Cotton Bowl 2018: Underrated Stars to Watch and Picks in Clemson vs. Notre Dame

The 2018 Cotton Bowl plays host to two of the four teams to go undefeated in college football's regular season in Notre Dame and Clemson. 

The College Football Playoff semifinal game will be the opening act of the December 29 doubleheader. For Clemson it presents the opportunity to make its third appearance in the national championship game in four years. For Notre Dame, the opportunity to prove it still belongs on the national stage. 

Names such as Ian Book, Trevor Lawrence and Christian Wilkins will be bandied about in most of the coverage of the game, but there are some unsung heroes on both sides of the ball who could have a big effect. 

Here are a few to keep an eye on during the big game. 

Clemson RB Lyn-J Dixon

When you think of the Clemson running game, the name that pops into one's head has to be Travis Etienne. The sophomore has run for over 1,400 yards with 21 touchdowns to lead the nation's most efficient rushing offense. 

Etienne isn't the only one who makes the magic happen, though. 

The Tigers have a stable of backs they can count on in Tavien Feaster, Adam Choice and Lyn-J Dixon. The trio of backup running backs have all shined this season, but freshman Dixon is the biggest big play threat among them. 

He has only toted the rock 68 times this season, but he has the most carries of 20 or more yards outside of the lead back. He's also among the top five in the nation in yards per carry at nearly 10. 

Even if the Irish are able to bottle up Etienne, the rising star Dixon is always capable of busting the big play that breaks the game open.

Clemson DB Tanner Muse

Richard Shiro/Associated Press

Clemson safety Tanner Muse won't be up for any postseason awards. He won't be mentioned among the elite defenders on the Tigers rosters. He's not even on the good side of some Clemson fans. 

But Muse's versatility could be key for the Tigers defense against the Irish. 

Muse's stat line showcases his multipurpose game with 53 tackles, two interceptions, four passes defended, two sacks and 2.5 tackles for a loss. He also has two career defensive touchdowns and a blocked punt in a national championship game on his resume. 

At 6'2" 225 pounds he has the rare blend of size and speed that allows him to play in both the secondary and move up to the box to stuff the run. Solid play from the veteran defensive back should contribute to a stingy Clemson defense. 

Notre Dame OL Liam Eichenberg

 It's no secret. Clemson's defensive line is talented. Like, uber talented. 

Like second in the nation in sacks and tackles for a loss talented. 

If the Irish have any chance of pulling off an upset, it's going to take an excellent effort from the offensive line. Especially Liam Eichenberg who finds himself lined up at left tackle for the Irish. 

The Irish run game has been inconsistent this season. Notre Dame averaged 4.3 yards per carry in August and September, but the offensive line's progression throughout the season had the Irish averaging nearly five yards per carry in November. 

Pairing Eichenberg with guard Aaron Banks has been a move that has helped the junior tackle. 

Eichenberg will need to have a breakout game as a star on the offensive line to keep the Tigers at bay and keep the Irish offense in the game. 

Notre Dame DE Julian Okwara

In the buildup to this game there's going to be a lot talk about the immensely talented Clemson defensive line. That's warranted, but Notre Dame's front is a difference-maker in its own right and a lot of that is due to Julian Okwara. 

Defensive tackle Jerry Tillery is the most notable with his second team All-American distinction this season, but Okwara coming off the edge is a key ingredient to Notre Dame's success on defense. 

The junior defensive end is efficient in his pass-rushes, turning in an alarming number of hurries on fewer snaps than his contemporaries:

Okwara will have his work cut out for him against Clemson. The Tigers have been a stone wall on offense, giving up just 14 sacks on the season. 

Okwara's seven sacks aren't a gaudy statistic, but he has been a more consistent presence in opposition backfields than that number would indicate. He's the Irish's best chance at getting pressure on Lawrence and possibly forcing him into bad situations. 

Prediction

Thus far the College Football Playoff has provided us with few semifinal matchups worth watching. Only two have been within seven points so blowouts are surprisingly common. So even if it feels disrespectful to call for a blowout of a Notre Dame team that has great accomplishments this season it's not out of the realm of possibility. 

Dabo Swinney's team has been challenged just once this season and have the experience playing in these big spots. While Notre Dame did what it had to do to get in, the eye test says they will see a much greater challenge in Clemson than they have all season. 

Clemson 38, Notre Dame 21