Coming off what was the greatest performance in college football playoff history, Joe Burrow and the number one ranked LSU Tigers (14-0) are looking to repeat exactly what they did against Oklahoma in the championship semifinals when they face off with the number three ranked Clemson Tigers (14-0) in the National Championship game tonight, Monday, Jan. 13. 

Burrow and LSU set numerous playoff game records in their 63-28 drubbing of Oklahoma including most passing touchdowns with seven and most passing yards with 493. With all those offensive stats in mind, the LSU defense held one of the nations top offenses in Oklahoma to only 28 points. And the game was even more of a blowout than the score indicates.

Another positive coming out of this game for LSU is the fact that they got out to such a big lead early it allowed them to rest star running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire who was coming off of a minor hamstring injury. 

On the other side of the ball tonight, LSU will find a very experienced reigning national champions Clemson team. In what was a not so great outing last week against Ohio State in the other semifinal game, Clemson found a way to come back from a sixteen point deficit to win 29-23 and move on to the final. 

Although Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence didn’t have the best game through the air, he showcased his running skills with sixteen carries for 107 yards highlighted by a 67-yard touchdown run. Lawrence knows what it takes to win a national championship as he did just that last year as a true freshman. 

Also looking to get going will be Clemson;s running back Travis Etienne who was held to a mere 3.6 yards per carry against Ohio State. Etienne was integral in the national championship game last year racking up 86 yards and two touchdowns. 

While both teams can rely solely on their high-powered offenses, this game can very well come down to the defensive side of the ball. Clemson allows an average of 11.6 points per game, which is the fewest by any team in the country, and they allow the second fewest yards per game at an average of 264.1. 

Unlike Clemson’s defense, LSU has been inconsistent all year.They have showed signs of being an elite defense but have also had games like the one against Ole Miss which they managed to win despite allowing 614 yards and 37 points, showing some defensive vulnerability. 

This LSU defense will be the x-factor in this game because if they play up to their potential, then LSU will be in a great position to win this game. But that is a big “if.”

With all of this in mind, the prediction here is that the LSU Tigers will come out of tonight’s game as the College Football National Champions by a score of 38-35.