Clemson Football: 5 Bold Predictions for the Tigers' Bowl Game

Since Sunday, the Clemson Tigers have known they will be taking on the Oklahoma Sooners in the Russell Athletic Bowl on December 29. That much we know. The part that is still up in the air is exactly how things will go in the bowl game for the Tigers, especially with the recent news, via ESPN, that quarterback Deshaun Watson will be undergoing season-ending knee surgery on Friday.

Can the defense win another close game for the Tigers? Will Cole Stoudt end his college career on a positive note? Here are five bold predictions for Clemson’s bowl game.

Offense Will Score at Least 30 Points

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With Chad Morris off to SMU, the Tigers have announced that Tony Elliott will call the plays in the bowl game, per David Hood of TigerNet.com. Even with the new play-caller, the Tigers have a chance to score at least 30 points in this game.

The Sooners are solid against the run, with the 10th-best rush defense in the NCAA, but it’s the secondary that has been an area of concern. Oklahoma is 118th in the country in pass defense, allowing 272.7 yards per game.

Cole Stoudt has struggled this season to say the least, but Oklahoma’s secondary struggles combined with Clemson’s emerging run game will result in a decent day offensively.

Cole Stoudt Will Have His Best Game

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It hasn’t been a pretty senior campaign for Stoudt, with six touchdowns and 10 interceptions, but he could be in position to play his best game yet.

After losing his starting job, he was thrown back into action after Watson’s injury in the Louisville game—but Stoudt wasn’t completely healthy himself, per Andrea Adelson of ESPN. He has been dealing with a shoulder injury for the latter half of this season, but the time before for the bowl game could give him a chance to get healthy.

Oklahoma’s pass defense has been far from impressive this season, so getting production through the air is a possibility for Stoudt in this game. I think Clemson’s combination of Mike Williams and Artavis Scott really poses a threat against Oklahoma’s secondary.

Sooners Will Be Held Under 30 Points

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The Sooners have put up some impressive scoring totals this season, averaging 38.9 points per game. Heck, they have only been held under 30 points in a game once all season. The Tigers defense will hold them to their second-lowest total of the season, though. (Baylor held Oklahoma to just 14 points in a 48-14 rout.)

Clemson’s defense—led by former Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables—is allowing only 17.6 points per game this season, and it is dominant at the line of scrimmage. It has allowed only 97.7 yards rushing per game this season, which is where the majority of Oklahoma's offensive production has been this year. The Tigers will be the best defense the Sooners have faced this season—and that will show on the scoreboard.

Tigers Will Have Multiple Sacks

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This may be the boldest prediction of all, because the Sooners have allowed only eight sacks all season. That is good for second in the nation. Compare that to a Clemson front that has totaled 44 sacks and 122 tackles for loss, and you have a heck of a matchup, my friend.

The Sooners have faced a couple of other dominant pass-rushers—Tennessee’s Curt Maggitt and Texas Tech’s Pete Robertson—but I would argue that Vic Beasley is the most-skilled pass-rusher Oklahoma will see all season. Beasley is coming off a two-sack game versus South Carolina, and this front seven is among the most talented in the nation.

Tigers Get the Win over Bob Stoops and Company

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All of the other predictions lead me to this conclusion. The Tigers will beat Oklahoma by a touchdown, even without Watson. The Tigers defense has played well all season, and the offense will be able to do enough to win against that shaky Oklahoma secondary.

Trevor Knight and Samaje Perine are talented—and they will be tough to stop—but the Clemson defense is firing on all cylinders right now. Knight has thrown nine interceptions this season, and I think the Tigers can force him into mistakes if they keep Perine from having a breakout game.