Tennessee football vs. Clemson Orange Bowl game: Our final score predictions are in

Tennessee football faces off against the Clemson Tigers in the Orange Bowl game on Friday.

The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. (ESPN) in Miami, Florida at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins.

After ending the regular season with a shutout win over the Vanderbilt Commodores, the Vols will look to progress with quarterback Joe Milton in the Orange Bowl before a QB battle brews in Tennessee during the offseason.

The Vols will also be missing key weapons to the NFL Draft and opt outs, including wide receivers Jailyn Hyatt, Cedric Tillman, and linebacker Jeremy Banks.

Clemson, on the other hand, is coming off an upset loss to South Carolina in the final game of the regular season. The Tigers will have something to prove in Miami, but the Vols need a statement win to kick the offseason off strong.

Will Tennessee take care of business against Clemson? Here's what our experts had to say.

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Adam Sparks, Tennessee football beat reporter

Clemson 45, Tennessee 41: Both teams will look a little different because of opt outs, injuries and absences. But the Vols are enduring more drastic changes with Hendon Hooker, Jalin Hyatt, Cedric Tillman, Jeremy Banks and offensive coordinator Alex Golesh out. Don't be surprised if Tennessee scores a lot of point but still suffers some hiccups. Win or lose, this could be one of the most entertaining games of the bowl season.

Scott Keepfer, Clemson football beat reporter

Clemson 28, Tennessee 27: Without some of its key offensive threats, does Tennessee still have enough firepower to put up a lot of points on Clemson’s defense? The guess here is not quite enough.

Jim Rice, sports editor

Clemson 30, Tennessee 21: Tennessee is without quarterback Hendon Hooker and receivers Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt. Clemson is counting on three weeks of first-team snaps in practice to boost freshman QB Cade Klubnik in his first start. It’s hard to get a feel for what the offenses will do. But the Tigers have been much better than the Vols on defense.

Blake Toppmeyer, SEC columnist

Clemson 41, Tennessee 27: We got a look at Clemson with Cade Klubnik at the controls of the offense in the ACC Championship. Looked pretty good. We got a look at Tennessee without linebacker Jeremy Banks in the Vols’ loss to South Carolina. The defense looked pretty bad. If the Vols were at full strength, UT would enjoy an advantage in this game, but sans Hendon Hooker and with Tennessee affected by opt-outs, Clemson is better positioned.

John Adams, senior sports columnist

Clemson 34, Tennessee 27: The Vols probably would have been favored if injured quarterback Hendon Hooker were able to play, and proven receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman hadn’t opted out. Without them, a career game from Joe Milton might be required for victory.

Mounting a running game as Tennessee did against Vanderbilt and repeatedly pressuring Clemson’s freshman quarterback would further enhance its chances for victory.

But Tennessee’s beleaguered secondary likely will remain an Achilles heel, even against a freshman quarterback. Klubnik proved against the Tar Heels he can excel against an incompetent pass defense.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football Orange Bowl game score predictions Clemson