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  • Clemson claimed the ACC champion’s spot in the CFP after defeating SMU, 34-31.
  • Texas was unable to win their rematch against Georgia, but still earned a CFP spot.
  • Surprisingly, this will be the first matchup to ever take place between these two teams.

The Tigers and the Longhorns enter this CFP game seeking to advance and face off against Arizona State. Our Clemson vs Texas prediction sees the Longhorns escaping in a closer than expected result.

Clemson Aims to Pull off Upset

Clemson is no stranger to the CFP, but they have fallen from their elite levels of five seasons ago. They made it back into the field this year thanks to its expansion to twelve teams. The Tigers still would have missed it had they not beaten SMU in the ACC title game. Yet, they’re a team that can’t be overlooked.

Clemson now has a rare opportunity to play the spoiler as the underdog. Their offense, led by QB Cade Klubnik, has been solid. They need their 43rd-ranked defense to catch up to have a chance of winning. The Tigers gave up 458 yards to SMU and stand no chance against Texas if they don’t improve a lot.

Texas Looking to Bounce Back

Texas went 11-0 against teams not named Georgia, but lost their two biggest games of the season. Their second matchup was at least closer, but the Longhorns struggled on offense once again. QB Quinn Ewers has played pretty poorly and seen his draft stock fall massively. He needs to bounce back.

The matchup between Texas’ struggling offense and Clemson’s subpar defense will be key in this game. The Longhorns should keep the Tigers under 30 points, so they’ll be relying on their offense to do its part. Ewers needs to limit any foolish mistakes and turnovers and focus on game management.

Clemson vs Texas Prediction: Longhorns Narrowly Win

I expect this game to be closer than many anticipate, giving the Tigers a good chance to cover the spread. Texas didn’t face #7 Tennessee, #11 Alabama, #14 Ole Miss, #15 South Carolina, or #19 Missouri. The only currently ranked team they faced was Georgia, who they lost to twice. The Longhorns are still a good team, but be wary of treating them like a top-5 team with no signature wins to back it up.

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