A win over Virginia Tech Saturday night helped secure a spot for the Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoffs. It also locked up the ACC title for them. Clemson joins Alabama, Ohio State, and Washington as the four teams selected to the CFP semifinals. The Tigers have earned a bid in the big show partly because of a 12-1 record.
Thus far they have been able to find a way to win when it mattered most. The only defeat under the belt of the Tigers came at the hands of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. It seems as if a loss, While a noteworthy blemish on a solid season, didn’t hurt the teams’ chance for entry into the playoffs. The team was a point away from an undefeated season and as a result, they once again have an opportunity for the title.
In his college career, junior quarterback Deshaun Watson has racked up over 9,400 passing yards to go with 86 touchdowns. He has thrown 30 interceptions and holds an average passing efficiency rating of 159.3 over three years. His college record is 36-5, including a 40-6 win over Oklahoma in the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl.
Watson can burn you on the ground as well as in the air. In his 41 games with Clemson, he has also rushed for 1829 yards and 23 touchdowns. He is averaging just under 45 rushing yards a game during his college career with a solid average of 4.6 yards per carry. He has the ability to be a duel threat thus making the young Clemson quarterback tough to keep in check on the field.
Clemson, ranked No. 2 in the country, is set to take the big stage once again with Heisman candidate Deshaun Watson at the helm. The Tigers will face off against No. 3 ranked Ohio State later this month. The stage is set for December 31, 2016, in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. These two powerhouse teams will take the field at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The two teams combined to go a respective 23-2 this year. Ohio States’ only loss came to a tough No. 5 Penn State team that was just edged out of the No. 4 spot by Washington.
The winner of No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Ohio State will take on the winner of No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Washington in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. If Clemson makes it past Ohio State, they will be playing for the national title on Jan. 9 in Tampa, Florida.