Ezekiel Elliott Leads Top College Football Bowl Game Performers this Postseason

Dec 29, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers players celebrate after the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl at Florida Citrus Bowl. Clemson Tigers defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 40-6. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

5. Ben Boulware, Linebacker, Clemson Tigers

4 Tackles, 1 Tackle for a Loss, 1 Fumble Recovery, 1 Interception Returned for a Touchdown

Defeated Oklahoma Sooners 40-6 in Russell Athletic Bowl

Here comes another defensive star. Okay, so as we’ve established, it’s not that hard to make Trevor Knight wet the bed in big moments if you attack him. Clemson did that all night. But Ben Boulware still deserves credit as the guy who broke the game wide open in their blowout win over the Sooners thanks to picking off Knight and taking it to the house for a 17-0 lead at that point.

Adding a fumble recovery to his resume in this game is what makes him so much more impressive. Boulware, as a linebacker, made sure to be all over the field and in on so many plays, even if he was not going to rack up a lot of tackles. Somebody had to get something for this beatdown, and that somebody is Boulware.

To be fair, the Clemson defensive unit as a whole did an amazing job shutting down the Oklahoma offense, and the Clemson offense was pretty good with Cole Stoudt playing great.

But Boulware was the true playmaker in this game.

Next: No. 4 Top Performer