Tennessee (10-2, SEC, No. 6 CFP) vs. Clemson (11-2, ACC, No. 7 CFP), Dec. 30, 8 p.m. ET
LOCATION: Miami Gardens, Florida
TOP PLAYERS
Tennessee: WR Jalin Hyatt has 1,267 receiving yards this season, 32 shy of passing Robert Meachem’s school record of 1,298 set in 2006.
Clemson: OL Jordan McFadden won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the best offensive lineman in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
NOTABLE
Tennessee: Volunteers coach Josh Heupel won a national title as Oklahoma’s quarterback by beating Florida State 13-2 in the Orange Bowl to end the 2000 season. Out of the last 51 Orange Bowls, none featured fewer points than that game did. … The Vols lead the nation in yards and points per game this season. … Tennessee won 10 regular-season games for the first time since 2003. … Tennessee leads the series against Clemson 11-6-2, though this will be only the fourth meeting between the programs since World War II. … It’ll be Tennessee’s 47th time playing in the state of Florida. The Vols enter this game with a 23-23 record in the Sunshine State. … Tennessee won an Orange Bowl to end the 1938 season. It lost Orange Bowls to close the 1947, 1968 and 1997 seasons.
Clemson: The Tigers have won 16 consecutive games played in December. … Clemson has 100 wins since the start of the 2015 season. Only Alabama (102) has more; Ohio State is third in that span with 90. … Placekicker B.T. Potter would play in his 69th game if he appears in the Orange Bowl, tying the school record. He’s the only player in ACC history with four 100-point seasons. … Clemson won Orange Bowls to end the 1951, 1981 (national title) and 2013 seasons, plus won a CFP semifinal game there in 2015. It lost Orange Bowls to end the 1956 and 2011 seasons. … A win would make Clemson the sixth program with at least five Orange Bowl wins, joining Oklahoma (12), Nebraska (8), Miami (6), Alabama (5) and Florida State (5).
LAST TIME
Clemson 27, Tennessee 14 (Jan. 2, 2004)
BOWL HISTORY
Tennessee: Fifth Orange Bowl appearance, first since 1997 season (42-17 loss to Nebraska in Peyton Manning’s final college game), and 55th bowl appearance overall.
Clemson: Seventh Orange Bowl appearance, first since 2015 (37-17 win over Oklahoma), and 49th bowl appearance overall.
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