NCAA Football
2024-12-21 - Clemson Tigers at Texas Longhorns
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : College Football PlayOff First Round
Saturday 21st December 2024 - Scheduled 4pm
9pm (British Time)
Preview
There are two losses on the record for the Texas Longhorns (11-2) and that meant failure to win the SEC Championship. Both defeats were to the Georgia Bulldogs and ultimately that has dropped the Longhorns into the Playoff First Round, while the Bulldogs have earned the Bye through to the Quarter Final.
Despite that, and some shaky Offensive play, the Longhorns have the opportunity to host the ACC Champions and Texas are a big favourite to progress past the Clemson Tigers (9-3).
Without the upset over the SMU Mustangs to win the Conference, the Clemson Tigers would not have earned a spot in the Playoff and most will believe that the the likes of the South Carolina Gamecocks, Alabama Crimson Tide and Mississippi Rebels deserved the place instead. Head Coach Dabo Swinney is not going to be interested in all that and his team have an opportunity to play in the Playoff and try and win another National Championship in Clemson.
There is no doubt that this is a huge test for the Tigers to move the ball against the Texas Defensive unit that has been amongst the very best in College Football.
Against weaker opponents, Clemson have had Offensive success, although the Tigers will point to the performance against the South Carolina Gamecocks. They did only score 14 points in that defeat, but Cade Klubnik had 280 passing yards with an Interception and facing that SEC team will offer some encouragement for the team.
However, Texas have a stronger team than the Gamecocks and they have a Defensive Line that will make it very tough for Clemson to establish the run and thus shift the pressure onto Quarter Back Cade Klubnik. Being behind the chains would mean dealing with a Texas pass rush that has harassed Quarter Backs and that only increases the pressure on Klubnik when it comes to throwing against an elite Secondary.
Avoiding turnovers will be key for the Tigers and they will also hope that the Texas Offensive inconsistency has not been resolved in the time since the SEC Championship Game.
Quinn Ewers will hope his College Football Playoff experiences can helo, but there is some pressure on the Quarter Back who has not been playing at the level that Texas expected. He is going to be healthier with the two week break between games, but the fans are going to look for Ewers to start this game efficiently.
However, the Quarter Back will be happy to have Kelvin Banks returning to the Offensive Line to offer stronger pass protection. A fully healthy Offensive Line will also mean the Longhorns can push the Tigers around up front and establish the run very effectively and this is where the Longhorns can win the game.
Moving the ball on the ground against this Clemson team that has struggled to clamp down on teams up front will just makes things that much more comfortable for Quinn Ewers and the passing game. It should mean a clean pocket for Quinn Ewers and the Tigers Secondary may not be able to force the stops if the Quarter Back does not have to throw too far to keep the chains moving.
It may eventually open things up for the deep shots and the expectation is that the Texas Longhorns will show off their gap in quality compared to the ACC Champions that have lost three games this season. The spread is pretty big and Cade Klubnik could engineer a backdoor cover, but you have to believe the Longhorns Defensive unit can make the big plays to help Texas have pushed clear enough to cover deep into the Fourth Quarter.
Prediction
Lay the points with the home favourite.
The Pick :
Texas Longhorns 34-17 Clemson Tigers
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
I'll back Texas Longhorns - 12.5 Points at -107 with Bookmaker.EU
