The Clemson Tigers take on the LSU Tigers in the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday, Jan. 13, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, and Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson knows who he is taking.
“I’m riding with the real tigers,” Watson told reporters Tuesday.
Why not? The former 2017 first-round pick led Clemson to its first CFP championship and first overall college football championship since 1981 with a thrilling 35-31 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2016 CFP title game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
“I’m riding with my Tigers and that’s what we’re going to do,” Watson said. “We’re going to be ready for that moment. We’ve been there multiple times. Those guys know that the opportunities don’t come every year and they got another opportunity to be back to back and go 15-0 again. So, those guys will be ready and it’ll be fun to watch.”
Clemson is the defending national champion with a 44-16 drubbing of the Tide in last year’s title game played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. While Clemson features a big game quarterback of their own in Trevor Lawrence, who has picked up the mantle Watson left behind, LSU has their own talented signal caller in Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow.