BUILDING THE TEAMS
Oklahoma and Clemson have had comparable recruiting classes the last five cycles. Clemson's average team ranking, according to Rivals.com, during that span has been 10.6 while the Sooners' has been 13.8. Here's a look at how the two teams were constructed through recruiting, with the players who turned into stars, the ones who have overachieved based on their recruiting status and the high-profile players who have fizzled out:
Clemson
2011
Rivals team ranking: No. 8
Star: Clemson signed four five-star players in this class, and none of them were bigger than Sammy Watkins, who had a massive game (16 catches, 227 yards) in the 2014 Orange Bowl and made the leap to the NFL.