Led by Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma will upset #1 Clemson

Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners have a chance to avenge last year's loss to Clemson

Just 3 seasons removed from a Big 12 Conference championship, and only 2 seasons removed from a Sugar Bowl victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide, Bob Stoops, Baker Mayfield, Samaje Perine, and Co. find themselves back in the same realm that has made the Oklahoma Sooners brand so powerful. Fresh off an 8-5 season including a loss in the Russell Athletic Bowl to the Clemson Tigers, Oklahoma is in prime position to avenge last season's bowl game loss in this year's edition of the College Football Playoff. Set to play the #1, ACC champion, and undefeated Clemson Tigers, Bob Stoops has found the key to almost every riddle this season with his walk-on junior quarterback Baker Mayfield. 

#6 Baker Mayfield eyeing a receiver during a stadium practice as the new starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners.

In January of 2014, Baker Mayfield transferred and enrolled to the University of Oklahoma without contacting any of the Sooners' football coaches. The previous season Mayfield had won the starting QB role at Texas Tech, but decided to transfer citing "unfair" QB competition within the depth chart and "scholarship issues." Once Head Coach of the Sooners - Bob Stoops was made aware of Mayfield's transfer, during a February press conference, Stoops let everyone know that Mayfield would be walking-on to the Sooners' football program, but wouldn't be eligible for play until the 2015 season citing transfer and eligibility rules. On the 24th of August the following year of 2015, Mayfield was then named the starting QB for the Sooners. For his first game, Mayfield started against the Akron Zips for the season opener. Mayfield totaled 388 yards through the air including 3 touchdowns on 23 completions in a 41–3 win. In week 2, Mayfield started on the road against the Tennessee Volunteers in a primetime matchup on ESPN. The Sooners were ranked 19th and the Volunteers were ranked 23rd. Mayfield threw for 187 yards and 3 touchdowns on 19 completions a 31–24 win at Tennessee. In week 3, Mayfield was already solidified as the starting QB with 2 solid performances already to his name. Again Mayfield got the start against the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes. Having a career day throwing for 487 yards and 4 touchdowns, including 316 yards at the half. Mayfield also ran for 85 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 52–38 win. Throughout this entire season, Mayfield has been a consistent candidate for the Heisman Trophy due to his outstanding performance, but did not receive nomination for the final ballot. His 70% completion rate and 33 touchdowns so far, are up 13.4 % in completion with 16 more touchdowns than last year's starting QB Trevor Knight. 

With a starting QB lighting up every secondary in his way, the Oklahoma Sooners are the owners of a 7 game winning streak and an 11-1 record, with their only loss coming in the Red River Rivalry to the Texas Longhorns. 

It is now New Years Eve and the highly anticipated College Football Playoff is ready to take stage as Mayfield's Oklahoma team squares of against Dabo Swinney, Heisman Trophy finalist - Deshaun Watson, and the Clemson Tigers. Coming out of Death Valley and the ACC, the #1 Clemson Tigers have piggy backed off head coach Dabo Swinney's BYOG (Bring Your Own Guts) philosophy and have been aided by the stellar play of their star quarterback Deshaun Watson. Finishing 3rd in the final Heisman Trophy vote, Watson has guided the Tigers to a 13-0 record and the number 1 ranking and seed of the College Football Playoff. Clemson's marquee wins this season include wins over Louisville, South Carolina, Florida State, Notre Dame, and a win over the North Carolina Tar Heels in the ACC Championship game. Barred with tremendous confidence, this Clemson team is tasked with stopping the prolific Sooners and making a statement on the big-stage, after many years of hiccups in the "big game", a term college football and Clemson fans have come to know as "Clemsoning". Clemsoning (by Urban Dictionary's standards) is  the act of delivering an inexplicably disappointing performance, usually within the context of a college football season. 

It's Clemsoning that comes to mind when one sees that Clemson's defense is allowing over 125 yards per game on the ground. That's good news for the Sooners as they have arguably the best duo of running backs in the country in Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. Perine, a sophomore, has rushed for over 125 yards the last 3 games the Sooners have played, using his yardage totals during his 125 yard streak to produce 5 rushing touchdowns. Joe Mixon, a former 5-star recruit, is returning tonight for the Sooners after a 1-year suspension for punching a woman in the face. Mixon's potential coupled with Perine's success on the ground, and Clemson's horrific run-defense bode well in terms of a Sooners win. 

Clemson's defense has their hands full in stopping college football's prolific specialists - Samaje Perine (left) and Sterling Shepard (right)

Clemson's defense also can't forget about Baker Mayfield's favorite target, Sterling Shepard. The senior, Shepard has hauled in 11 touchdowns and over  1,200 receiving yards. He has separated himself in the Sooners' offense as the go-to receiver on any type of 3rd or 4th down situation. Again, not good news for Clemson's defense, which is doesn't even rank within the top-50 in red-zone defense this season. Bottom line, Oklahoma has way, way, way too many playmakers on offense for Clemson to even really effectively defend at quarterback, wide receiver, and running back. With Baker Mayfield's Heisman-esque season, Bob Stoops "big-game" coaching, Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon toting the rock, and Sterling Shepard running insane routes Clemson has their hands too full, and Oklahoma will have themselves an Orange Bowl victory, along with a shot at a National Championship

Prediction: Oklahoma 35 - Clemson 14