Saturday Blitz
Fansided

College Football Playoff and NY6 bowl projections for Week 13

By Michael Thompson

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 19: Head coach Lincoln Riley of the USC Trojans hugs Caleb Williams #13 of the USC Trojans after defeating the UCLA Bruins in the game at Rose Bowl on November 19, 2022 in Pasadena, California. The USC Trojans defeated the UCLA Bruins with a score of 48 to 45. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 19: Head coach Lincoln Riley of the USC Trojans hugs Caleb Williams #13 of the USC Trojans after defeating the UCLA Bruins in the game at Rose Bowl on November 19, 2022 in Pasadena, California. The USC Trojans defeated the UCLA Bruins with a score of 48 to 45. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 19: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers high fives his team as they run onto the field before their game against the Miami Hurricanes at Memorial Stadium on November 19, 2022 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 19: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers high fives his team as they run onto the field before their game against the Miami Hurricanes at Memorial Stadium on November 19, 2022 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) /

Orange Bowl: Clemson vs. Alabama 

Previous: North Carolina vs. Alabama 

After propping up Drake Maye and Mack Brown all season as underrated and overlooked, they let me down against Georgia Tech (!!) at home. The stunning 21-17 loss doesn’t keep the Tar Heels from still getting their shot at Clemson for an Orange Bowl berth, but it definitely feels like their chances of pulling the upset went way down.

Drake Maye, who’ll be a top-five pick whenever he comes out, will get the biggest test of the season trying to score on Clemson’s ferocious defense, led by three future first-round picks along the front seven, including potential top-10 picks Myles Murphy and Brian Bresee.

It’s been a magical season in Chapel Hill up until last week, we’ll see if they got anything left in the tank, but we’re projecting Clemson to overwhelm them.

The win will likely put Clemson around the playoff bubble, but their lack of quality wins and poor performance at Notre Dame did them in. It’s a shame because I truly believe they have a defense capable of winning a national championship.

It can’t be a big bowl game with Clemson without Alabama being somewhere close by. Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide are sitting awfully close to that playoff bubble, despite a questionable resume. Nonetheless, this is a really good team that would be all for another crack at their rivals in Clemson. With Tennessee having their meltdown last week, it cleared any doubt as to who would get the more desired Orange Bowl berth than Cotton.

It is definitely not what Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr. were thinking when they returned to campus this season, but they can still make this a successful campaign.

Home/College Football Playoff