Orange Bowl 2015: Oklahoma vs. Clemson Pregame Comments, Predictions

There are few better ways to count down the hours to a new calendar year than with some high-profile college football.

With the advent of the College Football Playoff, football fans this year can count on two national semifinal games (among other bowl contests) to keep them entertained as the clock ticks toward 2016, starting with the Orange Bowl between No. 1 Clemson and No. 4 Oklahoma.

The pregame scene at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, has been nothing short of electric, per Oklahoma Football and Clemson Football:

The Tigers will be without three players in this game, one of them a key contributor in wideout Deon Cain, due to violations of team rules, per ESPN.com's Andrea Adelson: 

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Clemson sent three players home, including key receiver Deon Cain, for violating team rules on Tuesday, two days before the Tigers' College Football Playoff semifinal game.

Cain, who has been the Tigers' biggest deep threat this season, kicker Ammon Lakip and tight end Jay Jay McCullough will not play in the Capital One Orange Bowl against the Oklahoma Sooners on Thursday or the title game if the Tigers advance.

According to multiple reports, they were sent home for failing drug tests.

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The Tigers are unfazed, as they are chasing down a historic 15-0 record and a national championship. Head coach Dabo Swinney believes in the talent that got his team to this point.

"This isn't the Russell Athletic Bowl, this is the Capitol One Orange Bowl ... Final Four ... everybody earned their way," he said, per WYFF4.com.

It's a shame that Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson will be without a top deep threat in Cain, who averaged 17.1 yards per catch this season and scored five touchdowns. He could have some extra time in the pocket, as star Oklahoma defensive tackle Charles Walker will miss the game with a concussion. The Tulsa World's Guerin Emig relayed his words posted on Instagram:

Without Walker—who has six sacks on the year—Watson should be able to buy time to throw and could find room to scramble up the middle.

Oklahoma is still chock full of talented players ready to compete with Clemson. Baker Mayfield was arguably the best quarterback in the nation down the stretch, throwing for 14 touchdowns with just one pick while rushing for another three scores in his last five games. The walk-on and Texas Tech-transfer has used those who doubted his ability as fuel for his outstanding performance.

"It's about how you take in all the influence on the outside," Mayfield said, per the Sports XChange (h/t United Press International). "Like I said, I use it as positive influence for me but I do kind of create an extra energy."

He'll look to top target Sterling Shepard, who has racked up 1,201 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns this season, as often as possible in this one.

The Sooners' top receiving threat will draw a confident cornerback in Mackensie Alexander, who has terrorized more than a few passing offenses this season.

"I'm like Floyd (Mayweather)," Alexander said, per USA Today's Paul Myerberg. "I can be a little brash, a little cocky. I put in the time to do that. I take my time with this sport. I love playing cornerback."

Swinney is well aware that Oklahoma brings a standout cornerback in Zack Sanchez to this game. His pass-catching corps, a little thinner without Cain, will be put to the test in this contest.

"Going to be a battle right there," Swinney said, per Myerberg. "That's what you expect. There's no weaknesses on either one of these teams."

Indeed, even both team's running games are hardly what anyone would call liabilities. Oklahoma has Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon, who have combined for 2,040 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns this year. Head coach Bob Stoops said Perine, the team's lead back, has benefited from having a talented counterpart taking some of the load off in the backfield.

“I heard Samaje quoted somewhere going into the next-to-last game of the year that he can’t believe how good he feels, not having to take all the snaps,” said Stoops, per the Oklahoma Daily's Joe Buettner. “So he’s fresher, healthier. Feels better. Those guys (Riley and Bouleware) have done a great job of managing the two of them.”

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Mayfield himself is no slouch when taking off and running.

Clemson boasts Watson's brilliant rushing ability—887 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns—and Wayne Gallman, who has picked up 1,332 rushing yards on 5.5 yards per carry this season. Considering the strong rushing attacks and need to get pressure on the quarterbacks in this one, the game could come down to defensive line play.

Thanks to guys like defensive Shaq Lawson, this is one area of the game where Clemson might have a distinct advantage, according to ESPN.com's Jake Trotter:

"I agree with David. The Clemson defensive line is very disruptive, headlined by Lawson. The Sooners have performed well up front since the Texas loss. But with so many young players, this is still a developing offensive line. This is the area where Clemson can really wreak havoc."

Richard Shiro/Associated Press

Forcing turnovers will be key in this game. When these two teams met last year in the Russell Athletic Bowl, Clemson forced Sooners QB Trevor Knight into three interceptions en route to a 40-6 drubbing.

Stoops has of course built his squad into a more complete team than the one that finished 8-5 in 2014. Much of the improvement can be attributed to having the likes of Mayfield as the on-field marshall instead of the mistake-prone Trevor Knight.

 Stoops, however, wants people to know last year's team was plenty talented, and perhaps there should be little surprise they've come so far in 2015, per Bleacher Report's Greg Couch:

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You know, there's not a lot to say about it. What we've done is what we've done. It's pretty evident that a lot of that [talk of the game passing him by] isn't true, that we've got a strong program. It wasn't nearly as weak as people wanted to say it was a year ago.

Again, I had to remind everyone just the year before we had just won the Sugar Bowl and were sixth in the country. You have some bad breaks; you get a few things that don't go your way, and you go 8-5. That isn't our standards, and listen, I'm the one who set the standards. They're not acceptable to me, either, when that happens.

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This game is going to be a war, and a close one. There are great arguments to be made for either team, from the calm of Mayfield to Watson's dual-threat brilliance, the twin pistons of Perine and Mixon to the chaotic force that is Lawson.

Clemson will just edge out Oklahoma in this contest. The defensive line will bring plenty of pressure to Mayfield, while Alexander holds Shepard mostly in check. The rushing attack will keep the Sooners going, but it's going to be difficult for Oklahoma's defensive line to prevent Watson from dictating the course of this game.

Prediction: Clemson 31-27 Oklahoma