Need a primer for Thursday's College Football Playoff semifinal matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and Clemson Tigers in the Orange Bowl. We've got you covered with 3 Facts Oklahoma Fans Need To Know Before The Orange Bowl.
1. Clemson's Defense Isn't THAT Much Better Than Oklahoma's
All the talk heading into the Orange Bowl is about Oklahoma's high-octane offense matching up with Clemson's elite defense. That's a little bit misguided. The Tigers have a major edge in yards given up per game, but they're giving up just .6 points less per game than OU (20.8 to 20.2) and have actually forced three less turnovers than the Sooners (26 to 23). In fact...
2. Deshaun Watson May Be In For A Hard Day
The Sooners are 4th in the nation with 3.17 sacks per game. Clemson is 12th with 2.92 sacks per contest. Tigers QB Deshaun Watson works best when he's able to escape the rush, but he hasn't faced the level of athletes that the Sooners have in their front seven.
When Oklahoma's pass rush starts pushing downhill, even the most mobile of quarterbacks can't escape.
3. History Is On The Side Of The Sooners
Oklahoma has double the conference titles (44 to 21) and seven times the national titles (7 to 1) that Clemson has. They also have produced 144 more NFL Draft picks (373-229) and 17 more first-round picks (44 of 27).
There's also the matter of OU's five Heisman Trophy winners...
And the fact that Oklahoma is the all-time leader in Orange Bowl wins with twelve. Only Nebraska comes relatively close with eight.
Check out a full infographic breakdown of the Orange Bowl, courtesy of the Sooners' athletic department:
