Tennessee vs Clemson Orange Bowl Preview + Prediction | College Football 2022

last year the Capital One Orange Bowl hosted one of the college football playoff semi-finals and matched up then number two Michigan versus number three Georgia Georgia of course winning that game in dominating fashion to my own disgust by a score of 34 to 11. this year's Orange Bowl is the first of the new year six bowl games and it includes two teams that were playoff hopefuls and that if things went differently these teams could have replaced Ohio State or potentially TCU in that third and fourth spot respectively Tennessee's playoff run was still alive after they lost to Georgia by a score of 27-13 if Tennessee were to win out and I will defend this opinion they would have made the playoff likely over Ohio State given the fact that they lost on the road and earlier in the season compared to Ohio State losing later in the season and at home but South Carolina had other plans and on the road on that fateful day Tennessee lost to South Carolina in their second to last regular season game by a score of 63-38 Hendon hooker got injured in that game and we will never sadly see him play in a Tennessee volunteer uniform there's an argument that he should have went to New York if he was healthy there that just strengthens the case some thought he was snubbed from the Heisman awards ceremony as CJ Stroud Stetson Bennett and many other quarterbacks with better supporting casts and lead and not as impressive stats went over him but Tennessee is a chance to achieve their best season in over a decade get 11 wins and depending on how the playoff shakes out finish and then you know in the top five or top four depending on how Alabama and the playoff teams play in their respective Bowl slash tournament games Tennessee in this game is an underdog and that's because wide receiver Cedric Tillman and Jalen Hyatt have opted out and quarterback Hendon hooker is obviously injured for Clemson the story is a little different Clemson was viewed much more favorably entering the season which in retrospect totally doesn't make sense because their offense and defense were both above average at best and trash at the worst Clemson is ranked number seven currently they're 11 and 2 in the nation they're undefeated in the ACC but they lost half of their non-conference schemes losing to South Carolina and Notre Dame respectively you might as well call the Orange Bowl the the two teams that lost to South Carolina bowl it's a pretty bad and Bland name but it's the truth South Carolina effectively ended both of these teams Seasons South Carolina is Clemson's final game of the year every time it's a rivalry game and South Carolina won by a point in a 31 to 30 score in which Clemson was up by double digits originally but Shane Beamer Spencer Rattler and the Gamecocks clawed their way back DJ young Galilei played terribly that game he was benched against UNC in the ACC title game in favor of Kate klubnick and he announced his transfer out shortly afterward Clemson also lost earlier in the year to Notre Dame and even though many and myself included thought that that game was the only loss that Clemson should have had to tell the committee this team's not playoff ready South Carolina thankfully put a bullet an extra bullet in Clemson's playoff hopes to assure that they were dead Tennessee and Clemson will face off against each other a few days before the new year and two backup quarterbacks at least in perspective of the amount of starts they got in the regular season will be taking on each other both of these teams of their strengths their weaknesses it's a new up-and-coming Young head coach and Josh heupel against somewhat now of an Old Guard stubborn Dabo Swinney who there's there's a there's an argument and a thought by many that he might be past his prime years the Tigers have not been to the national title game since 2019 and their quarterback playing offensive play since really the 2020 season has been terrible in 2021 and in 2022 this offense has looked downtrodden and that might be an understatement especially in the year just especially in the year of 2021 but anyway let's get into this both of these teams are they are top 25 teams I would argue Tennessee is a true top 10 team I think Clemson at number seven is a little fraudulent they haven't played anyone in ACC play the two best teams they've played all year um South Carolina and Notre Dame they lost to so the two toughest teams they played and those teams aren't even top 15 teams Clemson lost to they're able to beat mediocre opponents handily and bad teams they're able to blow them out but any team with a pulse very much can compete with and beat Clemson Tennessee on the other hand they're more battle-hardened they've actually faced several good teams they faced a handful of them an example of that is Alabama LSU Pittsburgh Georgia Kentucky I mean all of those teams including Florida were actually ranked at the time Tennessee played them all of those teams are bull eligible Alabama and Georgia got double digit wins South Carolina is an 8-1 regular season team same with LSU who's nine and four they're actually nine regular season win team in Pittsburgh's an eight regular season win team as well Tennessee is much more battle tested technically they are without they're without more starters than Clemson is their wide receiver core though I still think it is very deep is hurting and their quarterback their starting quarterback in Hendon hooker is out but this game will take place at 8 pm eastern time it'll air on ESPN Tennessee's given a 57.4 percent chance to win according to the football power index but the football power index doesn't take into account the starting quarterback's health status it doesn't take opt outs into effect this point spread does and the tigers are decisively favored according to Vegas by six and Clemson's also negative 235 on the money line I think Tennessee with Tim with Tim Banks Josh heipel and I know Alex golash was hired for a head coaching position I do not know if he is staying with the team through the bowl game but I think that Tennessee's offense and with Josh heipel I think that they are in good hands regardless of that um Clemson's staff on the other hand Brandon Streeter as offensive coordinator has been nothing nothing short of disaster in my opinion just looking at how fared and how that offense at times fared they are not a good team on offense and their defense has taken a massive step back their defense has Wes Goodwin and Mickey Khan as a defensive coordinator Duo I don't know exactly what to think of them yet they returned a decent chunk and many thought that their d-line would be among one of the best in the country but they have not lived up to that Brent Venable's level of defense that we even saw just a year ago in 2021 as Clemson's defense is not even top 20 in scoring or in efficiency they're a fringe top 25 maybe even worse level of Defense I'm going to give Tennessee The Edge at staff here Tennessee's o-line was up for the Joe Moore award at some point both have allowed similar levels of sacks but I will just say that Tennessee's played tougher competition there they face defensive lines like Georgia and even like Alabama's where they faced Will Anderson and Jordan battle so Tennessee's offensive line is a lot more battle tested they have the presence to them where they can run the football and pass Pro Clemson's d-line I'm just gonna give really not just benefit of the doubt here but from their play in 2021 the fact that they have you know Tyler Davis Brian Breezy KJ Henry Justin mascal they have guys up at the d-line and you know Clemson despite their regression and defense defense has been the name of the game for the Tigers for the past few years as the offense has regressed and as Brent venables remained a constant there for a long time up until the conclusion of the 2021 season I also give Clemson The Edge at linebacker and especially at defensive back where Tennessee has been very poor all throughout the year especially in the later half of the Season special teams I'm gonna give the edge to Tennessee tight end and running back on offense I'm going to give the edge to Clemson you have will Shipley at running back for Clemson will Shipley is a guy that is impressive certainly looks to one day play NFL football for wide receiver even with the opt-outs of Cedric Tillman and Jalen Hyatt I am going to give wide receiver to Clint not Clemson pardon me to Tennessee you have Brew McCoy you have squirrel white Romel Keaton you have I mean Brew McCoy especially being a highly talented recruit out of high school he's seen action this year I'm not impressed with Clemson's wide receivers if I'm being honest with you Joseph and Gada is their biggest name there by far everyone else is basically an unknown and then we have finally quarterback a lot of people like Cade Club Nick but his best game mind you was against a team that frankly doesn't have a defense in UNC Joe Milton I as a Michigan fan have watched Joe Milton he is a statistically and by watching film he is an improved player compared to last year and compared to when he was at Michigan in 2019 and 2020. he is in much better hands much better hands he's passed for 720 yards seven touchdowns and has an 85.7 qbr so a similar qbr to Hendon hooker I am definitely giving him just based on experience height weight Talent Supporting Cast I'm giving quarterback to Tennessee without batting an eye here Clemson is ninth in ESPN's football power index and their 14th overall in efficiency compared to Tennessee being fifth in both categories Tennessee listen these analytics the downfall of them for these bowl games is they do not take into account of opt-outs they don't so these teams are much closer to each other because of those opt-outs than if they didn't have opt-outs I think let's be honest here in my opinion if Tennessee didn't have opt-outs and injuries and neither did Clemson I think would be safe to say that Tennessee should and would win this game by double digits and it wouldn't even be a question about it but that's not how life works with opt-outs nil the portal it's basically playoffs are bust with the exception of Alabama which I'm going to talk about that and how that impacts their chances of beating Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl in another episode which Speaking of which if you aren't already subscribed please hit that subscribe button like this video comment your thoughts down below and hit that notification Bell Clemson is the nation's fifth most talented team they have a raw talent Edge by Far Over Tennessee and the Tigers main strength is their running back will Shipley it's their main strength the volunteer's main strength is their deep wide receiver room will Shipley is a running back who has had nearly he said actually not nearly is it over a thousand rushing yards this year 15 rushing touchdowns 5.8 yards per carry nearly to nearly 200 rushing attempts and for Tennessee that wide receiver Corps Brew McCoy Romel Keaton squirrel white I guarantee you with how they've developed wide receivers at Tennessee there are other names that I'm not even talking about who could come alive and perform extremely well in this Orange Bowl I can guarantee you that for sure this is going to be an exciting matchup you know Clemson's ground game against Tennessee's air game they have areas where they're depleted and faulty at both of their strengths these are not Elite teams in their current state Tennessee their offense I'd argue would be elite decisively but they do have opt-outs and your starting quarterback who was a Heisman Contender and whose top three or top two in qbr being out really does hurt that's for sure but speaking of quarterback and speaking of your your starter being out or away from the program I want to talk about the impact players I think the impact players are the quarterbacks here I think that watching how Clemson against UNC which I mean the fact that they were struggling to score against UNC period amen was pathetic the only way UNC was going to win is if they themselves played perfectly on offense and they couldn't Drake May looked like Drake May looked like JJ McCarthy against Nebraska this season that's that's not a compliment either but the change they had once Club Nick came in and they just started blowing out UNC was obvious he elevates that team Kade klubnick gives this team actual top 15 possibly top 10 potential I don't think The Supporting Cast with Club Nick or the defense is good enough to you know compete in the playoffs with Club Nick at quarterback but he elevates them he certainly does he's only thrown for 377 yards two touchdowns one interception and he has a 68.6 qbr and a 146.2 passer rating he also has 88 rushing yards for 4 yards per carry and one rushing touchdown and one reception of 19 yards he got his first game of significant playing time against UNC he every other game he's thrown five passing attempts or less and has had six rushing attempts or less just seeing very spare action but he was brought completely in in that championship game and he he excelled and I don't know exactly what to expect of him in this game but I do know that Tennessee's passing defense and their defense overall is not their strength so Cade Club Nick certainly could have a big game here he could certainly have like he did against North Carolina nearly 300 passing yards a high completion rating one or two or three touchdown passes and he should have a few rushing yards as well as Clemson's o-line is improved from last year and Tennessee's front seven isn't much to worry about Joe Milton on the other hand is much more experienced he's held down starting positions before at the University of Michigan he's a senior though he has one more year of Eligibility I think next year he will be a dark horse Heisman candidate and it will unlike his time at Michigan be a legitimate Heisman contention he is a senior 6'5 245 pounds he's at 720 passing yards with seven passing touchdowns no interceptions and an 85.7 qbr yes was a 217.7 passer rating this season and he is 72 rushing yards for 10.3 yards per attempt no rushing touchdowns though and he has started he started the Vanderbilt game where he barely completed 50 of his passes at a 126.9 qbr and at his passer rating hit a 73 qbr in other games though whether it's against South Carolina Missouri Tennessee Martin Akron or Ball State mostly scrub opponents but he has had big play capability I don't know how he's going to fare up without you know Tennessee's two best wide receivers but he has unlike all these other games um he's had a month to prepare for this game he got his feet wet against Vanderbilt in the starting position and Clemson's defense they do have menacing players but they're not the same menacing intimidating defense that we've gotten used to when Clemson and when college football was spoiled with Brent venables as a defensive coordinator so we'll see what Joe Milton can do with the opt-outs of his of his team but Tennessee's fortunate that he's been playing in garbage time for a while this season and then he got his feet wet as a starter against Vanderbilt we'll see if Joe Milton has legitimately made improvements and taken steps forward as this is going to be the best game that the the best opportunity for him to show that he has stepped up his game is he is facing a good above average defense in the Orange Bowl and he's doing it as a starter this is his first time starting since early last season and in none of the games he played as a starter last season or in 2020 when he played for Michigan did he face a team like this Clemson team it's how weak of teams he's played since his first start at Michigan but let's get on to the prediction I'm picking Tennessee to win here and to cover I'm thinking 38 to 30. I think Clemson's offense will move on this Tennessee defense but I think that they're just not good enough of an offense to finish all the time in the Red Zone I think they'll score touchdowns on half of their possession not possessions but half of their scoring possessions field goals on the other half I look for Tennessee's offense to be much more consistent in punching the ball into the Red Zone that's for sure Tennessee will have their best season since 2001 they'll be 11 and two they'll possibly finish in the top five or top four depending on how the playoff teams and Alabama do in their bowl games Clemson once again fall short it will fall short in a big game and will Shipley I think will have a solid game he'll have 100 or more rushing yards and two or more rushing touchdowns Cade Club Nick will sputter in the Red Zone a little bit of a bold prediction there but I do believe that Tennessee and this is statistically proven their defense is more impressive than North Carolina's a defense made of College Football commentators and sportscasters could possibly perform better than North Carolina's starting defense they their starting defense is just so inefficient so bad it's so embarrassing and I think Kade Club Nick will have great moments but he'll also have bad moments in the end he'll be in he'll be inconsistent there will be hope for him to be much better in 2023 but he's a true freshman he's facing a defense that is below average but they're better than most defenses he's played this year and Tennessee believe me they are going to come out and they're going to be hungry because this is their first new year six Bowl appearance in quite some time Joel Milton on the other hand I think will have nearly 300 yards and two passing touchdowns he will have a game and he will show not that you know he's one of the nation's best quarterbacks and he's just been waiting as a backup to an even better more Elite college quarterback but he's going to show that he's peaking that in his career he is on the rise and that next year he can be legitimate Heisman Contender at quarterback under Josh heupel's development the volunteers are the better team all around they just are they're higher ranked and power rankings in theory they have far less Talent than Clemson but let's be real they do have the better coaching staff they've they've been developed better all year long they have the second most efficient offense the 55th most efficient defense the 13th most efficient special teams Clemson on the other hand is the 31st most efficient offense the 12th most efficient defense the 59th most efficient special teams unit also when you look at strength of record Tennessee is six Clemson is 10. Tennessee is better in both game control and average in-game win probability then Clemson Tennessee's more battle tested Tennessee their margin of Victory is wider and Tennessee has overall the better skill position play which modern college football skill positions matter more than ever now and at quarterback and a wide receiver and even at running back and tight end I mean I gave Clemson The Edge at running back in tight end but you have some guys you have some guys for Tennessee there at those positions you really do at running back for Tennessee you have Jalen Wright you have Jabari small you have dalen Sampson you have you you know you have sec T running backs and then you also have Princeton Fant and Jacob Warren at tight end so you don't have Jalen Hyatt you don't have Cedric Tillman which is really unfortunate and I think that Tennessee would win this game by two touchdowns maybe even more if those two and Hendon hooker played in this game but here we are Tennessee has to deal with whatever team that doesn't reach the playoffs has to deal with opt-outs but I'm confident that Josh heipel and his coaching staff will overcome that and beat Clemson and send Dabo Swinney back to the ACC and that's all I have to say for this video if you liked it please hit that like button hit the Subscribe button click the notification Bell comment your thoughts on this prediction down below and if you're listening via Spotify make sure to follow the channel thank you guys for watching and I'll see you around bye