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Tee Higgins #5 celebrates with Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers after scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter of their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Major college football’s playoffs begin this weekend, with the first game pitting a recent powerhouse against one of the game’s most famous names. The undefeated No. 2 Clemson Tigers will take on the undefeated No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Cotton Bowl Classic on Saturday, with a spot in the national championship game on the line.

This will be Notre Dame’s first appearance in the College Football Playoff, while Clemson will return for the fourth season in a row. Clemson lost in the title game in 2015, won the national championship in 2016 and lost in the semifinals last season.

Notre Dame, meanwhile, most recently contended for a national championship after the 2012 season. The then-undefeated Fighting Irish were blown out in the BCS title game by Alabama that year. The winner of this game will take on either No. 1 Alabama or No. 4 Oklahoma, depending on the outcome of that game.

Clemson is a two-score favorite.

Where, when to watch the 2018 Cotton Bowl Classic:

Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX

TV Network: ESPN

Time: 4 p.m. ET, Saturday, Dec. 29

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