Welcome to Before The Snap, For The Win’s college football show where we’ll break down the sport’s trending storylines, examine each week’s biggest matchups and track the College Football Playoff and Heisman Trophy races.
The College Football Playoff is finally here! So by the time Saturday night ends, the college football world will know which two teams will be facing off on January 13 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
The two playoff games, played in the Peach Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl, are back-to-back Saturday with No. 1 LSU playing No. 4 Oklahoma and then No. 2 Ohio State taking on No. 3 Clemson. Should the two Tigers teams win, Clemson will play for its third title in four years, while LSU will play for its first national championship since 2007.
Let’s break down the two games.
College Football Playoff Semifinal: Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl
Who: No. 4 Oklahoma (12-1) vs. No. 1 LSU (13-0)
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
When: Saturday, December 28, 4 p.m. ET
Spread: LSU -13.5
Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow is obviously the star of the show here with his 77.9 completion percentage, and with almost a month to prepare, he should have no issue taking apart Oklahoma’s defense, even if it is ranked at the top of the Big 12. On the other side, the key for the Sooners is about more than quarterback and Heisman finalist Jalen Hurts. While Hurts can beat just about anyone on the ground, he needs to connect with star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb as much as possible. The Tigers are ranked 57th nationally in yards per game allowed and are giving up 12.53 yards per completion. Their defense isn’t what LSU fans have been used to, and to have a chance at winning, Oklahoma needs to take advantage.
However, both teams may not be at full strength. For LSU, top running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is questionable for the playoff game as he recovers form a hamstring injury. For Oklahoma, defensive lineman Ronnie Perkins, running back Rhamondre Stevenson and wide receiver Trejan Bridges are suspended for at least the semifinal game.
FTW prediction: LSU
College Football Playoff Semifinal: Playstation Fiesta Bowl
Who: No. 3 Clemson (13-0) vs. No. 2 Ohio State (13-0)
Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
When: Saturday, December 28, 8 p.m. ET
Spread: Clemson -2.5
As Clemson coach Dabo Swinney recently pointed out, these two teams are “mirror images” of each other, more or less. Both teams are among the top five nationally in total offense, total defense, scoring offense and scoring defense, defensive yards per play and first downs.
More than Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence — who has never lost a college football game — running back Travis Etienne could be the key to a win for the Tigers. He has 1,500 yards this season with 17 touchdowns and 8.2 yards per attempt. If he’s on, Clemson’s offense could do some serious damage. For Ohio State, Heisman finalist Chase Young could change the course of the game. He leads the nation with 16.5 sacks this season in 11 games, but he’s been a little inconsistent as of late, and Lawrence has only been sacked 12 times this season.
FTW prediction: Ohio State
