Russell Athletic Bowl 2014: Oklahoma vs. Clemson TV Info, Spread, Time and More
Different paths have the Oklahoma Sooners and Clemson Tigers in the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl for what promises to be one of the most memorable encounters of the season.
Bob Stoops' Sooners tumbled to the late-December encounter thanks to a heartbreaking overtime loss to Oklahoma State to finish the season at 8-4. Dabo Swinney's team came on strong to end the season and took down South Carolina to finish 9-3.
The paths merge Monday as the Sooners look to get back on track and the Tigers look to finish a surprising season in strong fashion, starting quarterback or not.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Opposing Strengths
It is almost as if those who create the bowl games want each encounter to be entertaining.
Mission accomplished here, as a prolific Oklahoma offense takes on the nation's top-ranked defense.
The Sooners figure to have starting quarterback Trevor Knight back. The sophomore's 2,197 yards and 14 touchdowns, with another 340 yards and five scores on the ground, hint at the versatility he brings to the offense.
A freshman leads the nation's ninth-ranked rushing attack, though. Samaje Perine leads a long list of effective runners, albeit in rather dominant fashion:
Clemson is not exactly a team intimidated by rank or statistics, however.
Early hiccups against Georgia and Florida State derailed the season, but a 35-17 blowout over South Carolina shows just how dominant the Tigers can be against top competition. There, a talented Gamecocks rushing attack averaged just 1.9 yards per carry on the way to 63 rushing yards.
An Oklahoma offense accustomed to scoring in the neighborhood of 40 points must now find a way to produce against a defense that allows an average of 17.6.
As they say, something has to give.
Grounding it Out
For Clemson, Monday is perhaps the biggest dose of adversity the offense has faced all season.
Freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson lit a fire under the stagnant Tigers attack this season with 1,466 yards and 14 touchdowns to two interceptions through the air and another five scores on the ground.
Things shift back to senior Cole Stoudt under center Monday, though, with Watson out due to knee surgery. In other words, Swinney will need to lean on an upstart rushing attack:
Stoudt has completed 62.0 percent of his passes this season, but he struggles with turnovers, as a 6-10 touchdowns-interceptions ratio shows. Despite his struggles, the defense seems confident that the senior and his unit will uphold their end of the bargain.
"We have full confidence in our offense and their abilities," defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said, per STATS LLC (via ESPN.com). "They just got to handle their adversity and they're going to do fine, but we're going to continue to do our part and do what we've been doing all year and try to put a strong finish on our season."
Thanks to Wayne Gallman and Tyshon Dye, the Clemson rushing attack figures to be the strong complement Stoudt needs, unlike earlier in the regular season.
What Stoudt does with the talent around him may decide the game outright.
When: Monday, December 29, 5:30 p.m. ET
Where: Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida
Television: ESPN
Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):
- Over/Under: 52.5
- Spread: Oklahoma (-3.5)
Team Injury Reports
| Dannon Cavil | WR | 10/30/2014 | has left the team | Out | personal |
| Dorial Green-Beckham | WR | 08/25/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | eligibility |
| Geneo Grissom | LB | 12/23/2014 | is questionable for the Russell Athletic Bowl Monday against Clemson | Questionable | knee |
| Quentin Hayes | S | 12/23/2014 | is questionable for the Russell Athletic Bowl Monday against Clemson | Questionable | ankle |
| Trevor Knight | QB | 12/23/2014 | is probable for the Russell Athletic Bowl Monday against Clemson | Probable | concussion/neck |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 08/31/2014 | is expected to miss the entire season | Out | eligibility |
| Joe Mixon | RB | 08/02/2014 | will miss the entire season | Suspended | disciplinary |
| Samaje Perine | RB | 12/23/2014 | is probable for the Russell Athletic Bowl Monday against Clemson | Probable | leg |
| Quincy Russell | DT | 09/08/2014 | was dismissed from the team | Out | disciplinary |
| Frank Shannon | LB | 08/21/2014 | will miss the entire season | Suspended | disciplinary |
| Adam Shead | G | 12/23/2014 | is questionable for the Russell Athletic Bowl Monday against Clemson | Questionable | knee |
| Sterling Shepard | WR | 12/23/2014 | is questionable for the Russell Athletic Bowl Monday against Clemson | Questionable | groin |
| Julian Wilson | CB | 12/23/2014 | will miss the Russell Athletic Bowl Monday against Clemson | Out | shoulder |
| Derrick Woods | WR | 12/03/2014 | is suspended indefinitely | Suspended | disciplinary |
| Shaq Anthony | T | 08/21/2014 | has left the team | Out | personal |
| Travis Blanks | S | 08/15/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | knee |
| Zac Brooks | RB | 08/20/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | foot |
| Adam Choice | RB | 10/19/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | knee |
| D.J. Greenlee | TE | 11/05/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | knee |
| Martin Jenkins | DB | 11/05/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | foot |
| Oliver Jones | T | 08/28/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | knee |
| Jay Jay McCullough | TE | 11/15/2014 | is suspended indefinitely | Suspended | disciplinary |
| Kyrin Priester | WR | 09/04/2014 | was dismissed from the team | Out | disciplinary |
| Stanton Seckinger | TE | 12/23/2014 | will miss the Russell Athletic Bowl Monday against Oklahoma | Out | knee |
| Deshaun Watson | QB | 12/23/2014 | will miss the Russell Athletic Bowl Monday against Oklahoma | Out | knee |
Injury reports per The Sports Network, via USA Today.
Prediction
The absence of Watson will hurt Clemson in a big way Monday.
A sudden lack of versatility in the Tigers attack means the entirety of the pressure falls on the defense. While it's up to the task, few have been game enough to handle Oklahoma's Perine this season. The owner of a minimum of 151 yards and two touchdowns in each of his past three outings, Perine is set to gash Clemson in a way it has not seen so far this year.
For Oklahoma, a disappointing season ends on a high note.
Prediction: Oklahoma 35, Clemson 28
Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
