Everyone in America knows the challenge Clemson must face in stopping Joe Burrow and the LSU offense in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 13 in New Orleans.
LSU leads the nation in scoring offense (48.9 pts./game), total offense (564.1 yds/game) and is second in passing offense (397.2 yds/game). The SEC’s Tigers have the Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Joe Burrow, who has thrown for more than 5,000 yards, completing close to 80 percent of his passes and has thrown 55 touchdowns this season.
“Well, very similar to what we saw last week,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said on ESPN’s Championship Drive show on Wednesday. “Incredibly balanced, a very complete football team.
“Their quarterback is playing at an unbelievably high level, incredibly efficient, accurate, he is very smart, decision maker. He keeps them in the right play all of the time. They empower him a lot to do that. He creates with his legs. They have a very good running back. Their offensive line is big, strong, physical. They won the OL award. Numbers 1, 2 and 6 are elite wide outs. They have a great tight end.”
As unhuman like as LSU has been on offense, they are very human like on defense. In all the major defensive categories, the SEC’s Tigers do not rank in the top 20 in any of them. They are allowing 21.6 points per game (27th) and rank 55th against the pass (221.9 yds/game).
But don’t let the stats fool you. Swinney still thinks LSU’s defense is every bit as good as the one they just saw from Ohio State.
“On the defensive side they are massive, massive up front in that d-line,” he said. “They have great depth and again just big and strong. Fast and athletic at linebackers and outstanding in the secondary. They got guys that can run and cover. So just a very complete football team just like the team that we saw last week that I thought was outstanding.”
Clemson and LSU will meet in New Orleans on Jan. 13 from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome at 8 p.m., ET.
Clemson is going back to the national championship game after once again winning the Fiesta Bowl over Ohio State. Get your official national championship and Fiesta Bowl champs gear right here!
