Published Dec 4, 2022
Miami bound: Tennessee set to face Clemson in Orange Bowl on December 30
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Tyler Mansfield  •  VolReport
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Tennessee will be playing football in the Sunshine State later this month.

The Vols – who put together a 10-2 regular season that included wins over Alabama and LSU – officially know their postseason destination. Announced Sunday afternoon on ESPN, Tennessee is heading to the Capital One Orange Bowl to face ACC champion Clemson on Friday, December 30 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

Most postseason bowl projections had Tennessee – which was ranked No. 6 in the final College Football Playoff Top 25 – connected with the Orange Bowl for weeks, but there was a change when it appeared that Ohio State wouldn't make the four-team playoff and opted not to play in the Rose Bowl. Because of that, the Buckeyes were projected to end up in the Orange Bowl, which would've sent Tennessee to the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas.

Following USC's loss to Utah in the Pac-12 championship game, which knocked the Trojans out of the playoff field, Ohio State was able to get back into the top four – which gave the Orange Bowl spot back to Tennessee.

Now, the Vols are set for an intriguing postseason matchup with a talented Clemson team.

Tennessee hasn't played Clemson since January 2, 2004 – a 27-14 loss for the Vols in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia. The Vols and Tigers have met 18 total times dating back to 1901, with Tennessee holding a 10-6-2 lead in the all-time series.

Looking at Clemson's 2022 squad, Dabo Swinney and the Tigers are 11-2 overall and rolled past North Carolina on Saturday night in the ACC championship game. Their two losses this season came against Notre Dame and South Carolina.

Against North Carolina, Clemson tallied 385 yards of offense, forced the Tar Heels to commit three turnovers and were led by quarterback Cade Klubnik – who completed 20-of-24 passes for 279 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 30 yards and another score. The Tigers led 24-10 at halftime and never looked back in their dominant victory.

When Tennessee takes the field in Miami on December 30, it will mark the Vols' first game in 35 days. The last outing for Josh Heupel's club was a 56-0 win over Vanderbilt on November 26.