Preview of the College Football Playoff Semifinals
Peach Bowl
Match-Up: No. 1 LSU vs. No. 4 Oklahoma
Date: Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Time/Network: 4 p.m., ESPN
Line: LSU -13.5; over/under 76
LSU and Heisman Trophy winner, Joe Burrow walk into Atlanta as heavy favorites over Oklahoma.
Burrow threw for over 4,000 yards and 48 touchdowns this season. All of this with all of six interceptions.
Tigers running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is questionable with a hamstring injury suffered in practice. Head coach Ed Oregon said Edwards-Helaire should be able to go. If he’s limited or can’t go, LSU will depend on freshmen running backs Tyrion Davis-Price and John Emery.
On defense, LSU is led by a secondary that includes Thorpe Award winner Grant Delpit and SEC freshman of the year, Derek Stingley Jr.
Oklahoma’s quarterback, Jalen Hurts, has been here before. He led the Crimson Tide to the National Championship game against Clemson. The Tide would lose on a late score. The next season, Alabama would return to the game with Hurts but that time, head coach Nick Saban, decided to bench Hurts at halftime. Tua Tagovailoa would lead the game winning drive in an overtime win over Georgia.
Very few quarterbacks get this opportunity with two different teams but, this time, Hurts is going to be on the side of the underdog. He’ll need to prevent turning the ball over. He will need to be the best player on the field when the Sooners offense is out there. Of course, LSU’s defense coordinator, Dave Aranda, is familiar with Hurts from his time in Tuscaloosa.
The Sooners defense was solid in an offensive-minded Big XII but they’ll have to find a way to win first down. It’s hard to turn LSU into a one-dimensional offense but that’s what Oklahoma defensive coordinator, Alex Grinch, will try to do.
Prediction: LSU -13.5
Fiesta Bowl
Match-Up: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Clemson
Date: Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale
Time/Network: 8 p.m., ESPN
Line: Clemson -2; over/under 62.5
Ohio State might be the higher seed but defending champion, Clemson is the favorite. That’s one of many reasons why Dabo Sweeney playing the “respect card” comes off very disingenuous.
The Tigers rolled through a pretty easy ACC with North Carolina being their only scare. There has been times where Clemson has looked bored but with three weeks to prepare to make a run at back to back National Championships, motivation shouldn’t be an issue.
Trevor Lawrence has been a career winner. The former Elite 11 winner has come to Clemson and has lived up to all the hype. The Tigers are also armed with a strong running game behind Travis Etienne and his 1500 yard season. The Tigers having a duel attack against the Ohio State defense is imperative for success.
On defense, Butkus Award winner, Isaiah Simmons, leads a Clemson defense that allows 3.96 yards per play. The only team better is Ohio State.
The Buckeyes’ quarterback, Justin Fields, was in the same Elite 11 class as Lawrence. The UGA transfer has 40 touchdowns and one interception on the season. He’ll need to avoid pressure from Clemson’s front seven. Fields was sacked five times in their Big Ten Championship game win over Wisconsin.
Like Clemson, Ohio State has a horse for the course in the backfield. JK Dobbins rushed for 1,829 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Defensively, Chase Young has made himself a household name. Statistically, Young’s last two game has been subpar but teams have schemed for him which opens others on defense. Collapsing the pocket from the inside impacts all quarterbacks but the Buckeyes will also need to get some impact plays from the ends whether it’s Young or not.
Prediction: Ohio State +2
