Game Capsule: Oklahoma Sooners (8-4) vs. Clemson Tigers (9-3)

The saddest day of the football season has arrived.

It is the final game day of Oklahoma’s 2014 season, and while it was a disappointing season, OU football won’t be back for another nine months after tonight.

More from Stormin in Norman

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• Oklahoma football: ESPN, USA Today bowl projections after Week 3
• Oklahoma football: Sooner ‘D’ grading well, but real test begins with Big 12 play
• Two Oklahoma football players receive Big 12 weekly honors
• Oklahoma football: Sooners’ stock rising fast in ESPN prospective rankings

To put it nicely, it was a tougher-than-expected season for the Oklahoma Sooners. TCU came out of the woodwork. Baylor is now…consistent? And Kansas State is literally the worst.

However, Oklahoma can end its season on a positive note by beating the Clemson Tigers. It will be difficult, but it’s very doable.

Why the Sooners will win:

Time is on Oklahoma’s side. Minus Johnny Manziel and that Cotton Bowl Classic a few years ago, Oklahoma has been relatively good in bowl games lately. They’ve shown little rust going in to the postseason and it appears they’ve been making good use of their time in bowl preparations. Take last year for example, OU exploited everything they could with Alabama and won by two scores.

This bowl will hopefully be similar. Oklahoma knows Clemson has one of the best defenses in the country, and moving the ball consistently will be crucial. If OU is as healed up as everyone is reporting, then I anticipate Oklahoma can run with the Tigers for 60 minutes and win this football game with a balanced attack of Trevor Knight and Samaje Perine. It, also, helps that Deshaun Watson won’t be playing for Clemson.

Why the Tigers will win:

Defense. Brent Venables’ defense may be the toughest OU will face all season. If this turns out to be truth, we could see glimpses of the Baylor game.

The Tigers offense might not be as explosive without Watson, but if Knight and the gang are stalled often, than Cole Stoudt should have plenty of opportunities to operate on a very questionable Oklahoma defense.

Josh Heupel’s offensive game-planning has been mediocre at best in 2014, and something has to give tomorrow. He’s been good when it feels like he’s on the hot seat. Though, maybe a bad bowl game performance could get him stripped of his OC position. A win-win quite possibly for Oklahoma?

Regardless, as a fan, you have to hope OU wins this ball game. Not that anyone plans on buying the t-shirt, but Oklahoma needs to show a pulse and persuade fans that OU football is still in the business of winning (even if it isn’t a national championship).

Prediction: Oklahoma 34, Clemson 28

I wouldn’t put all my confidence points in to this game, but I think Oklahoma does enough in the fourth quarter to outlast the Tigers and head home victorious.