For the third year in a row, an ACC team will be entering bowl play with an undefeated record.
Clemson completed its perfect 2015 run against league foes on Saturday night with a 45-37 victory over North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game. The win marked the Tigers’ second conference title in five years and the fifth straight for an Atlantic Division team.
ACC Player of the Year Deshaun Watson was the star of the show and was named MVP of the matchup. It was another signature performance for the sophomore Heisman candidate, who completed 26 of 42 throws for 289 yards and three touchdowns, also adding 131 yards and a score on the ground.
With the victory, Clemson maintained its No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Tigers will face No. 4 seed Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 31. If they take down the Sooners, they will have a Jan. 11 date in Glendale, Arizona, with the winner of Alabama-Michigan State.
Last year, Clemson defeated Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl in a 40-6 blowout. While the Sooners have an embarrassing stain on their resume after losing to Texas on Oct. 10, they finished the regular season strong with wins over Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State. They’ll enter the Orange Bowl with an 11-1 mark.
The Tigers emerged victorious in each of their last three bowl appearances, including the Orange Bowl two seasons ago with a triumph over Ohio State. The win over the Tar Heels was the 16th straight for Clemson, which holds the longest active winning streak in college football.