The main attractions of this ACC matchup are the two quarterbacks that have Heisman chatter surrounding them: Clemson's Deshaun Watson and Louisville's Lamar Jackson. The two stars under center are, in my opinion, spot on reflections of their respective teams. Deshaun Watson has been under the Heisman spotlight for months now, much like the Tigers have been considered National Championship contenders since their loss on the big stage to Alabama. Due to these incredibly high expectations, Watson and the Tigers have been a bit underwhelming despite satisfactory performance so far this season. I want to stress the fact that I said "underwhelming" and not "bad." Clemson's overall performance just hasn't quite lived up to the preseason hype. That's partially thanks to their way-too-close of a win over Auburn in week one, and they have not played a nationally noteworthy opponent since. However, this can obviously all change when hosting the No. 3 team in the country and the Heisman front runner on Saturday night. So I don't think it's quite fair to say Clemson and their quarterback haven't fulfilled their potential, they just simply haven't had the chance to yet.
Looking at the Cardinals and their quarterback, the phenom under center is a mirror image of his team as a whole. This team was ranked No. 19 in the preseason polls which obviously entails that they were expected to be good, and Lamar Jackson didn't completely come out of nowhere after he tore it up at the end of the 2015 season. But I don't think many people expected them to make Florida State look foolish, have the most exciting quarterback in the country, and be two point favorites going into Clemson. Although the Cardinals have only had one opportunity to play a "contender" when they hosted the Seminoles, they took advantage of their one shot to establish themselves as contenders by winning 63-20.
Clemson's defense has been playing great so far in 2016, as they've allowed only 219 yards per game (3rd best in the country) and 11 points per game (5th best in the country). However, the glaring issue in Clemson's defensive preparation is the fact that you can't really prepare for a player like Lamar Jackson. What makes Jackson so good is his ability to make electric plays in such an unorthodox manner. He's simply a freak of nature. I think containing Jackson, if even possible, goes much further than X's and O's. Putting pressure on Jackson allows him to scramble into a free-for-all attempt at taking down the best athlete in college football. And it goes without saying that a player of this caliber has the ability to take advantage of a conservative defensive strategy. Jackson has also had some solid assistance from running back Brandon Radcliff, who has averaged 9.3 yards per carry, taking it to the endzone on three separate occasions.
Part of me wants to say that Clemson will come out on top because they are simply a more complete team than Louisville, but that's exactly what I said before the Cardinals took on Florida State and made both me and the Seminoles look like idiots. However, Louisville did have home field advantage against FSU, and coming into Death Valley for a game with this much hype is a difficult feat. I've said from the beginning of the year that I think Clemson will win the National Championship, and I feel like I need to stick to my guns. This is a game that Clemson loses with Tajh Boyd or Cole Stoudt under center, but this is 2016 and the Tigers' offense is led by the country's (now second) best quarterback. I think the Tigers will find a way to cover (Louisville is 2 point favorite) and win by 4.
Now let's get pumped to watch some incredible football on Saturday night:
Also just a friendly reminder for everyone at home: #FreeKodak
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