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CLEMSON, S.C. -- Clemson's 45-37 victory against No. 10 North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game Saturday was far from perfect, but the Tigers still are. Clemson improved to 13-0 and is lone undefeated team in the nation following Iowa's defeat in the Big Ten title game. That status, combined with a third victory against a Top 10 opponent this season, help the Tigers secure the top spot in the final College Football Playoff rankings.
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The Tigers earned the No. 1 seed and will face No. 4 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on New Year's Eve, with the winner advancing to the national title game against either Alabama or Michigan State.
"These are four phenomenal teams -- just toss 'em up," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "It has been a fun season for us, and it's great to be able to go pole to pole as the No. 1 team. But now it's a new season."
Clemson has won a school-record 16 consecutive games dating to last season, including a 40-6 demolition of Oklahoma in last year's Russell Athletic Bowl, so the Sooners will be intent on gaining a measure of revenge in Miami.
Oklahoma, whose only defeat came at Texas, 24-17 on Oct. 10, is 11-1 and has won seven consecutive games, including victories against TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma State.
The Sooners opened as a 2 1/2-point favorite, marking the first time this season that Clemson will play the role of underdog.
"When you're in the final four, you're splitting hairs," Swinney said. "It doesn't matter. Any of the four teams are capable of winning on any given day. We know we're going to have to play our best four quarters of the year because Oklahoma is probably playing the best football of anybody in the country right now."
The game could be a high-scoring affair. Both teams boast standout quarterbacks -- Deshaun Watson for Clemson and Baker Mayfield for Oklahoma -- and both offenses rank among the national leaders in almost all categories.
Clemson averages 38.5 points per game, while the Sooners score at a 45.8 clip, and both teams are in the top 12 nationally in total offense.
The Orange Bowl occupies a special place in the hearts and minds of both fan bases.
Clemson is 3-2 all-time in Orange Bowl games, and the Tigers won their only national championship with a 22-15 Orange Bowl triumph against Nebraska in 1981.
Oklahoma ended four of its seven national championship seasons with a victory in the Orange Bowl.
NOTES
--QB Deshaun Watson missed Clemson's 40-6 rout of Oklahoma in last year's Russell Athletic Bowl as he was coming off surgery to repair a torn ACL. The Sooners may wish he could miss the rematch, too, as Watson has been on a roll of late. The sophomore accounted for 23 touchdowns in the Tigers' past six games, and the late-season surge has him positioned for a Heisman Trophy invitation. He will test Oklahoma's defense through the air as well as on the ground; Watson rushed for more than 100 yards in four of the past five games.
--WR Artavis Scott, who is Clemson's leading receiver with 84 catches this season, has a history against the Sooners. He took a quick pass and dashed 65 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the Russell Athletic Bowl last year, jump-starting the Tigers' 40-6 victory. Scott is Watson's roommate, so the two have a unique connection that really works to their advantage.
--DE Shaq Lawson is Clemson's defensive mainstay this season, coupling with Kevin Dodd to give the Tigers a pair of formidable ends. Lawson leads the nation with 22.5 tackles for loss and is both an effective run stopper and an edge rusher. His happy-go-lucky attitude belies his relentlessness, and he will be counted on to pressure Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield.
--CB Mackensie Alexander will draw coverage on the Sooners' leading receiver, Sterling Shepard. Alexander, a prospective pro who is considered Clemson's "lockdown corner," limited Shepard to one catch for 13 yards in last year's bowl game. Both players like to talk, so this could prove to be an intriguing matchup.
BOWL HISTORY: Clemson is 19-18 in bowl games, with their 19 victories tied for 17th most in college football. The Tigers have won three consecutive bowl games, including a 40-6 win against Oklahoma in the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "This has been a great journey these last seven years, but where we are right now is simply a reflection of a lot of hard work by a lot of great people." -- Coach Dabo Swinney, on the state of the Tigers' program.
