Sweet 16: Hypothetical 16-team College Football Playoff
By Brad Weiss
The term shootout gets thrown around a lot in college football, but the Elite Eight matchup between the Clemson Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners was just that. In a battle between two teams with elite signal-callers, running backs, and wide receivers, you had to believe this game would break the over/under of 65. Clemson proved to have just a bit more firepower than the Sooners in this one, but with three Heisman Trophy finalists on display, there was certainly a ton of fireworks to go around.
Baker Mayfield continued his strong play against Clemson, throwing for over 300 yards for the second time in the tournament. Running back Samaje Perine was a beast for the Sooners, ripping the Clemson defense for over 150 yards in the game. The Tigers counted with their own star running back, as Wayne Gallman nearly rushed for 150 yards of his own in this one. The X-factor in this game was Deshaun Watson, who got it down with his arm, and his feet against the Sooners.
The Tigers led throughout in this one, but the Sooners never fell behind by more than seven points, until a late field goal by Greg Huegel gave the Tigers a ten-point lead at 40-30. That proved to be the final score, as a late Mayfield interception sealed the Sooners’ fate against Clemson. Cordrea Tankersley was able to set in front of Dede Westbrook for the pick, and three Watson knees later, the Tigers were headed to the Final Four.