Tiger versus tiger; Orgeron versus Swinney; Burrow versus Lawrence; powerhouse versus powerhouse; a battle for the rights to call their home the true “Death Valley” with an undefeated season on the line; LSU versus Clemson.

The NCAA Football National Championship is finally here after much anticipation. The game will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. Monday. Although, how interesting is it to watch a game in which you know nothing about? I would say that doesn’t sound fun at all, so if you’re looking for something to do on Monday night after a hard day at school or work, here’s some background information to keep you up-to-date on the biggest game of the college football season.

Offense:

On the offensive side of the ball, the LSU Tigers have been absolutely dominant for the entire season. LSU, led by second-year transfer quarterback from Ohio State Joe Burrow — or Burreaux as they would say down in the Bayou — has the top ranked offense in college football.

Burrow has thrown for 5,208 yards (second in the country), 55 touchdowns (first in the country) and completed 77.6 percent of his passes with only six interceptions while also running for 311 yards and four touchdowns.

Needless to say, Burrow has been unstoppable and is the best quarterback to ever come through LSU. However, Burrow definitely has a crew around him; both Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson have caught a record-setting 18 touchdowns this season and show no signs of slowing down. On top of Chase and Jefferson, the LSU offense also includes players such as Terrace Marshall Jr., Clyde Hewards-Helaire and Thaddeus Moss — son of Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss. 

With an elite quarterback in Burrow and a strong running game with Edwards-Helaire paired with an outstanding offensive line, LSU has embraced the mentality that a great offense is the best defense.

On the other side, the Clemson Tigers also have a well-suited offensive unit; led by star sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence and standout running back Travis Etienne, Clemson’s offense is ranked No. 4 in the country.

Lawrence has thrown for a total of 3,431 yards (19th in the country) and 36 touchdowns (fifth in the country) while throwing eight interceptions. In addition, Lawrence has rushed 93 times for 514 yards and eight touchdowns.

Etienne has been a huge part of this Clemson offense as well; by running for 1,536 yards and 18 touchdowns on only 192 carries while leading the country in yards per carry with an average of eight yards, Etienne has made Clemson’s run game into something truly remarkable. 

Defense:

On the defensive side of the ball, LSU hasn’t shined as bright as they have in recent years. However, they are still a unit that cannot and will not be overlooked; players such as safety Grant Delpit, cornerback Kristian Fulton, linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson and freshman cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. are the gems in this defensive unit.

While they’re not the most overpowering defense, they are very good at what they do. However, as it has been the entire season, their offense is their main focus; with an offense as explosive as LSU’s, an above average or even just an average defense is more than enough.

Clemson is a team whose defense is one of the best, if not the best in the country; they rank second in both yards allowed per game (264.1), yards allowed per play (4.2) and have only allowed an opposing offense to score more than 17 points twice — one of which was against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

As can be seen, Clemson’s defense is elite and is a force to be reckoned with. They will most certainly be the strongest defense on paper and the most balanced team that LSU has had to face this season, but will this stacked defense be enough to contain Burrow and his squad?

Final Prediction:

With all emotion and bias aside, I genuinely cannot see a way for Clemson to stop LSU’s offense long enough to capture and maintain the lead. While Clemson will be the most complete and balanced team that LSU has had to face this season, LSU’s offense is the most overpowered offense I have ever witnessed in college football and will likely be too much for Dabo to handle. With that being said, I predict that LSU will come out on top with a final score of 37-31.