NCAAF: 3 reasons Clemson can beat LSU

The LSU Tigers have been a team of destiny. Led by a former interim head coach and a former backup Ohio State quarterback, the Tigers modernized their offense and the results were better than they could have ever dreamed of. They ranked first nationally in scoring and first in total offense.

LSU had a huge non-conference road win over Texas early in the year and finally got the Alabama monkey off its back. The Tigers punked Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and blew the doors off Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl (Joe Burrow threw for seven touchdownsin the first half!). Now they'll play for their fourth national title in the Superdome, which sits about 80 miles away from Baton Rouge.

It's a story meant for Hollywood. So what could go wrong in the College Football National Championship?

#3 Clemson vs. #1 LSU, Monday, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Clemson is a proven commodity

There's another batch of Tigers playing in this game. They're the defending national champions and have won 29 games in a row.

This is Clemson's fifth consecutive College Football Playoff appearance, while this is LSU's first time being selected.

Clemson is 5-2 in playoff games (both losses against Alabama). Every player on Clemson has been in at least one competitive game of this magnitude. How will LSU respond when it hasn't won the game in the second quarter? This year's LSU team has performed remarkably well in high-profile games (see: Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Oklahoma), but there is no denying that Dabo Swinney's squad has more experience handling playoff pressure.

Embracing the underdog role

Swinney has bent over backward at times to label Clemson as an underdog, so the Tigers can play with chips on their shoulders. He doesn't need to stretch to make that case in this game. It seems absurd a team that hasn't lost in two full years would be getting points against anybody.

 

The last time Clemson was an underdog was in last year's national title game, and we all know how that one turned out. Since the inception of the CFP, Clemson has been an underdog 10 times. The Tigers in orange are 8-2 against the spread in those games, with six outright wins.

Clemson will play keep away

I think you will see Clemson employ a very specific strategy—run the ball, play keep away from LSU's prolific offense, and milk the clock. It's not often that Clemson would be afraid of a shootout, but I think the Tigers from South Carolina would rather keep this game in the 20s or low 30s.

Their run game will cater to this game plan. Clemson is 11th nationally in rushing yards per game (LSU is 60th). More importantly Clemson is first in yards per carry (LSU is 32nd). Couple Travis Etienne, Lyn-J Dixon, and Trevor Lawrence, with perhaps the best offensive line in the nation, and you've got the recipe.

Mix in the No. 1 scoring defense in the country (11.5 points per game), the No. 1 passing defense (151.5 yards per game), the top unit in opponent passing yards per attempt (5.5), and the lowest opposing passer rating (96.31), and you have a formula that could knock out even a team of destiny.

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