This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
Texas vs. Clemson College Football Playoff First Round Picks
Get in on the college football action for 2024 with a BetMGM bonus code featuring a Bonus Bet offer of up to $1,500! RotoWire has plenty of college football betting tools and info to keep you in the loop this season. From the latest college football odds to college football futures and Heisman odds, we have you covered.
In the first edition of the 12-team playoff, we are getting the first-ever matchup between Clemson and Texas. The first round of this new format has the higher-seeded team hosting the lower-seeded team. The winner then moves on to traditional bowl sites for the remainder of the tournament. In this matchup, we will get the 12-seed ACC Champions, Clemson, traveling to Austin, TX, to take on the five-seed Longhorns. The winner will head to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta to take on Big-12 Champion Arizona State.
Injuries and Transfers
Clemson Transfers
- CB Sherrod Covil (124 snaps)
- WR Troy Stellato (314 snaps; currently injured)
- WR Noble Johnson (49 snaps)
Texas Injuries
Starting LT Kelvin Banks Jr. missed the SEC Championship Game but looks probable for CFP; continue to monitor Banks as he is a key part of this Texas offense.
Texas Transfers
- WR Johntay Cook (114 snaps)
Texas vs. Clemson Betting Odds for the College Football Playoff
Spread: Clemson +12.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook); Texas -12 (ESPN BET)
Moneyline: Clemson +400 (Caesars Sportsbook); Texas -470 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Total: Over 50.5 (BetMGM); Under 50.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Be sure to dig into the latest sportsbook promos available at the best online sportsbooks to get the most bang for your buck this college football bowl season. The Caesars Sportsbook promo code allows fans to double their winnings on their next 10 bets after placing a $1 bet!
Texas vs. Clemson Betting Picks for the College Football Playoff
Clemson and Texas both grade out well in terms of Expected Points Added (EPA). EPA is a measure of a team's success based on the scenario of each play, quantifying the outcome in comparison to the average outcome of every play of similar scenarios. The Clemson offense currently ranks 14th in the nation in EPA/Rush and 31st in EPA/Dropback. Meanwhile, the Tigers' defense currently ranks 24th in EPA/Rush and 26th in EPA/Dropback.
Texas, on the other hand, has been slightly better as their offense ranks seventh in the nation in EPA/Rush and second in EPA/Dropback. Meanwhile, their defense ranks ninth in EPA/Rush and sixth in EPA/Dropback.
Junior quarterback Cade Klubnik leads Clemson. After a shaky 2023 season, Klubnik has progressed quite a bit, finishing the season third in the ACC in passing yards with 3,303 to go along with 40 total touchdowns to just five interceptions. The Clemson rushing attack is head-manned by Phil Mafah. Mafah has rushed for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns on the year while averaging 5.2 yards per carry. The Clemson passing attack has a good receiver duo in Antonio Williams and Bryant Wesco. Williams has been a reliable top target for Klubnik, racking up 71 catches for 838 yards and 10 touchdowns. In contrast, Wesco has been a big play threat with 38 catches for 678 yards and five touchdowns. The Tigers also utilize tight end Jake Briningstool as a reliable short-yardage and red-zone target. Briningstool has amassed 45 catches for 461 yards and seven touchdowns.
Texas is led by junior quarterback Quinn Ewers. Ewers has had a bit of a down year after being talked about as one of the top quarterback prospects coming into the season. Ewers has thrown for 2,665 yards with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The Texas ground game has been led by a pair of talented backs in Quintrevion Wisner and Jaydon Blue. Wisner has led the way with 863 yards and three touchdowns on 176 carries. Blue has put up 564 yards and six touchdowns on 112 carries. Blue has also been a factor in the passing game, with 34 catches for 267 yards and four touchdowns. Wisner has had a much larger role lately, with 57 touches in the last two games compared to 10 for Blue. The Texas receiving corps has a trio of top contributors led by tight end Gunnar Helm. Helm has amassed 49 catches for 611 yards and five touchdowns on the season. Following him are wide receivers Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond, though Bond appears set to miss the game due to a nagging ankle injury. Golden has caught 47 passes for 738 yards and eight touchdowns, while Bond has reeled in 33 passes for 532 yards and five touchdowns.
Texas vs. Clemson Expert Pick: Clemson +12.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Get a piece of the action during the 2024 college football bowl season with a DraftKings Promo Code for $150 in Bonus Bets if your bet wins!
Texas vs. Clemson Predictions for the College Football Playoff
Both of these teams have some similarities in how they got to this point. They both played fairly easy schedules while losing their only truly difficult games. For Clemson, they were blown out by Georgia in Week 1, then lost to Louisville and South Carolina. Meanwhile, Texas had one of the easiest in-conference schedules the SEC has ever seen and lost only to Georgia before falling to Georgia again in the SEC Championship Game.
Texas, to me, is one of the most complete teams in this playoff. They have impact players at every level of the defense, including Vernon Broughton, Anthony Hill, Jahdae Barron, and Andrew Mukuba, to name a few others. The offense has been very balanced, with a strong running game behind Wisner. However, the passing game has been a bit inconsistent due to some up-and-down play from Ewers.
Clemson also has a very complete team, but maybe not quite on the same magnitude as Texas. Clemson has put together a very good football team that plays very well together. On the defensive end, they have a true star in T.J. Parker, along with some good players like Barrett Carter and Khalil Barnes. On the offensive side, the Tigers have been a very good rushing team for some time and Mafah has continued to fill that role for Clemson. The biggest progress this season has been the development of Klubnik. The Tigers were simply unable to stretch the field vertically a year ago, however the growth of Klubnik paired with freshman speedster Bryant Wesco has opened up the passing game for Clemson.
Both these teams are complete well rounded football teams, however I think Texas is just a bit better all around. Clemson has the guys to be in this game and should be able to hang around, but in the end, Texas will pull ahead. I like Clemson +12.5. I think Texas is the better team in this one, but this number is just too high.
