College Football Playoff No. 5 Texas vs. No. 12 Clemson how to watch, odds, injuries, and series history

No. 3 Texas begins the first of a possible four-game journey through the 12-team College Football Playoff against No. 16 Clemson at DKR on Dec. 21.

Quinn Ewers, Texas football
Quinn Ewers, Texas football | Brett Patzke-Imagn Images

The five-seed Texas football (11-2, 7-1 SEC) hosts the 12-seed and ACC Champion Clemson Tigers (10-3, 7-1 ACC) for the first-ever College Football Playoff home game at DKR in the first round this upcoming weekend.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns begin their quest for a road to the national title in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff bracket in just a couple of days in Austin.

Texas is in the College Football Playoff for the second straight year, after making it last postseason (2023-24 CFP) as the Big 12 Champions in their final season in that conference before joining the SEC.

Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney have been regulars in the College Football Playoff over the past decade. The Tigers won the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2016 and 2018. This is a stage that Swinney's teams have become accustomed to playing in the postseason in recent times.

How to watch Texas vs. Clemson in the College Football Playoff

  • Date: Saturday, December 21
  • Time: 3 p.m. CT
  • Venue: Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin, TX)
  • How to Watch (TV): TNT
  • Streaming: fubo TV | MAX
  • Texas record: 11-2
  • Clemson record: 10-3

Texas vs. Clemson odds, spread and total

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook

Moneyline

Texas is favored in the moneyline (-480) over Clemson (+365).

Spread

The Longhorns are favored by double digits (-11.5) over Clemson in the pregame betting spread roughly 48 hours before kickoff.

Total

51.5 (-112 Over/-108 Under)

Texas injury report

  • CJ Baxter Jr., RB: OUT (Knee)
  • Velton Gardner, RB: OUT (Undisclosed)
  • Christian Clark, RB: OUT (Achilles)
  • Derek Williams Jr., S: OUT (Knee)
  • Isaiah Bond, WR: Questionable (Ankle)
  • Kelvin Banks Jr., OT: Probable (Ankle)
  • Quinn Ewers, QB: Probable (Ankle)

Clemson injury report

  • Jay Haynes, RB: OUT (Knee)
  • Tyler Brown: Questionable (Ankle)
  • Phil Mafah, RB: Probable (Upper body)
  • Corian Gipson, DB: OUT (Undisclosed)
  • Quinn Castner, K/P: OUT (Leg)
  • Trent Howard, OL: Out (Knee)
  • Elyjah Thurmon, OL: Out (Ankle)
  • Dietrick Pennington. OL: Questionable (Undisclosed)

Texas and Clemson series history

This will be the first meeting ever between Texas and Clemson on the gridiron for the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday.

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Schedule

Schedule