Orange Bowl. Look, I can't follow every D-I team. You think coaches actually vote in the USA Today Top 25? Uh, no, they have some associate AD do it. So that said ... I would have loved to see this Orange Crush matchup in the regular season but it has been completely watered down because of late losses by both. Just think the departures of Hendon Hooker and superstar receiver Jalin Hyatt plus a few others trumps what Clemson has lost. Clemson is frankly better with freshman Cade Klubnik taking over at QB. He's my early 2023 Heisman pick. Look, me picking ML favorites has been awful. This may be a 3-point game. Just want a reason to care (and give Allan Bell grief). I went and looked at local beat writers. Almost all picked Clemson. What else can I do?

Another game that boils down to defections and injuries. Tennessee is worse off, with WRs Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt off to the pros. Were Heisman Trophy candidate Hendon Hooker taking snaps, the Vols would overcome the defections, but he is injured. A void also has opened at offensive coordinator, with the Vols play-caller gone. LB Jeremy Banks has vamoosed as well to the NFL, offsetting the two key Clemson absentees on defense. The Tigers' stout defense, ranked fourth in the ACC, should flatten the wheels of UT's speedy offense.

This is a statement game for both teams. In Tennessee's case, it's a chance for coach Josh Heupel to show off his offense even though it'll be without quarterback Hendon Hooker (ACL) and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (NFL opt-out). With a month to prepare for the Tigers, expect Heupel to pull out all of his tricks not only to win the game, but impress high school prospects in a fertile recruiting ground. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney will use the big stage to get his quarterback-of-the-future, Cade Klubnik, ready for what Swinney hopes is a national title run. Plus, he wouldn't mind setting the tone for Klubnik's Heisman Trophy run.