong side of these calls plenty of times in the past. It's about damn time some of them go our way.

Terrible call in ACC champ game on the onside kick, but my sympathy only goes so far for a team that allowed 600 yards.

— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) December 6, 2015

4) Time and time again, Clemson has built a big lead and let it slip away late. Remember being up 21-3 on Notre Dame entering the fourth quarter, only to win 24-22? Remember a 31-17 lead at Syracuse entering the fourth, only to have the game in single digits and win by 10? Remember the 28-10 lead evaporated against South Carolina down to 28-25, up by 37-25, to a final of 37-32...against a three-win team? Other cases at Louisville and NC State come to mind. And then last night.

The takeaway: Yes, Clemson has given up big leads late, but the Tigers have found ways to win.

Deshaun Watson does the "Heisman pose" with the ACC Championship Football Trophy.
Watson was named the championship game's MVP.
(Photo courtesy Anderson Independent Mail)

5) What else can you say about Deshaun Watson? The sophomore - I REPEAT, HE'S A SOPHOMORE! - is the best quarterback in the country. In a championship setting against a defense all the pundits said would give the Tigers fits, Watson accounted for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing), threw for 289 yards, ran for another 131, led the offense to 608 yards - a ninth straight game of over 500 yards. He set an ACC Championship Game record for total yards. He has been in control of this offense since Day 1 and there is no one else I'd want leading my team.

Yards/touch this season: McCaffrey: 8.56 Cook: 8.05 Watson: 7.64 Henry: 5.97 (Watson = 7.92 w/o sacks)

— David Hale (@DavidHaleESPN) December 6, 2015

6) Speaking of the Heisman, it looks like it will be Watson, Alabama's Derrick Henry, Stanford's Christian McCaffrey, and maybe Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield. The thing that hurt Mayfield (and the Sooners in the Playoff Committee's minds for that matter) was OU didn't play Saturday. Watson, Henry and McCaffrey were on full display Saturday and all three made a statement to the voters. McCaffrey had over 460 all-purpose yards and ran, passed and caught a TD in the Cardinal's 41-22 Pac-12 title game win. Henry was a workhorse for Bama, getting 44 carries, but only gaining 189 yards and scoring one TD, as the Tide rolled Florida 29-15. Any of the four could win the Heisman and there'd be little controversy, but my vote goes to ... Watson, duh!

vs Florida this year... Henry: 44-189-1 Fournette: 31-180-2 Cook: 26-183-2

— David Hale (@DavidHaleESPN) December 6, 2015

7) Alabama relied on Henry to wear down Florida, as he has done with many other opponents all season. However, Alabama has yet to play a complete team on its schedule, perhaps outside of Ole Miss ... which the Tide lost. Alabama is SEC Champions, but this is a really down year for the SEC. Clemson has three wins over teams currently in the Playoff Top 10. Alabama has three wins over teams in the current Top 25 total. Oklahoma has four Top 25 wins. Michigan State has four. I question the Committee keeping Bama second. I'll hang up and listen.

8) Michigan State now has three last-minute wins over Top 20 opponents, plus a three-point win over Oregon. The Spartans deserve to be in the Top 4, that much is true. But, there is no way you can tell me MSU should be any higher than fourth.

9) On that note, here's how I would rank the Top 4 today - 1) Clemson 2) Oklahoma 3) Alabama 4) Michigan State. I'm guessing it won't look like this. Bama will likely be second and because of some bogus "we don't want Alabama to play in the Cotton Bowl against OU" conspiracy, I'm guessing Michigan State will be third and they'll send OU to Miami against Clemson. Those who don't know - my wife is an OU grad. We've already been through this a season ago when the Tigers and Sooners squared off in the Russell Athletic Bowl. It's no fun.

10) 13-0. ACC Champs. Undisputed No. 1 in the country. 16 straight wins. Playoff Bound. CU in Miami!

Current Mood: 🏆💍 🐅 What a time to be a Tiger! 🐾 pic.twitter.com/ARezdNziAN

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) December 6, 2015

-BtW

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Championship Week

Are we really at the final weekend of the season? Man, where did this fall go? Four of the Power 5 conferences host their championship games this weekend, while the other (Big 12) has already had its title decided. There's a lot on the line this weekend for multiple teams. How will it shake out and who after the weekend is headed to the College Football Playoff?

Last week's record: 12-7

Overall: 69-29 (.704 win %)
*Rankings below are CFB Playoff Committee rankings

Friday
MAC - Bowling Green vs. Northern Illinois - At Detroit (Line: Bowling Green -12)
One last round of #MACtion. Northern Illinois backed its way into the title game after losing at Ohio to close the season then saw Toledo fall. Bowling Green is tied for fourth in the country at 44 points per game. There will probably be a lot of points scored ... it is #MACtion after all. The Falcons will score more. Bowling Green 47, Northern Illinois 30

Saturday
AAC - No. 22 Temple at No. 19 Houston (Line: Houston -6)
Tom Herman agreed to remain Houston's head coach and that alone is enough reason to believe the Cougars will roll in this one. Temple hasn't been the same since its loss to Notre Dame. The Owls are still a very good team, but they must travel for this one. Houston steamrolled past Navy last week and will carry that momentum into this one on its way to a New Year's Six Bowl. Houston 37, Temple 27

Conference USA - Southern Miss at Western Kentucky (Line: Western Kentucky -7.5)
Jeff Brohm has been another candidate for several head coach openings, but the Hilltoppers' coach said he's committed to WKU. Both teams missed out on chances to pull the upset against Power 5 teams earlier in the year. Aside from Southern Miss' flop at Marshall, both teams have dominated conference play. It could be another shootout. Western Kentucky 52, Southern Miss 49

SEC - No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 18 Florida - At Atlanta (Line: Alabama -18)
When Alabama and Florida get together for the SEC Championship Game, it just feels right. The Tide and Gators have met eight times with the conference crown on the line. The only real intrigue in this one is whether Florida's defense can slow down Derrick Henry for four quarters. No one has been able to do so, yet. But none of the defenses Alabama has faced compare to the Gators. Florida's inept offense won't be able to do much against Bama's D. This one should be over early. Alabama 35, Florida 7

Mountain West - Air Force at San Diego State (Line: San Diego State -6.5)
It's great to see one of the Service Academies with a chance to shine on a big stage. Troy Calhoun and the Falcons head west where the upstart Aztecs. SDSU reeled off eight straight wins to close out the regular season. Air Force won five in a row before losing at New Mexico last Saturday. Air Force's option offense will cause problems for San Diego State, which hasn't seen anything like it all season. Should be a good game that many will miss due to the final three games of the day. Air Force 34, San Diego State 31

Pac-12 - No. 7 Stanford vs. No. 20 USC - At Santa Clara (Line: Stanford -4.5)
Stanford defeated USC way back in September, 41-31, and the two teams went in opposite directions for a while. The Cardinal won their next six and have an outside shot at a Playoff berth. The Trojans lost two of their next three and found themselves with an interim coach (Clay Helton), who has now had the interim tag removed. Southern Cal clawed back to win the Pac-12 South over rival UCLA last week and not many are giving them a chance in Stanford's back yard. Christian McCaffrey is the best player on the field and that will be the difference. Stanford 28, USC 24

Big Ten - No. 4 Iowa vs. No. 5 Michigan State - At Indianapolis (Line: Michigan State -3.5)
A de facto play-in game for the College Football Playoff, the Big Ten Championship Game has plenty of intrigue. Can Iowa stay undefeated, or will Michigan State punch its ticket to the Playoff? Will the winner look impressive enough to move into the No. 3 spot. Spartan QB Connor Cook is the reason MSU is here and the senior leader looks to claim his second Big Ten Championship. Although the Hawkeyes are undefeated, they haven't been tested like the Spartans have. Michigan State 31, Iowa 17

Dabo Swinney can lead Clemson to an ACC title
and a Playoff berth with a win against North Carolina.
(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

ACC - No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 10 North Carolina - At Charlotte (Line: Clemson -5)
Perhaps the game of the weekend goes to the ACC. All the questions and build-up to this one have the Playoff Committee on edge. A Clemson win and they can rest easy. A Tar Heel win and the Playoff unveiling set for noon Sunday may have to be pushed back several hours - or days - to allow the Committee enough time to decipher the Top 4. The two quarterbacks in this game have received all the spotlight, and rightfully so. Clemson's Deshaun Watson is up for Heisman consideration and Marquise Williams has been nothing short of spectacular for 11 straight games for the Heels. But the defenses will be the key and that's where the Tigers have the advantage. UNC hasn't seen a defense like Clemson's all season. The Tigers have a few bumps and bruises, but they'll be ready to slow down the Tar Heel attack. Should be a dandy and might turn into a shootout. Clemson 41, North Carolina 34

-BtW

My apology to Dabo Swinney

Dear Dabo,

In the spirit of Christmas, I guess you could say through the years I've been on the "naughty" list. What I mean is, I haven't always been the best fan I could be. Hear me out, and I apologize in advance for the length of this, but it needs to be said.

I was pumped when you took over the head coaching job in October 2008. That was my final semester at Clemson and the last thing I could stand to bear was a losing season after all the preseason hype. You opened practice up to students and I went. That was a pretty special moment during my time at Clemson. When you beat South Carolina, 31-14, I stood in Death Valley a winner for the final time as a student. I would graduate a few weeks later and my time at Clemson would come to a close.

In 2009, things were pretty good with CJ Spiller back. We won the Atlantic Division for the first time in school history. We struggled in the Palmetto Bowl, but hey, the Gamecocks have to win every once in a while, I reckon. Although we made it to the ACC Championship Game but didn't win the conference title, I could tell we were on the upswing.

Then 2010 happened. And I was pretty upset with you. It started in the summer when Kyle Parker was drafted by the Rockies, but chose to come back to Clemson so he could play football one final season. I wasn't on campus and I don't know anything that was said between you, Mr. Parker, and Tajh Boyd. But from afar, it felt like Parker's focus was on the dollar signs shoved in his face, while Boyd was going through voluntary workouts with our team.

We went 6-6 in the regular season with a few inexcusable losses (in my opinion). Maybe it was my orange-colored glasses, but six wins at Clemson shouldn't be a final tally. Six wins should be at the halfway point of the season, or thereabout. 

I felt you were loyal to a fault with Parker. I watched the games - again, from afar. I wasn't at practice. I wasn't in the meeting rooms or film sessions or anywhere near the state of South Carolina for that matter. But it just didn't seem right that Parker continued to struggle, but retained his starting role. 

Then, we lost to South Carolina in ugly fashion 29-7 at home. Then, we lost to South Florida in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Bleh. Memories I've tried to erase.

In 2011, we turned the tide with Boyd at quarterback. I caught myself once or twice thinking and blurting out on social media, "I told you so!" I couldn't believe what we witnessed in 2011. I point out the fact we had a new offensive genius at the helm along with Boyd, but I still believed we could have won eight or nine games at least in 2010 with Boyd behind center. 

I've shouted. I've cursed. I've slammed my fist. My wife hasn't been too thrilled with me over the past several years. We started winning and that left a void of which I wanted more. Ten wins were great; 11 were even better. There was the first conference title in 20 years. There was getting blown out by the Orange Bowl. And there was exorcising those demons just two years later on the same field. 

That leads us to now. Five straight 10-win seasons. An undefeated regular season for the first time since 1981. A division title for the third time in seven years under your leadership. A chance to win a second conference championship in the last five years. And a chance to play for college football's ultimate reward.

Regardless of what happens in Charlotte Saturday night, Dabo, you have taken Clemson football to heights I haven't had the pleasure of witnessing before. I'm 29 years old and didn't get to live through the glory years of the 1980s.

I thought reality was setting in during that 2010 season that I may never see championship football wearing a Tiger Paw. But I've realized, we are living the glory years. You have Clemson on an unprecedented run, one that I hope continues for a long, long time. 

For doubting you and saying all the negative things I said when I had blinders on and couldn't see the future, I am sorry. Speaking of doubting, I doubt you'll ever read this or even hear of it, but I probably speak on behalf of a lot of Clemson fans out there with this apology. In fact, I know I do. After two-and-a-half seasons as head coach, I started believing Clemson made a mistake. 

I was wrong. You are the right man for the job and I hope you stay at Clemson for as long as you want to coach. Win or lose, I appreciate the positive attitude you've brought day in and day out. I appreciate the attention you've brought to our university. 

A kiss goodbye to Howard's Rock at my last game
 as a student in Death Valley.

And I appreciate every day as a Clemson Alumnus more and more.

Sincerely,

Ben Whitehead

Class of '08

PS - Beat Carolina.

Rapid Reax: CFB Playoff Rankings - Week 5

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers top the College Football
Playoff Rankings for the fifth straight week.
(Photo courtesy The AP)

Not much changed at the top, as all the schools in the top five won over the weekend. Clemson holds onto the No. 1 spot for the fifth straight week. The Tigers have been at the top for all of the weekly rankings this season. Alabama remained No. 2 with Oklahoma and Iowa staying put at 3 and 4.

However, I'm surprised the Committee continues to value Alabama's schedule more than Oklahoma's. In this week's rankings, the Tide have wins over No. 21 LSU and No. 25 Tennessee. The Sooners have wins against No. 11 TCU, No. 12 Baylor, No. 17 Oklahoma State and No. 25 Tennessee.

I realize Oklahoma's loss is bad - very, very bad - and Alabama's loss is to the team currently ranked No. 13. But the Committee has said over and over that they value a team's wins more than the losses. If true, Oklahoma has three wins better than any of Alabama's and two more than the Tide over currently ranked teams. Plus, in the spirit of comparing games against common opponents, Oklahoma has a seven-point road win at Tennessee, while Alabama has a five-point home win over the Vols.

In my non-expert opinion, Oklahoma has looked much better than Alabama and has better wins more recently to back it up, which includes a 35-point beatdown over rival Oklahoma State (previously ranked No. 11) on the road. I guess Alabama's reputation weighs heavier than actual metrics and resumes.

Beyond the Top 4, Michigan State is fifth, which is irrelevant at this point because the Spartans and Hawkeyes battle for the Big Ten Championship this weekend with the winner all but certain to be in the final Top 4. Whether the winner jumps to the No. 3 spot or higher will be worth keeping an eye on Sunday when the final rankings are released.

Ohio State is sixth, followed by Stanford, Notre Dame, Florida State and North Carolina rounding out the Top 10. Speculation has run rampant as to what the Committee would do with the Tar Heels should they beat No. 1 Clemson in the ACC Championship Game this weekend. The Heels' schedule is one of the weakest in the country, but UNC would have one of the longest win streaks to that point and have arguably the best win of the season - over the top-ranked Tigers.

I'd hate to be a Committee member if that happened. You'd be arguing potential ACC Champ UNC vs. one-loss non-champ Ohio State vs. potential Pac-12 Champ but two-loss Stanford vs. one-loss non-champ Clemson (who the Committee had No. 1 in every poll). You could even throw the Big Ten title game loser - two-loss Michigan State, who beat OSU, or one-loss Iowa - into the debate as well. The guess here is Stanford would get the boost by being a conference champion, but honestly, that's throwing a dart at the wall.

One week left before the final poll. Remember, the final rankings will be released at Noon ET this Sunday.

Here's the CFB Playoff Top 10
1) Clemson
2) Alabama
3) Oklahoma
4) Iowa
5) Michigan State
6) Ohio State
7) Stanford
8) Notre Dame
9) Florida State
10) North Carolina

-BtW