OU Didn't Know?

CLEMSON, S.C. — The build-up was loud. The venue was louder. Clemson came in fresh off an upset of then-No. 1 LSU, Death Valley buzzing with the belief that lightning might strike twice. Oklahoma came in with something else entirely: intention.

By the end of the night, the Tigers were left staring at a scoreboard that told a blunt story. No. 1 Oklahoma 56. No. 10 Clemson 13. And the rest of college football was forced to recalibrate.

From the opening whistle, this didn’t feel like a road game. It felt like a statement tour stop.

“We didn’t come here to survive the noise,” head coach Lovie Mahawg said afterward. “We came here to be the reason it stopped.”

Early Control, Ruthless Finish

Oklahoma struck first and never let go. The Sooners controlled the line of scrimmage, dictated tempo, and steadily squeezed the life out of a Clemson team that had fed on chaos the week before. By halftime, OU had built a commanding lead. By the fourth quarter, it was clear this was no upset bid gone wrong — it was a dismantling.

The offense was surgical. Quarterback Jake Wakefield was near-flawless, completing 18 of 19 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown, posting a passer rating north of 210. There was no panic, no forcing throws, no feeding the crowd energy. Just precision.

“Jake didn’t play quarterback tonight,” Mahawg said. “He played chess. Everybody else was still rolling dice.”

The run game was even more punishing. Taylor Tatum and Braylen Russell took turns bludgeoning Clemson’s front, combining for over 240 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns. Tatum’s patience set the tone early; Russell’s downhill violence finished drives and erased hope.

“When you can rotate backs and the defense still looks tired,” Mahawg said, “that’s when you know the work’s been honest.”

Defense Turns Belief Into Doubt

Clemson never found oxygen. The Sooners’ defense smothered the Tigers from the opening series, holding them under 200 total yards and forcing mistakes that swung momentum hard and fast. The pass rush collapsed pockets, the secondary erased windows, and the tackling was decisive.

“They beat LSU because LSU blinked,” Mahawg said flatly. “We don’t blink.”

By the time the fourth quarter arrived, Death Valley had gone from roaring to restless. The outcome was no longer in question — only the margin.

“We don’t run it up,” Mahawg added. “But we don’t apologize when the gas pedal’s already down.”

Bigger Than One Night

The win doesn’t just solidify Oklahoma’s No. 1 ranking — it reshapes the playoff landscape. With Clemson dispatched and LSU already bruised, the newly projected College Football Playoff bracket now runs unmistakably through Norman.

Oklahoma sits atop the field, staring at a path that includes blue-bloods, heavyweights, and no shortage of noise. Georgia, Michigan, Auburn, Ohio State — they’re all still alive. But the message from Clemson was clear: this Oklahoma team travels well, finishes violently, and does not flinch under pressure.

“We don’t look at brackets,” Mahawg said. “Brackets look at us.”

Still, he allowed himself one final note of satisfaction.

“They told me Death Valley breaks teams,” he said, cracking the slightest grin. “All I saw was a quiet walk back to the bus.”

Oklahoma leaves Clemson undefeated, unshaken, and unmistakably in control of its championship destiny. The rest of the country is officially on notice.