National publications and Clemson agree: Chick-fil-A Bowl is a top 5 bowl game

CLEMSON —Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said the LSU-Clemson matchup in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31 is like a BCS bowl game. National publications agree with Swinney.

Both Sports Illustrated and ESPN rank the Chick-fil-A Bowl as the fourth best bowl matchup this postseason, trailing only the BCS title game, the Fiesta Bowl and Cotton Bowl.

Clemson center Dalton Freeman also believes pitting No. 8 LSU’s defense against No. 14 Clemson’s offense is a compelling matchup.

“This game has a BCS feel to it,” Freeman said. “It’s the biggest non-BCS game,”

BCS-sized challenge
Freeman also knows the challenge Clemson faces Dec. 31, particularly, the offensive front which faces an elite defensive front.

“They don’t have anyone on their team that doesn’t raise an eyebrow,” Freeman said.

Clemson allowed six sacks to a similarly talented South Carolina defensive line last month.

“There was some physical things. We did simply get beat a couple times,” Freeman said. “But there were also some (mental mistakes).”

Breeland back?
Clemson cornerback Xavier Brewer said Tuesday fellow corner Bashaud Breeland should be back for the bowl game after missing the South Carolina game with an injury.

Different looks
Look for LSU to give Clemson multiple defensive looks in Atlanta.

“They can blitz and play man on the outside because they are that talented,” Freeman said, “but at the same time they can drop and believe their guys can beat you upfront with one-on-one matchups.”