Sooners vs Tigers Pick
NCAA Football Bowl Season betting action sees the Oklahoma Sooners taking on the 17th-ranked Clemson Tigers on Monday December 29th at the Florida Citrus Bowl. Cappers Picks provides free college football handicapping tips all season long.
In the Russell Athletic Bowl on Monday, Clemson’s superior defense will have to make up for a depleted offense – from both the coaching and the personnel ranks.
NCAA Football Wagering
2014 Athletic Bowl
OU vs Clemson
Date/Time: Monday, Dec. 29 2014, 5:30 pm EST
Venue: Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando FL
Broadcast: ESPN
Oklahoma +3.5, Clemson -3.5
Over/Under: 52.5
***2014 CFB BONUSES***
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Prolific Sooners RB Samaje Perine will look to take advantage.
The Tigers (9-3) have one of the elite defensive units in the college game, led by game-changing pass rusher Vic Beasley – surely to be a high first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
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Clemson will need Beasley to be his disruptive self, because its offense is a shell of what it once was. Despite losing Tajh Boyd and WR Sammy Watkins this past year, the attack was thriving earlier this year under co-ordinator Chad Morris and freshman QB Deshaun Watson.
However, Watson has gone down with a knee injury and Morris bolted Clemson to take the head coaching gig at SMU. Since then, Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott, offensive co-ordinators by committee, have struggled to get steady performance out of backup QB Cole Stoudt.
Stoudt has zero TDs and six picks thrown against bowl-bound teams this year. Not flattering numbers, to say the least.
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As good as Clemson’s defense is, it may struggle to contain Perine. A week after Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon set the FBS record for rushing yards in a game (408, surpassing LaDainian Tomlinson’s mark from 1999), Perine topped that with a Herculean performance against Kansas – 427 and five scores in a 44-7 win.
Between the injured Watson (who amassed 1,466 yards and 14 TDs before succumbing to injury) and Perine, a freshman from Pflugerville, TX, it’s obvious that first-year players can dominate the college game these days.
Oklahoma (8-4) limped through a 5-4 Big 12 Conference record, which deflated a team that should have been a contender in 2014. Simply, the Sooners lost to the better Big 12 teams, with the low point coming in a 38-35 OT loss to hated Oklahoma State.
The Sooners have talent on their roster, but the offense is too one-dimensional and the defense is good only in fits and starts.
If Clemson can score some points, the Tigers should be in good shape. The athletic defense can key in to slow the running attack and Beasley should be turning up the heat on Oklahoma QB Trevor Knight.
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With so many Clemson recruits hailing from Florida, the Russell Athletic Bowl should feel like a nominal home game for the Tigers, which won’t hurt.
NCAAF Athletic Bowl Betting Trends:
* Over is 12-3-1 in OKLA last 16 games overall.
* OKLA are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
* Over is 7-3 in OKLA last 10 games on grass.
* Under is 7-1 in CLEM last 8 games overall.
* Under is 6-2 in CLEM last 8 games in December.
* Under is 7-3 in CLEM last 10 Bowl games.
Clemson’s chances heavily depend on how well Stoudt can play. If he can put up an even functional performance, I like Clemson in this game. If he lays an egg, Oklahoma will score enough points to prevail.
4* Free Bowl Play: Clemson 31, Oklahoma 28
Expect Clemson to emerge victorious in a close contest.
Check out our Updated CFB Bowl Game Odds.
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