Clemson vs. Texas College Football Playoff Picks & Predictions
We have the chance to watch football all day thanks to three 2024 College Football Playoff First Round games that promise plenty of excitement in the first ever 12-team playoff. The second game of the day brings us Clemson vs. Texas at 4 p.m. ET on TNT and streaming on Max.
Below, we’ll look at the top College Football Playoff picks for Clemson-Texas in the first round for CFB DFS on PrizePicks, including Clemson QB Cade Klubnik and Texas QB Quinn Ewers, for this 4 p.m. kickoff game on Saturday, December 21.
Clemson has had a couple of disappointing seasons after once being a frequent National Championship contender, but they are back after winning the ACC title. Texas held the No. 1 ranking for a few weeks, but two losses to Georgia forced them to play in the first round.
For more college football picks and predictions throughout the College Football Playoff, stay tuned to the Playbook for predictions on all the bowl and CFB Playoff games.
College Football Playoff Picks: Clemson-Texas
Here are the top College Football Playoff picks and player predictions for #12 Clemson vs. #5 Texas in the first round for CFB DFS on PrizePicks for Saturday, December 21. Click each pick to read more analysis.
- Clemson QB Cade Klubnik 217.5 Passing Yards – More
- Clemson WR T.J. Moore 29.5 Receiving Yards – More
- Texas QB Quinn Ewers 259 Passing Yards – Less
- Texas RB Quintrevion Wisner 19.5 Receiving Yards – More
🔥 Get more College Football Playoff Picks for SMU vs. Penn State at 1 p.m. ET
Clemson QB Cade Klubnik 217.5 Passing Yards – More
Clemson QB Cade Klubnik has not gotten enough recognition for how much he improved this season. The former No. 1 recruit had a lot of pressure, especially with how he and the team underwhelmed last season. In 2023, he averaged 218.8 passing yards per game, and this season, that’s up to 254.1; he also bumped the touchdowns up from 19 to 33.
The strength of the Texas defense is stopping the run, and since RB Phil Mafah is dealing with a shoulder injury that will need surgery at the end of the season, Klubnik might have to be the one to control this game through the air.
The best comparison point for Klubnik this year is the matchup against South Carolina, which ranks seventh in dropback Expected Points Added allowed (-.103), which Texas ranks second. In that game, Klubnik was 24-of-36 for 280 yards and an interception in a close loss. Against SMU’s 14th-ranked EPA dropback defense in the ACC Championship, Klubnik cooked for 262 yards and four touchdowns.
Clemson WR T.J. Moore 29.5 Receiving Yards – More
Clemson WR T.J. Moore is a reliable receiver with over 30 receiving yards in 10-of-13 games. The games where he missed this mark were in blowout wins against the Citadel and Stanford and a blowout loss to Georgia.
Moore will be a factor as long as this game stays close. It may only take two catches because he has a 20-yard reception in eight games. With Clemson expected to be trailing in this game, it should lean on Klubnik and the pass for most of the game.
While Clemson is deep at receiver with a consistent rotation, Moore is second on the team in receiver snaps this season, with at least five targets in seven of his last eight games, averaging 14.8 yards per reception.
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Texas QB Quinn Ewers 259.5 Passing Yards – Less
Texas now has huge expectations that there is no longer a committee deciding whether to play for a National Championship; they have to do it on the field.
If you want to figure out how to solve Texas’ offense, just watch the games against Georgia. The Bulldogs applied pressure in both matchups, continually bringing extra men to smother the pocket. Ewers is more of a traditional pocket passer, and many of his costly throws happen while on the run.
Clemson will have that same mentality, and they love to blitz. Clemson is 32nd in the PFF pass-rush grade (78.6) compared to Georgia, which is 41st (75.7). In terms of sacks per game, Clemson was only 0.2 behind Georgia.
Texas RB Quintrevion Wisner 19.5 Receiving Yards – More
Texas’ passing attack relies more on delivering the ball on short routes and having the receivers deliver yards after the catch.
This especially goes for Wisner because of his 43 targets, 28 of which have been from behind the lineup scrimmage. He’s been able to make big plays from those opportunities and is averaging 13.6 yards after the catch from receptions behind the line of scrimmage, so he can move the sticks on one play.
Clemson will want to put as much pressure on Ewers as possible, so there could be multiple check downs to Wisner in this game.
Make College Football Playoff Picks on PrizePicks
We’ll see three games on Saturday, including Clemson vs. Texas, but that’s just the start of a loaded Saturday for football that kicks off the 2024 College Football Playoff
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