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Texas, Clemson Fight for College Football Playoff Survival

No. 5 Texas (11-2, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) and No. 12 Clemson (10-3, 7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) will face off in a first-round College Football Playoff game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas at 4 p.m. EST on Dec. 21.

The Longhorns are in the playoff for the second consecutive year, while Clemson makes its seventh appearance since the playoff era began in 2014-15. It is the first meeting between the two programs.

What's at Stake?

The Texas-Clemson winner advances to the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff and will face No. 4 Arizona State (11-2, 7-2 Big 12 Conference) in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Jan. 1, 2025. The loser's season is over.

Key Players: Texas

Offense

QB Quinn Ewers

Ewers is a third-year starter and the leader of the Longhorns' passing attack. He has an NFL future and has playoff experience from last year's run. He fought injuries earlier in the season and has been a bit interception prone since his return. Yet, he finished the season with 2,665 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes.

TE Gunnar Helm

Helm finished the regular season with the second-most receiving yards on the team and 5 TD grabs. He is one of the top tight ends in the country and brings versatility as a receiving target and a quality run blocker.

OL Kelvin Banks Jr.

Banks Jr. is a potential first-round NFL talent and an All-American. He won several national awards for his play along the offensive line and is a crucial cog in protecting Ewers. Banks Jr. has been dealing with an injury that sidelined him for the SEC Championship, but the Longhorns need him against a strong Clemson defensive front.

RB Quintrevion Wisner

Wisner and Jaydon Blue helped pace a Texas rushing attack that began the season with many questions following injuries. While Blue is more than capable of leading the running game himself and scored more TDs, Wisner led the team in rushing yards and ran for over 150 yards against Kentucky and Texas A&M.

WR Matthew Golden

With recent reports on teammate Isaiah Bond, Golden looks like the Longhorns' No. 1 receiver entering the playoff. He led the team with 738 receiving yards and 8 TDs, adding 162 yards in the SEC title game against Georgia.

Defense

LB Anthony Hill Jr.

Much is being made of Hill Jr. being snubbed for the Butkus Award. However, he is still a second-team All-SEC linebacker who leads Texas with 90 tackles and is second in sacks with 7.5.

DBs Jahdae Barron, Andrew Mukuba

Barron won the Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back, coming up with 5 INTs and 9 passes defended to go with 47 tackles. He's noted that Mukuba, a former Clemson player with 52 tackles and 4 INTs this season, is one of the reasons he's been able to step up his play this year.

DL Colin Simmons, Alfred Collins

Simmons leads Texas in sacks as a freshman with 8. Collins, known mostly as a run-stopper, dominates the middle of the line of scrimmage but can also affect the passing game. He's knocked down 6 pass attempts in 2024.

Key Players: Clemson

Offense

QB Cade Klubnik

The Austin native was a heralded high school recruit but took some time to adjust to the college game. Klubnik has been impressive this season with 3,303 passing yards, 33 TD passes and just 5 INTs. He is also the Tigers' second-leading rusher. Texas will have its hands full trying to contain him.

RB Phil Mafah

Mafah is a big running back at 6-foot-1, 230 pounds. He's topped 1,000 rushing yards this season and has a combined 2,071 yards over the last two years. He also has 21 rushing TDs in that same span, with 13 coming in 2023.

WRs Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr.

Williams and Wesco Jr. are Clemson's leading receivers. Williams has 838 receiving yards and 10 TDs this year, while Wesco Jr. has 678 yards and 5 scores. Both will challenge the Texas secondary.

TE Jake Briningstool

Briningstool is another top target and has 7 TDs this season.

Defense

LB Barrett Carter

Carter leads the Tigers with 76 tackles. He also has 3.5 sacks, 7 passes defended and is a two-time All-American and All-ACC player.

S RJ Mickens

Mickens has 68 tackles on the season, the most of any Clemson defender who is not a linebacker. He also has an interception, 6 pass breakups this year and has started 29 games for the Tigers during his career.

DE TJ Parker

Parker's 11 sacks rank seventh in the country and account for one-third of Clemson's sack total on the season. With Texas' passing attack and questions surrounding Banks' availability, Parker could be in for a big game.