Orange Bowl: Josh Heupel, Tennessee Set to Face 'Tradition Rich' Program In Clemson

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel gives an early preview of what he expects his sixth-ranked Volunteers will see in its Orange Bowl matchup against seventh-ranked Clemson.

After knocking off North Carolina and winning the ACC Championship, Clemson is now set to face Tennessee in the Orange Bowl.

The No. 7 Tigers (11-2) and No. 6 Volunteers (11-2) are both looking to finish their seasons on a high note after missing out on a berth in the College Football Playoff, and it's a matchup Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is very much looking forward to.

"It's a tradition-rich program," Heupel said. "They've had a ton of success, not just in past seasons but in this season, too. Obviously finishing it out with an ACC championship. We have great respect for the quality of opponent. Coach Swinney has done a fantastic job with that program since he's taken over."

The Tigers come will come in with a brand new starting quarterback in Cade Klubnik. The true freshman entered early in the first quarter of the Tigers' 39-10 win over North Carolina and then proceeded to lead a struggling Clemson offense on four consecutive scoring drives. 

Klubnik finished the game 20-of-24 for 279 yards, with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown. He also led the Tigers with 30 yards on the ground.

Tennessee will be without starting quarterback Hendon Hooker. The one-time Heisman hopeful was lost for the season after suffering an ACL injury in the 63-38 loss to South Carolina.

Redshirt senior Joe Milton III got the nod in the 56-0 win over Vanderbilt to close out the regular season, going 11-of-21 for 127 yards with one touchdown.

For Heupel, it all starts with the Clemson defense. The Tigers are tenth in the country against the run, allowing opponents just 101 rushing yards per game. However, the head coach also saw how explosive the offense was with Klubnik at quarterback.

"Obviously, you look at what they've done defensively year in and year out, one of the top in the country," Heupel said. "Haven't had a chance to follow up and watch in detail, the personnel or the scheme. Can't dive too much into that. Obviously, we'll do that here in the coming days and certainly over the next week. But offensively they're historically a really good program, too. Certainly, last night were very explosive and created a bunch of big plays. Great opponent, one that we're excited about having the opportunity to go compete with here at the end of the month."

Clemson is a 5.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.  

Want to join in on the discussion? 100% FREE! Interact with fellow Tiger fans and hear directly from publisher Zach Lentz, deputy editor Brad Senkiw, recruiting analyst Jason Priester and staff writer Will Vandervort on any subject. Click here to become a member of the ALL CLEMSON message board community today!

Get your Tiger tickets from SI Tickets HERE

Do us a HUGE favor and like, subscribe and follow us on social media:

►LIKE us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allclemson

►SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/AllClemson

►FOLLOW All Clemson on Twitter:https://twitter.com/All_Clemson

More on All Clemson: https://www.si.com/college/clemson/