The Clemson Tigers and the LSU Tigers will meet on Monday night for the national championship in college football. This is actually a rematch of the 1958 Sugar Bowl, which LSU won (en route to one of their three national championships). LSU has won all three of their national championships (1958, 2003, 2007) in New Orleans — and this year’s game is at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. LSU comes in to the national championship with an abundance of confidence: they have beaten Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Florida and Texas this year, not to mention Oklahoma in the national semifinal, in a 63-28 rout. Clemson comes into the game on a 29-game winning streak, and their biggest wins came over Texas A&M in non-conference play, and then over Ohio State in the national semifinal, coming back to win, 29-23. LSU is the favorite, but there are several questions to consider as you plan your 2020 National Championship betting strategy.
How to Bet the 2020 National Championship Game
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What role will the lines for both teams play?
LSU has a tremendous defensive line, anchored by nose tackle Tyler Shelton, who is surrounded by ends and tackles who clog holes in the running games and get after the passer. Clemson’s offensive line struggled early against the Ohio State front seven, but over the course of the game, they were able to open holes and give Trevor Lawrence time in the pocket. That had more to do with their depth than outstanding talent in any individual, as they had two and often three linemen at each position to shuffle back and forth. Clemson will try to wear out LSU’s defensive front; it certainly did not work for Oklahoma, but could it work for Clemson?
Will the 16 days between the semifinals and the championship play a factor?
There have been years when the semifinals were just a week before the championship; this 16-day break is unprecedented. The regular season had two bye weeks in it, which pushed things back, and other factors, such as working around the NFL playoffs and having New Year’s Day in the middle of the week, set the calendar like it is.
Clemson should benefit from this more than LSU. LSU basically skated to their win over Oklahoma, with the game not really competitive after the first quarter. Clemson and Ohio State played a physically grueling game for all four quarters. Player after player went out of the game due to the huge hits that they were taking, only to come back in after being treated. Having the long rest allows bruises to heal and their bodies to rest. If there is one team likely to come in rusty, it would be LSU, because they didn’t have to work all that hard to beat Oklahoma, giving overconfidence plenty of time to build.
Which quarterback (Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence or LSU’s Joe Burrow) do you trust more in this game?
Trevor Lawrence is a winner — and has been at all levels. Joe Burrow is having the best statistical season in recent memory. If you blitz Burrow, he stands in and fires a dart into a tight window. Lawrence showed some toughness in the win over Ohio State that we had not seen before. His play was not all that great before he got that helmet-to-helmet hit. After that, he found a new gear, rumbling for a 67-yard touchdown run and leading that four-play, 94-yard drive to win the game in the waning minutes.
Trevor Lawrence has big-game experience, winning a national championship last year under pressure against Alabama. I’m not saying that I trust him more than Burrow, but there are some who think that LSU will roll over Clemson, after seeing the early struggles that Clemson had against Ohio State. I think that collective punch in the mouth that Clemson took from the Buckeyes has prepared them for this title game.
I’m picking Clemson to cover against a 5 ½-point spread. I’m also picking them to win straight up — but I see this game coming down to the final possession.
