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It’s official: Clemson football will play Tennessee in the Orange Bowl

Clemson football secured an Orange Bowl bid after routing North Carolina in Saturday night’s ACC championship game.

Now, the Tigers’ New Year’s Six opponent is official.

Clemson will play Tennessee in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30, the bowl announced Sunday afternoon. It’s an intriguing (and very orange) matchup between one-time national championship contenders to close out 2022.

Tennessee (10-2) finished at No. 6 in College Football Playoff Selection Committee’s Top 25 rankings earlier Sunday, while Clemson (11-2) finished the season at No. 7

Clemson is 6-11-2 all-time against Tennessee, with their last meeting coming in the 2004 Peach Bowl. The Volunteers debuted at No. 1 in the initial CFP rankings but fell out of the four-team field after losing to Georgia and South Carolina over the last four weeks of the regular season.

In the latter game, a 63-38 loss to the Gamecocks, the Volunteers lost their starting quarterback, Hendon Hooker, to a season-ending torn ACL injury. Tennessee’s new starting QB is Joe Milton, a fifth-year graduate transfer from Michigan.

Milton was 4 of 8 for 108 yards and a touchdown after subbing in for Hooker in the fourth quarter of Tennessee’s South Carolina loss, and he was 11 of 21 for 147 yards and another touchdown in a 56-0 win against Vanderbilt the following week.

Clemson has a long history in the Orange Bowl. The Tigers have played in the bowl six times and won the 1981 national championship against Nebraska in the venue. They’ve also played there three times this century, beating Ohio State in 2013 and Oklahoma in a 2015 College Football Playoff semifinal while losing to West Virginia, 70-33, in 2011.

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) celebrates after his touchdown with offensive lineman Mitchell Mayes (77) in the first half during the Atlantic Coast Conference championship NCAA college football game against North Carolina on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) celebrates after his touchdown with offensive lineman Mitchell Mayes (77) in the first half during the Atlantic Coast Conference championship NCAA college football game against North Carolina on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

The Tigers secured their spot in this year’s Orange Bowl by trouncing UNC, 39-10, in Saturday night’s ACC football championship game. Freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik came off the bench in relief of starter DJ Uiagalelei and had 319 yards of total offense and two touchdowns to lead the Tigers to their seventh conference title in eight seasons.

Klubnik, a former five-star recruit and top QB prospect in the 2022 class, became the first true freshman to earn the ACC championship’s game MVP award.

Clemson also got major contributions from cornerback Nate Wiggins, who had two pass breakups, a blocked field goal and an ACC title game-record 98-yard pick six; linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who had an ACC title game-record three sacks; and receiver Cole Turner, who became Clemson’s first receiver with 100-plus yards in a game this season.

The Tigers trailed 7-0 early the first quarter against UNC but ended up leading 14-7 after one quarter and 24-10 at halftime. Clemson also shut out UNC – which was seeking its first ACC championship in 42 years – and its potent, Drake Maye-led offense in the second half.

“Happy for our guys,” coach Dabo Swinney said postgame. “We’re excited to go back to the Orange Bowl. When we won (the ACC championship) back in ’11 we hadn’t been to the Orange Bowl in 30 years, and now we’re going back for the fourth time in 12 years. I’m really happy for our guys to be able to have an opportunity to experience that.”

The 2022 Orange Bowl will be played on Friday, Dec. 30, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN.

Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III (7) throws to a receiver during the first half of the team’s NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III (7) throws to a receiver during the first half of the team’s NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

2022 New Year’s Six bowls

Peach Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Ohio State (CFP semifinal)

Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU (CFP semifinal)

Orange Bowl: No. 7 Clemson vs. No. 6 Tennessee

Rose Bowl: No. 8 Utah vs. No. 11 Penn State

Cotton Bowl: No. 16 Tulane vs. No. 10 Southern Cal

Sugar Bowl: No. 5 Alabama State vs. No. 9 Alabama