Cotton Bowl 2018: Factors That Will Decide Clemson vs. Notre Dame Playoff
Clemson comes into its Cotton Bowl matchup with Notre Dame as the favored team, but it will need plenty of things to go in its favor to topple the Fighting Irish.
One of Clemson's top strengths is the play of its defensive line, but that position on the field could also be key for Notre Dame as it tries to impose its defensive will.
On offense, Clemson is led by freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but it will be an experienced member of the squad who turns into one of the keys to victory.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
With close to a month's worth of positional breakdowns before the December 29 clash, we've picked out plenty of difference-makers, but some of the ones mentioned above are the most important.
Factors That Will Decide Cotton Bowl
Performance Of Clemson's Wide Receivers
Lawrence has been able to succeed because of the talented wide receivers around him.
Tee Higgins, who hauled in 52 catches for 802 yards and 10 touchdowns, headlines the positional group that also includes Justyn Ross, Amari Rodgers and big-game specialist Hunter Renfrow.
Higgins is only one game removed from his best performance of the season, as he racked up 142 yards on six catches in the rivalry victory over South Carolina.
Although he only caught three passes in the ACC Championship, the sophomore made his touches count by scoring two touchdowns. In the December 1 win over Pittsburgh, Ross led the Tigers with 70 receiving yards.
All four of Clemson's top receivers led the Tigers in receiving yards in a single game, with Ross earning that title the most on five occasions.
If the quartet of Clemson wideouts provides comfort for Lawrence from the start, the Tigers should be able to march down the field with ease.
However, if the Tigers fail to make inroads in the passing game, Lawrence could lose some confidence and start to force throws that could lead to Notre Dame interceptions.
Notre Dame's Rushing Defense
Notre Dame's run defense faces one of the most difficult challenges of bowl season, as it has to go up against Travis Etienne.
Brian Kelly's Fighting Irish rank 30th in the FBS in running defense by giving up 133.5 yards per game.
More importantly, Notre Dame concedes 3.7 yards per carry and has given up a long rush of 58 yards.
In addition to those numbers, the Fighting Irish allowed one player to eclipse the 100-yard mark on the ground, and that was Navy's Malcolm Perry, who plays in an option offense.
Etienne comes into the Cotton Bowl off back-to-back 150-yard rushing performances, which added to his total of seven triple-digit rushing games.
Containing Etienne allows the Notre Dame offense to put more pressure on Lawrence and make the freshman beat it instead of getting crushed on the ground.
Linebacker Te'Von Coney and defensive lineman Jerry Tillery will be at the forefront of the defensive pressure, as Notre Dame crowds the box and forces Etienne to earn his yards by cutting to the outside.
If Notre Dame limits the offensive production of Clemson's experienced star, it should be in the game for four quarters and have an opportunity to pull off an upset and move on to the January 7 National Championship.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
