Orange Bowl 2015: Updated Odds and Preview for Clemson vs. Oklahoma
The 2015 College Football Playoff semifinals are set as the CFP selection committee announced the nation's top four teams Sunday afternoon.
It will be No. 1 seed Clemson taking on No. 4 Oklahoma at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida, in the Orange Bowl, with the winner getting a trip to the national championship game.
Here is all the information you need to know about the game, including updated odds courtesy of OddsShark.com:
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| No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Oklahoma | Thursday, Dec. 31, 4 p.m. | OU (-3) | ESPN |
Clemson never left the top spot of the CFP selection committee's rankings this season, as they are now the last undefeated team in the nation after Iowa lost to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game.
On the other hand, Oklahoma had to do quite a bit of work to get to the Orange Bowl this season. Starting Week 10 ranked 15th in the nation, the Sooners reeled off five straight wins, including three straight against ranked Big 12 opponents in Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State.
Here's how both teams stack up:
| 13-0 | Record | 11-1 |
| 288.5 | Passing Yards Per Game | 307.9 |
| 222.2 | Rushing Yards Per Game | 235.0 |
| 38.0 | Points For | 45.0 |
| 20.2 | Points Against | 20.8 |
The game will feature two of the best quarterbacks in the nation in Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield and Clemson's Deshaun Watson, both of whom are up for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, per ESPN.com's Brett McMurphy.
It is the second consecutive year that these teams will meet in the postseason, with Clemson thrashing Oklahoma 40-6 in last season's Russell Athletic Bowl.
Oklahoma senior wide receiver Sterling Shepard kept it short and sweet when asked about the rematch, per the team's official Twitter account:
The Sooners are very different this season. In last year's Russell Athletic Bowl, Oklahoma, with quarterback Trevor Knight, passed for just 103 yards. With Mayfield under center in 2015, the Sooners are averaging over 307.9 yards per game through the air.
They also have a running game led by Samaje Perine that is putting up over 230 yards per game.
With that combination, it's easy to see why Oklahoma is the third-best scoring team in the nation with 45 points per game.
This will be the toughest offense that Clemson will face this season, and they have had games where they've given up plenty of points. The Tigers allowed 41 points against NC State, 32 to South Carolina and 37 to North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game.
Even though Clemson is consistent, they've never taken on a team with this kind of firepower. If the game becomes a shootout, then the Tigers offense is going to have to find a way to keep up with Oklahoma, which they are capable of doing.
Watson and company have eclipsed the 40-point mark in six of their 13 games this year, which has the SEC Network's Tony Barnhart making preparations to settle in for a while on Dec. 31:
The running game of Wayne Gallman will be just as important as Watson's outing in Miami, as his success will continually open things up for the Clemson quarterback.
With Oklahoma out to avenge last year's embarrassing postseason loss and ruin Clemson's perfect season, the Orange Bowl will surely be one of the best games college football has seen this season.
Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.
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