No question LSU and Burrow have been amazing all year, but so has Clemson and Trevor. I believe Clemson is by far the best team on both sides of the ball that LSU will face this year. To me, this game has a very similar feel to last years championship when we had to face the greatest team ever assembled in Alabama. We all know the outcome of that game.
LSU has been praised all year for their wins over Georgia, Oklahoma, and Bama (the Texas, Auburn, and Florida wins are really not that impressive to me). These wins are impressive for sure, but each team had some matchup nightmares when playing LSU. Georgia's offense is very average at best and LSU was able to stop the run, which made a so-so QB in Fromm have to throw. A dream scenario for LSU. Oklahoma's defense is pitiful. One of the worst secondary's I have ever seen. Burrow was able to sit back there and pick them apart. The Bama win is the most impressive to me, but their offense was able to pretty much have their way against LSU.
With all this being said, I think Clemson's offense will be able to sustain some long drives that will keep Burrow and company off the field. Venables will be able to disguise and dial up a few pressure schemes that will confuse Burrow at times. LSU will move the ball and score some points, but we will just need to have the "bend don't break" mentality in the red-zone like we have had all year. My "X" factor of the game are our conerbacks AJ Terrell and Derion Kendrick, two former five stars, who have been rock solid all year. Their height and athleticism match up well against LSU's receivers. I think one of them will have a big interception tonight. Muse and Turner will be targeted a lot in this game so they will have to play smart. I believe Simmons will drift back into coverage a lot like he did when he picked off Fields.
Offensively I think we will be a lot more crisp and sharp early on the ballgame compared to the fiesta bowl. Trevor will make his usual big time plays in big time games.Finally I believe that Ross and Higgins will be big factors in this game unlike the Fiesta Bowl.
I'm still amazed that Oklahoma's missing players were overlooked in the semifinal.
I believe OK's starting running back was out of the game.
Also, OK had 3 defensive starters missing, their best player who played in the game got hurt early and limped through the remainder of the game, and probably their best player after that took a cheap shot and got himself ejected.
That's 5 players essentially that were down from an already suspect Oklahoma defense.
I have heard that mentioned maybe once since the game.