It All Comes Down To This: College Football National Championship Preview 2019
It All Comes Down To This: College Football National Championship Preview 2019
In the coming hours, college football’s 150th season will come to a close with the national championship game in New Orleans, Louisiana. It will be a clash of two undefeated teams, as the third-ranked Clemson Tigers face off with the top-ranked LSU Tigers. Let’s take a look at the last remaining contenders
#3 Clemson
What Happened in the Semifinal: The Tigers began the Fiesta Bowl looking outclassed against the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, but the game turned completely when cornerback Shaun Wade committed a targeting penalty that revived a touchdown drive that otherwise would have been ended by Wade’s sack. Clemson turned a 16 point deficit into a 29-23 victory, creating an instant playoff classic. OSU fans felt that the officials seemed to favor Dabo Swinney’s group, but the defending national champs played hard and took advantage of the opportunities presented them. Recap
Why They’ll Win: Clemson still has one of the most talented teams in the country, and its defense is statistically far better than LSU’s. Trevor Lawrence remains one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and he’s surrounded by a hyper-talented skill position group. The Tigers could ride a defense that was able to hold OSU to only 23 points to another title while one of the more talented offenses in the country contributes just enough to outlast Joe Burrow and the Tigers.
Why They’ll Lose: Clemson was totally out-played for a quarter and a half, and things likely would have gotten ugly had that targeting not been called. In fact, it probably would have gotten out of hand anyways if the defense hadn’t stopped three different Ohio State drives in the red zone, stifling the offensive output of the Justin Fields-led offense. If the Tigers start the national championship game like they started the Fiesta Bowl, Joe Burrow and Co. will likely steamroll their orange tiger opponents.
New Injury Concerns? WR Tee Higgins received an apparent head injury during the Fiesta Bowl, though he returned to the game later. I would expect him to play.
#1 LSU
What Happened in the Semifinal: LSU dominated Oklahoma 63-28, and Joe Burrow easily dispatched a Sooner defense that was out of its league. The oft-criticized Tiger defense showed up as well, holding the top-5 OU offense to a mere 28 points in the blowout and consistently harassing Jalen Hurts into making mistakes. The top team in the country thoroughly looked the part, and orchestrated what felt like the end of Oklahoma’s run of playoff appearances. Recap
Why They’ll Win: This team has looked dominant for the entire season, and the only sweat they broke in the Peach Bowl came from running away with the victory. They contained a great offense for most of the game, and were hardly troubled by a vastly-improved Oklahoma defense. Meanwhile, Clemson spent a good part of their own game looking like they were sneaking out with a victory over a superior opponent. Furthermore, for as good as Trevor Lawrence is, LSU has the Heisman-winner as their quarterback, and Joe Burrow looked utterly unstoppable in the Peach Bowl. Ed Orgeron’s team is operating at its highest level right now, and it’s time for the country’s best team to prove it once and for all.
Why They’ll Lose: LSU hasn’t played a defense like this Clemson team. We’re talking a defense that held an OSU team averaging 46.9 points a game to 23. That is half of their normal output. LSU also doesn’t have nearly the experience that Clemson does. Can we be sure they won’t fold under the pressure of the biggest game of the season? Because we know Clemson won’t fold.
New Injury Concerns? Nothing New.
My prediction: Clemson has an outside chance, but LSU is the better team. If they play how they should, this probably shouldn’t be close. LSU 35, Clemson 21
All Statistics according to sports-reference.com
-By: Alex Spieldenner
Writer/Interviewer