The matchup is set in stone for January the 13th: The No.1 ranked Louisiana State University Tigers vs the defending champion Clemson University Tigers from New Orleans; longshot Joe Burrow vs the golden boy Trevor Lawrence; LSU’s No.1 scoring offense of 48.9 PPG vs Clemson’s No.1 scoring defense of 11.5 PPG; for the national title. It’s a tale of two teams that got here in completely different ways; preseason No.6 and current No.1 LSU defeating 5 top 10 teams amidst a murderers’ row of a schedule en route to a 63-28 demolition job of a semi against Oklahoma, versus preseason No.1 and current No.3 Clemson’s cupcake of a schedule in the weak ACC before a thrilling comeback 29-23 win in the semifinal against No.2 Ohio State. Clemson tries to win its 30th game and second national title in a row while LSU attempts to nab its first title since 2007 and become the first team to win the championship in its first appearance in the College Football Playoff (aside from Ohio State in the inaugural edition). In what is set to be an all-time classic, both teams field some of the best squads of the decade, and we compare them here.

QB Play:

This CFP championship rivals only last year’s duel of Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa vs Clemson’s own Trevor Lawrence in terms of QB talent. LSU’s Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy and threw a CFP-record 7 TD passes in the win over OU, and he threw them all in the first half. Lawrence overcame a shaky start to the season, with 14 TDs and 8 picks through 7 games and has 22 TDs and no interceptions in his last 7, looking like the second-best QB in the nation since then behind only Burrow. Burrow destroyed Heisman runner-up Jalen Hurts in the semifinal and has thrown 55 touchdowns to  6 interceptions this season, with 22 TDs and just 2 picks in 6 games against top 10 teams this season. LSU has the best QB in the nation this season, but Clemson’s signal-caller is a close second.

Coaching:

Clemson has been coached by Dabo Swinney since 2009, and in that time they have won 2 national titles (2016, 2018), 6 ACC championships (2011, 2015-2019), and have not lost since the 2017 CFP semifinal against Nick Saban and Alabama, becoming the first team in CFB history to go 15-0 in 2018 with a 44-16 championship game win over favored Alabama. LSU’s Ed Orgeron has coached the team since filling in as an interim in 2016 and has brought the program from a 2-2 start when he took over in 2016 and an eventual 8-4 record and No.13 ranking to their current 14-0 powerhouse of a team. However, Orgeron lacks the accolades and experience of Swinney, thus giving Clemson the advantage.

Experience:

While LSU has been tested far more in the SEC than Clemson in the ACC, Clemson is the defending champion and has already shown that they can beat the best of the best on multiple occasions. The magnitude of the situation hasn’t seemed to faze LSU, however, so as of now it could go either way. Right now, based on their national title experience, Clemson has the advantage.

Résumé:

Clemson has 3 ranked wins, having beaten No.12 Texas A&M 24-10, No.23 Virginia 62-17 in the ACC Championship Game, and No.2 Ohio State 29-23 in the semifinal. Not a bad slate by any means, but it pales in comparison to LSU’s gauntlet. They have beaten:

@ No.9 Texas 45-38

No.7 Florida 42-28

No.9 Auburn 23-20

@ No.3 Alabama 46-41

No.4 Georgia 37-10 (SEC Championship)

No.4 Oklahoma 63-28 (CFP Semifinal/Peach Bowl)

They have faced the storm and rolled through it with ease, almost effortlessly at times. Advantage LSU.

Prediction:

Clemson has the experience and accolades, but this LSU offense and Joe Burrow is unlike almost anything we’ve ever seen.

No.1 LSU def No.3 Clemson 30-27