No doubter: Tigers a lock for top playoff spot
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — No. 1 Clemson emphatically claimed its spot in the College Football Playoff with a 38-3 victory over No. 7 Miami in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game on Saturday night.
The Tigers (12-1) came in ranked atop the playoff poll and should remain that way in Sunday’s final poll after their decisive show left little doubt the defending national champs are looking to go back-to-back.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said in the postgame celebration he hadn’t been to New Orleans since going with Alabama in 1992, then a wide receiver as part of the Crimson Tide’s national championship squad. This time, the Tigers — as the top seed — would get their pick of sites, and Swinney left no doubt about what he will choose.
“Get ready, Sugar Bowl!” he shouted. “Here we come!”
Kelly Bryant set a championship game record by completing his first 15 passes — surpassing his friend and former teammate, Deshaun Watson, who hit his first 13 in a row — and finished with 252 yards passing and a 27-yard TD pass to Deon Cain on the way to Clemson’s third straight ACC crown.
“It’s just in our DNA. We’re built for moments like this,” said Bryant, named the game’s MVP.
Bryant had one of Clemson’s four rushing touchdowns, and the Tigers defense made it stand up against a Hurricanes team that has been spurred on to its turnaround season by their glitzy, bling-covered “Turnover Chain” jewelry worn by any Miami player with an interception or fumble recovery.
Instead, it was the Tigers who won the turnover battle (3 to 1) and held Miami to its fewest points and yards of the season to spoil the Hurricanes’ first appearance in the contest since the onetime powerhouse joined the league in 2004.
Clemson’s Travis Etienne opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run before Bryant found the end zone on a twisting, 11-yard run for a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. It was essentially over after that as the Hurricanes (10-2) have lost two straight after rising to No. 2 in the playoff poll two weeks ago.
“Obviously, it didn’t go well at all,” Miami coach Mark Richt said. “It just shows they’re the class of our league and they’re the measuring stick.”
Miami fell apart in the third quarter when quarterback Malik Rosier threw two interceptions, leading to 10 points for the Tigers. The Hurricanes, who had averaged 440 yards a game this season, finished with 214 yards. They broke the shutout on Michael Badgley’s 29-yard field goal with 3:29 to go.
Miami most likely will head to the Orange Bowl in the ACC’s usual spot.