After a month away from the gridiron, the Oklahoma Sooners and Clemson Tigers will collide in what figures to be an explosive New Year's Eve affair as the two sides seek to claim an Orange Bowl title en route to a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.But before the Sooners and Tigers can dream of hoisting the hardware that enshrines one of them as the most dominant team of the 2015 season, they'll need to engage in a high-powered battle at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.Here's a look at when, where and what to watch when Thursday'sCFP semifinal action gets underway.ScheduleDate: Thursday, Dec. 31Time:4 p.m. ETTV:ESPNLive Stream:WatchESPNTop StorylinesQuarterback PlayDeshaun Watson has been the most dynamic quarterback in the country this season. As a result, he was the lone signal-caller to qualify as a Heisman Trophy finalist.The 2015 Davey O'Brien Award winner became the first quarterback to compile 3,500 yards through the air and 800 yards on the ground since Johnny Manziel in 2012, per the award's official Twitter account. His playmaking abilities jumped off the screen as he helped lead the Tigers to an undefeated regular season.And what makes the showdown between Clemson and Oklahoma extra special is the man lining up under center for the Sooners. Baker Mayfield garnered the second-most Heisman votes among quarterbacks, which means the 2015 Orange Bowl represents the eighth time the top two vote-getters among QBs have been matched up in a bowl game, per theOklahoman's Berry Tramel.AndMayfield is no slouch. He threw for 3,389 yards, 35 touchdowns and just five interceptions en route to the Big 12 title this year. That's not bad for a guy who was once a walk-on."Ive had a chip on my shoulder," Mayfield said, per ESPN.com's Jake Trotter. "Ive always played like that. Its just who I am."With an aggressive attitude in his pocket, look for Mayfield to try to match Watson score for score in a battle that could be decided by whoever has the ball last.Oklahoma Getting Hot at the Right TimeAfter losing to Texas 24-17 on Oct. 10, Oklahoma looked as though it was scrambling for answers. But the upset loss didn't scare the Sooners.Rather, it motivated them.Since losing to Texas, Oklahoma has ripped off seven straight wins. The last three came over prime Big 12 competition in Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State, and those victories followed blowout wins over inferior competition such as Kansas State, Texas Tech, Kansas and Iowa State.Clemson has been the most consistent team in the country from start to finish, but the Sooners' timely winning streaklaced with triumphs over quality opponentshas made them a trendy title pick."Oklahoma is probably playing the best football of any team in the country right now," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said, per the Star-Telegram's Jimmy Burch. "But its a new season, a new beginning, with these playoffs. Weve got a formula that we believe in as far as how we get a team ready for a bowl, and thats what well do."Dethroning an undefeated Clemson team won't be easy, but Oklahoma has the pedigree to shake things up.Clemson's Undefeated Season on the LineArguably the biggest storyline involves Clemson's run of 13 straight wins.The Tigers have encountered a few scares here and there throughout their unblemished 2015 season, but thus far they've squashed each one with poise.But Oklahoma figures to be a different beastnamely because it has wreaked havoc on opposing offenses lately, per the Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports):Clemson has gotten here despite actually losing the turnover battle this season, giving the ball away 25 times while forcing 23.Oklahoma has been one of the nation's best in turnover margin, with 26 takeaways opposed to 16 giveaways.And during the Sooners' seven-game winning streak they've been even better with 19 takeaways against just seven turnovers.Something will have to give when the two powers meet, but there's no denying the Orange Bowl will represent the biggest test to Clemson's undefeated reign yet.
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