Orange Bowl 2015: Oklahoma vs. Clemson: Analysis, Prediction for Semifinal Game

The fireworks on New Year's Eve will probably be starting a little earlier in Miami this year as the Orange Bowl, pitting the No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners against the No. 1 Clemson Tigers, has a trip to the national championship game on the line. 

Here's everything you need to know about the big game:

When: Thursday, Dec. 31, 4 p.m. ET

Venue: Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

The Orange Bowl features two gifted quarterbacks in two high-powered offenses that will surely put up plenty of points. With playmakers on both sides of the ball, let's take a look at who has the advantage at two of the most important offensive positions and who I believe is going to win the game. 

Quarterback

 A Heisman Trophy finalist and dual-threat, Clemson's Deshaun Watson will have to try to outscore the walk-on wonder that is Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield. Two very different paths to the Orange Bowl—one obvious fact: These guys can put up yards. 

Let's take a peek at their 2015 numbers:

Watson	Stat	Mayfield
287/413	Comp/Att	243/354
69.5%	Completion Percentage	68.6%
3,512	Yards	3,389
30	TD	35
11	INT	5
159.6	Rating	178.9
887	Rushing Yards	420
11	Rushing TD	7

When looking at things on paper, Mayfield has a narrow edge in passing. While his completion percentage is just a point lower than Watson's, he rarely turns the ball over and he makes bigger things happen when he completes a pass. 

He leads an Oklahoma passing game that averages over 307 yards per game and a scoring offense that puts up 45.8 points per game.

But Watson is more of a playmaker than Mayfield. He is quite athletic and is able to make huge plays with both his legs and feet. That's not saying that Mayfield has feet made of lead, but Watson is just so dangerous with the ball in his hands. 

He opens more options for the Clemson offense. If the Oklahoma defense is keying on the pass, he can check down to a bevy of designed running plays that call his number. Basically Watson can find more ways to beat you.

Edge: Clemson

Running Back

 Sure, Mayfield and Watson are the two big names headlining this bowl game, but the backfields of Clemson—featuring Wayne Gallman—and Oklahoma—highlighting Samaje Perine—are just as dangerous:

Gallman	Stat	Perine
243	Attempts	211
1,332	Yards	1,291
5.5	Average	6.1
10	TD	15

Both of these backs exhibit similar running styles. They aren't going to hit the defense with a number of dekes and cuts. They're more straightforward runners who hold plenty of strength. 

What sets Perine apart from Gallman is his sheer physicality. Gallman, at 6'1", has two inches on Perine, but Perine weighs almost 30 pounds more and has leg strength that makes him such a powerful runner in a 5'11" frame. 

He is small enough to fit through some narrow openings in the offensive line, but his speed can get him around the edge. 

He will be Mayfield's escape clause if the Clemson defense is shutting down the Oklahoma passing game. And Perine is just the kind of explosive player that the Sooners wouldn't mind giving the ball to a lot. Don't forget that Oklahoma also has Joe Mixon, who rushed for almost 750 yards on just 110 carries. 

The two Sooner rushers could really open up the passing game for Mayfield if they can get going early.

Edge: Oklahoma

This is going to be a very close game, and I would normally take a team that defeated three ranked teams consecutively to end its season, such as Oklahoma did. But by the time New Year's Eve rolls around, it will be more than a month since the Sooners played a competitive game. And they could come out a bit slow no matter how much they prepared for the Tigers. 

That's all the opening that Watson will need on a Clemson team that doesn't know what losing means this season. He'll find a way to get things done in the Orange Bowl, just like Clemson has all season.

Prediction: Clemson defeats Oklahoma 38-34

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com