3 reasons Clemson will win the College Football Playoff
Clemson is the only team that can boast an undefeated record and deservedly receive the No. 1 ranking heading into the College Football Playoff. The ACC champions will kickoff their quest at a national title with a date against Oklahoma.
Here are three reasons why the Tigers will win it all:
Deshaun Watson
When in doubt, always take the team with the best quarterback and Watson is just that. With all do respect to Connor Cook, Baker Mayfield, and Jake Coker, none of them are as versatile as the Tigers' signal-caller.
Watson has thrown for more than 3,500 yards and ran for nearly 900, while notching 41 total touchdowns. He's also firmly in the hunt for the Heisman Trophy and saved his best football for when it matters most. Watson has run for at least 100 yards in four of his last five games to help Clemson cap a perfect regular season.
Mayfield has also had a tremendous campaign and Cook is more experienced, but if there's one guy you want behind center to carry a team this bowl season, it's Watson.
Red zone efficiency
All four teams in the playoff have solid defenses, so points will be at a premium. That means taking advantage of every opportunity will be crucial.
Clemson ranks 16th in the nation in red zone efficiency, while Oklahoma sits 22nd. Neither Michigan State or Alabama ranks inside the top 50. Now the Sooners have reached the red zone more times than the Tigers, but they simply weren't as efficient.
Oklahoma hasn't faced a defense like Clemson's all season, so expect the Tigers to slow down the Sooners' march to the red zone. If that happens and Watson and company continue to make the most of their chances inside the 20, that's a big advantage for Clemson.
Tigers are battle tested
The ACC often gets labelled as the weakest conference, but it's going to be hard to continue that argument going forward.
They boasted three teams in the top 10 of the final College Football Playoff Rankings compared to the SEC's and Pac-12's one. Only the Big Ten had as many teams ranked in the top 10 when all was said and done as the ACC did. Not only that, but the Tigers had more victories over current top-10 teams this year than Alabama, Michigan State, and Oklahoma did.
Clemson beat Notre Dame, Florida State, and North Carolina to get to the dance. Its players won't be blinded by the big lights this bowl season.