The first round of the College Football Playoff arrives in days and Clemson faces the biggest task of any team that will play on Saturday as they try to upset the Texas Longhorns in Austin. It will be quite the challenge for head coach Dabo Swinney and his team, especially when the Tigers have the football.
This year, the Horns rank second in the nation in yards per game allowed. Giving up just 249.8 yards per game, they sit behind only Ohio State in that category.
Texas also doesn't give up big plays very often. They are tied for first in the nation for the fewest 30-yard or longer passing plays allowed at just six. What's more, they have allowed only three runs of 20 or more yards, a number that is also the best in the nation.
That makes for an interesting matchup against the Clemson offense. After all, Clemson has relied on big plays this season.
Clemson is 12th nationally in offensive plays of 20 or more yards with 71. That includes 19 runs and 52 passes of 20 or more yards.
Therefore, the intrigue should be high when Clemson is on offense. And because Tiger fans may be somewhat unfamiliar with the Longhorns given that these programs have never met, let's look at three defensive stars for Texas that could cause havoc for the Clemson offense.
Clemson can't let Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr. make plays behind the line of scrimmage
It will be imperative that the Clemson offensive line keeps Texas' star linebacker, Anthony Hill Jr. out of the backfield. That's where the sophomore has lived in 2024.
As a true freshman last season, Hill played as an outside linebacker where he was asked to rush the QB off the edge. This year, he moved to middle linebacker and he's flourished.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder has made 90 tackles with 7.5 sacks in 13 games played. He's also forced four fumbles, a number that led the SEC.
He also led the SEC in tackles for loss with 16. That's double the number he had last season.
A second-team All-SEC honoree, Hill is the centerpiece of Texas' defense and he will be a menace for Clemson to deal with, especially if the Tigers want to try to run between the tackles. It will be interesting to see if the Clemson offensive line can get a hat on him and at least keep him out of the backfield on Saturday because the Tigers must stay out of situations in which they are behind the chains on second and third down.
Freshman All-American edge rusher Colin Simmons will test the Clemson offensive line
It says quite a bit when a true freshman leads a national title contender in sacks. That's exactly what Texas' edge rusher Colin Simmons has done in 2024.
His 8.0 sacks were part of a season that saw him earn freshman All-American honors from a number of publications. Additionally, he has been credited with 38 tackles and three forced fumbles thus far.
Simmons was a five-star signee from Duncanville, Texas in the class of 2024. He was the No. 18 overall recruit and the No. 2 edge rusher in the nation as a prospect (according to 247Sports.com) and through one season, he's lived up to the hype.
Clemson has has to shuffle its offensive line over the course of the second half of the season. That's led to some issues up front.
Against a good SMU defensive line in the ACC Championship game, Clemson gave up three sacks. That should be concerning to Tiger fans this weekend as Texas ranks 18th nationally in sacks per game at 2.8. And the tip of the Longhorns' pass-rush spear is Simmons who will be a load to handle when he rushes off of the edge.
When Clemson passes, Texas corner Jahdea Baron will be looking to make a big play
Clemson will be asking QB Cade Klubnik to make plays in the passing game on Saturday, esepcially if the Tiger defense can't hold down a talented UT offense. But when the Tigers put the ball in the air, Klubnik must be wary of Texas corner Jahdea Baron.
The fifth-year senior won the 2024 Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in the nation. This year, he led the SEC with five interceptions while making 47 tackles and being credited with nine pass defenses.
This year, teams threw at Baron less than they did the past two seasons when he racked up 60 tackles in 2023 and 78 in 2022. So will Clemson challenge him on Saturday?
The good news for Clemson is that Klubnik has thrown only five interceptions on 443 pass attempts this season. With that in mind, it will be interest to see if the coaching staff trusts him to be responsible with the ball and try to find openings against Baron or if Clemson will conceded that Baron is going to lock down his man and try to find other Texas defensive backs to attack.