With a high-powered offense led by Heimsan finalist Deshaun Watson, Clemson finished as the season's only undefeated team and the result was the Tigers gained the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
But if Clemson beats Oklahoma — the Tigers are the underdog — it’ll be on the Tigers' defense to slow Baker Mayfield and the Sooners offense.
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Clemson defensive leaders Shaq Lawson, Jayron Kearse and Mackensie Alexander will be the keys to Clemson reaching the national championship game, and their efforts against Mayfield, Sterling Shepard, and the Sooners offense will prove to be the difference.
Shaq Lawson vs. OU O-line
The 6-3, 270-pound junior defensive end is the Tigers most impactful front seven player, finishing the season with 9.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss. He’ll be facing Orlando Brown, the Sooners redshirt freshman left tackle who’s started all 12 games for Oklahoma.
While Brown proved capable of manning the left tackle position for a thriving Sooners’ offense, he’ll face his toughest draw of the season in Lawson, who’s expected to enter the draft and land somewhere in the first round.
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Lawson is a physically imposing presence who, when his motor is at its highest, can be a devastating power rusher with remarkable upper body strength and disengage ability. But his most impressive skill set is his NFL-ready spin move that’s embarrassed future first-rounder Ronnie Stanley of Notre Dame, along with many other left tackles this season.
The fear of Lawson’s ability as a bull rusher combined with the edge quickness to threaten on the perimeter sets up a spin move to the inside that he utilizes with control, balance, and the finishing quickness to make it a useful weapon.
As a rusher, Lawson proves to be a difficult one-on-one matchup for an entire game. As the season progressed, teams grew more willing to rollout away from Lawson’s side, chip with running backs, and put a premium on keeping him off balance in the run and pass game.
One of the best ways Oklahoma can neutralize the slower starting, taller defensive end, is by being creative in run and pass set blocking against him. For example, FSU was proactive in pulling guards to catch Lawson staying stationary, and kicking him out of the running back of which his positioning was late and ineffective to defend against Dalvin Cook.
Oklahoma will use pulling guards to catch Lawson standing tall and in “no mans land” as a free rusher in a run set, but they’ve also used pulling guards effectively this year to set up pockets for Mayfield. He's a passer who can use his quickness and mobility to handle an open, wide set pocket to reset his feet, keeping Lawson at bay. Expect the Sooners to roll Mayfield away on at least a few occasions when they're targeting a deep passing play.
Mayfield’s creativity
Even if Oklahoma can scheme against the presence of Lawson, the Clemson defense boasts more than enough talent to threaten Mayfield in the pocket. Generally the team’s center-field presence, safety Jayron Kearse is one of the best secondary-playing athletes in the country, and should get work as a pass-rusher to keep the young Sooners offensive line off balance.
But whether it’s Kearse or another blitzing Tiger, the Sooners offense is led by one of the most creative pocket moving quarterbacks since Johnny Manziel in Baker Mayfield. Offering a similar stature and flexible lower and upper half to contort away from tacklers, Mayfield takes advantage of blitzing defenses thanks to his evasiveness.
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In the first play below, Mayfield encounters a free interior rusher on second-and-long with every route still developing by the time the rusher arrives. Mayfield’s able to tuck, adjust his feet, and evade the majority of the tackler's force. He breaks free, takes off running to prevent a third-and-long and gives his team a manageable first-down opportunity nearing field goal range. Against a high-scoring Clemson team, the Sooners have to make the most of their scoring opportunities.
More impressive than his elusiveness in the pocket is Mayfield’s vision after avoiding pocket pressure when he’s on the move. Possessing a strong arm to maneuver on the perimeter and finish down the field, Mayfield can take advantage of an aggressive Clemson back seven in coverage, hurting them as a runner and in targeting vertical and comeback routes. That was the case on this third-down conversion.
Alexander vs. Shepard
While the Clemson secondary and the Oklahoma offense offer more playmakers than just these two, I expect Clemson redshirt sophomore CB Mackensie Alexander and Oklahoma senior WR Sterling Shepard to be the offensive matchup that determines the passing game success.
Shepard is Oklahoma’s best offensive player, and one of its most productive receivers in recent history. A separating receiver who’s able to set up routes at a high level vertically, on dig routes and deep comebacks, Shepard almost always “gets his” in the Oklahoma offense, regardless of the defensive gameplan.
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Alexander may be the best cornerback in the country. He’s a bit under-appreciated in the Tigers undefeated run, but the versatile cornerback is in line to be a first-round pick if he declares, and has a strong case to be ranked above highly coveted Vernon Hargreaves III of Florida.
Shepard threatens deep and sets up routes across the field, but one of his better attributes despite not offering elite size is his finishing ability as a jump ball and in-traffic receiver. With both players in this matchup playing at similar heights, plays like the one below — especially in the red zone — could be crucial for early and late red zone opportunities for the Sooners.
But where Alexander impresses most is his ability to play tight off the snap, press with force and control, and turn and run against any route without losing control of the play. Shepard may get work in the slot, best utilizing his route quickness and getting the mid-field to use.
Alexander can press and play the field corner on the outside, then turn and run on vertical routes from the slot. The wheel route below is one of the toughest routes for a slot cornerback to defend one-on-one. Alexander does this without safety help and without losing control of the receiver’s route.
Winning the matchup
While Oklahoma rolled through the Big 12 since losing to Texas, it will face the most athletic defense in Clemson since their matchup with Alabama last year and this defense may be better.
Neutralizing Lawson will take ample game-planning and adjusting resources to assure he’s neutralized on big plays. Kearse and other Clemson defenders will look to pressure Mayfield and limit the offense’s ability for big plays. Alexander may have the athleticism edge on Sterling Shepard.
Oklahoma may be the favorite over the top-seeded Tigers, but the Sooners have plenty to be nervous about in the national semifinal. They’ll be putting their faith in Mayfield, but it’ll be his biggest test of the year on the biggest stage of his career.