Tag: College Football Playoff National Championship

Ohio State vs Alabama: CFP National Championship Final Thoughts, What Will Happen

The final thoughts, a few predictions, and some investment advice for Ohio State vs Alabama College Football Playoff National Championship.

The final thoughts, a few predictions, and some investment advice for the Ohio State vs Alabama College Football Playoff National Championship to make your life a heck of a lot better than it currently is. 

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– Contact/Follow @PeteFiutak

This is all just for spits, giggles, and entertainment purposes only. However, just in case you dabble …

In any normal time I’m in Miami right now doing this either 15 minutes before hitting the bar or way, way after in the wee hours of the AM. Either way, I’d be warm instead of being stuck in this snow-infested place I’m forced to live in because of various people in my house who don’t leave, and …

By the way, tonight I’m doing my annual Stream of Consciousness Game Notes as it all goes on. Check back, be entertained, and then move on.

– 2017 Georgia vs. Alabama Game Comments
– 2018 Clemson vs. Alabama Game Comments
– 2019 LSU vs Clemson Game Comments

I’ve been obnoxious about this, and I’m going to keep bringing it up until the College Football Gods hear my cries. We need a good game.

No, we need an epic national championship, because the bowl season was SO awful and SO boring and SO worthless – at least to the general public – compared to how amazing the NFL Wild Card weekend was. This is our chance to take the big sports narrative back. Ohio State and Alabama, save our 2020-2021 college football bowl season.

By my rough count, 15 of the last 16 radio/video/TV appearances I’ve done ended up devolving into an argument about talent level, as if Alabama is about to take on Akron.

This is OHIO FREAKING STATE. You know, tons of superstars, beats Michigan every year, joyless fan base … OHIO STATE. This isn’t some rising star program or Little Engine That Could story. This is one of the baddest of the bad boys on the block, and it has every bit as much talent across the board as Bama.

There aren’t any excuses. If the Tide lose, I don’t want to hear Alabama fans whining about Ohio State only playing seven games before this. This is really Game 2 for the Buckeyes – the team was never right all season, and it still isn’t. It’s still getting used to playing with all of its parts – I’ll rephrase that … nah. Alabama go win this.

If Ohio State loses, I don’t want to hear about Justin Fields’ ribs, or that Player X couldn’t go, or because there was some sort of delay, or there should’ve been one, or whatever. Ohio State, go win this.

What are we missing? LSU over Clemson last year was obvious. Notre Dame getting whacked around by Bama in this season’s CFP semifinal was obvious. Clemson obliterating Alabama in Santa Clara … not obvious. Ohio State rolling past Clemson in this season’s CFP semifinal … not obvious, but we should’ve seen that coming.

What’s one thing we’re missing? Ohio State is going to be every bit as laser-focused – if not more so – than lives-on-process-and-focus Alabama.

Give Ryan Day this as a head coach. Since he started, he has made certain that his team doesn’t let up for a moment – he wasn’t going to let the Buckeyes suffer the types of letdowns that were so costly in the two years before he took over.

That’s been rougher to do this year, but be shocked if Ohio State doesn’t look and play with the same Sugar Bowl attitude it had against Clemson.

What’s the one thing we might not see coming? Alabama has yet to have any semblance of a clunker. What happens if and when Mac Jones gets rattled around a bit? What happens if Ohio State’s Shaun Wade really is able to show off his NFL corner skills on DeVonta Smith and slow him down? Bama handled a little adversity against Florida, but not really.

I feel like we’re all prepared for anything but Ohio State rolling with a dominant performance. No matter what, I feel like my postgame column will start, “How Did We All Possibly Miss (blank)?”

A 9-6 defensive slugfest. I’m not prepare for that. I demand 52-46. I want a repeat of the SEC Championship.

The line opened at Bama -7, and it got hammered almost instantly to get it up to -8.5. I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t start rolling back down to about 7.5 before game time.

I like the over on the 75. You like the over on the 75. We all love the over on the 75 because it’s what we want. It’s what we expect out of these two offenses. That’s still a massive number to hit no matter what. This could be a whole lot of fun and still finish 38-34.

Back to what we’re all missing … Alabama vs both Ole Miss and Florida. It’s not like the Tide faced a ton of high-powered offenses. Sure, LSU had its moments, and Georgia had a certain charm before JT Daniels took over, and Texas A&M had its style and talent, but Ole Miss and Florida were the two teams with some firepower, and they each put up good numbers against the Tide.

The Ohio State defense doesn’t get enough credit. Yes, the pass defense is statistically bad. The run defense has been terrific, and this group can apply a whole lot of pressure, even if it doesn’t bring the sacks.

Trivia time, and almost no one gets this outside of the most die-hard of Bama types. Name the star winning quarterbacks in each of the College Football Playoff national championships.

Going backwards … Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, I’ll allow for Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa, Deshaun Watson, and then … there’s your road block.

Jacob Coker. He took Alabama to the national title to end the 2015 season, and Cardale Jones did it the year before for Ohio State. The point?

Justin Fields is the best player on the field. Argue this all you want, but he’s almost certainly the first guy from this game to be taken in the NFL Draft. This has to be his moment. He has to be The Guy. He has to be Joe, and Trevor, and Tua, and Deshaun.

Alabama can win this with Mac Jones being Jacob Coker, even though Jones really is good enough to be The Guy.

By the way, that’s not fair. Coker threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns with no picks in the national title win over Clemson in Glendale – he made big play after big play. He had some Derrick Henry guy to hand off to, but he was still fantastic. Cardale Jones only threw for 242 against Oregon, and Tua and Jalen combined for 187 against Georgia.

Alabama should be so lucky for Jones to have the day Coker had. However, Jones might have to hit 400 to win this.

Gut feeling … the big underdog role works with this Ohio State team. As if being in the national championship isn’t enough, after that emotional win over Clemson, this is just the sort of thing that can be that oomph to keep that all going.

The SEC Championship spooked me. That Ole Miss game spooked me. I think Bama is way overdue for a letdown that’s not Santa Clara, but enough to be on the wrong side of the fight.

I won’t argue in any way, shape or form if you think Alabama is going to win. There’s no real argument in the toughest call for a national championship in the College Football Playoff era. Even the ones I missed – Clemson over Bama for its two titles – didn’t have a whole lot of drama in the decision, even though the picks were wrong.

I can be swung either way, and I won’t be shocked by any outcome at this point. So my oh-too-tortured call …

Ohio State wins outright in a showcase of offensive fireworks that will make this the new standard of fun national championships.

I hope … at least on the fun national championship side. I just want a really, really, really good game. We all deserve it.

– CFN Ohio State vs Alabama Preview, Prediction

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10 Best CFP National Championship Predictions, Best Bets, Props: Ohio State vs Alabama

What ten Ohio State vs Alabama College Football Playoff National Championship predictions appear to be the best bets and picks?

What ten Ohio State vs Alabama College Football Playoff National Championship predictions appear to be the best bets and picks?

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– Contact/Follow @PeteFiutak

It’s Ohio State vs. Alabama.

It’s big-time vs. big-time, and we all want and need a really, really good college football game to close out the 2020 season.

Here are the ten best-looking prop bets, predictions, and big picks for tonight’s showdown. Warning … there’s a crossing of the streams here.

Value means as much or more here as anything else – so there will be a few contradictions. Let these confirm, deny, or help you in some way go with your already held beliefs.

Happy College Football Playoff National Championship night.

10. First score of the game an Alabama TD

LINE: +140
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line

Of course the first score might be a weird safety, or some quirky special teams or defensive touchdown, but that’s unlikely.

Alabama has managed to score the first in 11 of its 12 games, and in the one time it didn’t – the win over Ole Miss – its first points came on a touchdown. Three times, Bama scored first on a field goal, but the overwhelming number is on the side of scoring a touchdown first.

Clemson scored a touchdown first to open up the scoring against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, and Northwestern got the first touchdown – but the Buckeyes scored first on a field goal – in the Big Ten Championship.

Nebraska opened up the season with a touchdown drive on the Buckeye D.

Go Bama. Roll the first touchdown as the first score of the game.

9. Alabama QB Mac Jones over 365.5 passing yards

LINE: -110
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line

Oh why not?

Jones having an awful day is the one thing no one seems to be thinking about, and obviously this is a big number to hit no matter what, but how many times has he thrown for over 365 yards this year?

Now as many as you might think – six of the 12. However, that Trevor Lawrence guy hit Ohio State for 400 and Indiana’s Michael Penix cranked up 491. Even ol’ Rutgers went for 232.

There’s no real value at -110, but if you like Bama, you’re probably going to with some big stat pick like this anyway.

But if you’re going for the play that favors the bigger odds …

8. Ohio State money line and over 59.5

LINE: +360
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line

It’s the same +360 if you’re going for 59.5 or 60.5, and you might as well get the extra value for that one more point from Ohio State on the money line and Over 58.5 at +340.

There’s far better value on this at Ohio State on the money line and with each team scoring 30 or more – more on that later – but if you think Ohio State is going to win, it’s probably going to be some sort of an offensive show both ways. And if it’s not, 59.5 isn’t asking for the world, here.

Remember, the Clemson obliteration of Bama in Santa Clara was 44-16.

7. Alabama RB Brian Robinson over 19.5 rushing yards

LINE: -105
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line

There’s no value, but if you have an inkling …

The Ohio State run defense is terrific. It held Clemson to just 44 yards on the ground, gave up 44 to Penn State, too, and Indiana cranked up one fewer yard than you did – it netted -1 in the 42-35 loss – back in November.

Robinson has gone over 19.5 yards eight times, but he didn’t get there against Florida in the SEC Championship or against Notre Dame. All it takes, though, is one big dash, and if this somehow turns into any sort of Bama blowout, he’ll get the ball late.

6. Alabama RB Najee Harris to score the first TD

LINE: +325
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line

Going back to the first item on the list at No. 10. Alabama has scored first in 11 of the 12 games, and it scored the first touchdown in nine of the 12. Out of those nine, how many games did Najee Harris score the first TD on the first score of the contest?

Five.

At +325, he’s worth the flier.

NEXT: Top 5 CFP National Championship Predictions, Best Bets, Props

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Ohio State vs Alabama: College Football Playoff National Championship Prediction, Game Preview

Ohio State vs Alabama College Football Playoff National Championship prediction, breakdown and game preview.

Ohio State vs Alabama College Football Playoff National Championship prediction and game preview.

Ohio State vs Alabama: College Football Playoff National Championship Broadcast

Date: Monday, January 11, 2021
Game Time: 8:00
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Network: ESPN

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Ohio State (7-0) vs Alabama (12-0) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the NFL, go to BetMGM 

Three Reasons Why You Should Watch The College Football Playoff National Championship

– It’s Ohio State playing against Alabama. They’re two of the mightiest of the mighty college football programs, and at the moment – along with Clemson – they’re part of the three teams going that can reasonably set the expectations at the unrealistic national-title-or-failure level going into each campaign.

And yet, these two – and their 25 claimed national championship between them – going at it almost seems like a bit of a twist.

This was the fourth appearance in the College Football Playoff for Ohio State, it’s the sixth trip to the tournament in seven chances for Alabama, and yet in the CFP the two only met in the classic 42-35 Buckeye Sugar Bowl semifinal win in 2015.

Overall, it’s only the fifth meeting all-time with Alabama holding a 3-1 lead.

– Alabama has been unstoppable. It’s Nick Saban’s finest offense yet with a Heisman-finalist-to-Heisman-winner passing combination of QB Mac Jones and WR DeVonta Smith to go along with a running back in Najee Harris who finished sixth in the voting. How good is this attack? Arguably the team’s best player – WR Jaylen Waddle; more on him in a moment – went down early with an ankle injury, and the machine kept on rolling.

The Tide geared down in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame, scoring 14 points out of the gate and cruising from there.

In between that and a 38-19 win over Missouri to start the season, the Tide scored 41 or more in every other game, the defense has been terrific – outside of the 52-46 SEC Championship fight with Florida and a fight with Ole Miss – and everything is in place for Saban to win his seventh national championship as a head coach. However, his 2009 team was the only one that finished a season unbeaten.

– Can Ohio State gear up the energy, emotion, and attitude again? It waited a full year to get another crack at the College Football Playoff after losing in painful fashion to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl to end the 2019 season, and it played at a whole other level in the stunning 49-28 win in the Sugar Bowl.

Motivation can only carry a team so far – these Buckeyes have the talent, too.

Alabama might have the household, superstar names, but Ohio State has QB Justin Fields – who’s coming off his epic six-touchdown pass performance against Clemson – and it has every bit as much NFL talent as the team on the other side of the field.

The problem this year was continuity. The program could never get to 100% after a mediocre start, most of its offensive line was missing late in the year, and 22 players were out for the Big Ten Championship against Northwestern. The Clemson game was as close to normal as it’s been for these Buckeyes, and that’s the X factor in this year’s CFP.

We didn’t quite know what this team was capable of because we hadn’t seen it. It’s now all coming together at just the right time.

College Football Playoff National Championship
Why Ohio State will win the national title
Why Alabama will win the national title
What’s Going to Happen, Prediction, History

NEXT: Why Ohio State Will Win, Why Alabama Will Win, College Football Playoff National Championship Prediction

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Ohio State vs Alabama: College Football Playoff National Championship Prediction, Game Preview

Ohio State vs Alabama College Football Playoff National Championship prediction, breakdown and game preview.

Ohio State vs Alabama College Football Playoff National Championship prediction and game preview.

Ohio State vs Alabama: College Football Playoff National Championship Broadcast

Date: Monday, January 11, 2021
Game Time: 8:00
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Network: ESPN

[jwplayer UXbbEXKf]

– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Ohio State (7-0) vs Alabama (12-0) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the NFL, go to BetMGM 

Three Reasons Why You Should Watch The College Football Playoff National Championship

– It’s Ohio State playing against Alabama. They’re two of the mightiest of the mighty college football programs, and at the moment – along with Clemson – they’re part of the three teams going that can reasonably set the expectations at the unrealistic national-title-or-failure level going into each campaign.

And yet, these two – and their 25 claimed national championship between them – going at it almost seems like a bit of a twist.

This was the fourth appearance in the College Football Playoff for Ohio State, it’s the sixth trip to the tournament in seven chances for Alabama, and yet in the CFP the two only met in the classic 42-35 Buckeye Sugar Bowl semifinal win in 2015.

Overall, it’s only the fifth meeting all-time with Alabama holding a 3-1 lead.

– Alabama has been unstoppable. It’s Nick Saban’s finest offense yet with a Heisman-finalist-to-Heisman-winner passing combination of QB Mac Jones and WR DeVonta Smith to go along with a running back in Najee Harris who finished sixth in the voting. How good is this attack? Arguably the team’s best player – WR Jaylen Waddle; more on him in a moment – went down early with an ankle injury, and the machine kept on rolling.

The Tide geared down in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame, scoring 14 points out of the gate and cruising from there.

In between that and a 38-19 win over Missouri to start the season, the Tide scored 41 or more in every other game, the defense has been terrific – outside of the 52-46 SEC Championship fight with Florida and a fight with Ole Miss – and everything is in place for Saban to win his seventh national championship as a head coach. However, his 2009 team was the only one that finished a season unbeaten.

– Can Ohio State gear up the energy, emotion, and attitude again? It waited a full year to get another crack at the College Football Playoff after losing in painful fashion to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl to end the 2019 season, and it played at a whole other level in the stunning 49-28 win in the Sugar Bowl.

Motivation can only carry a team so far – these Buckeyes have the talent, too.

Alabama might have the household, superstar names, but Ohio State has QB Justin Fields – who’s coming off his epic six-touchdown pass performance against Clemson – and it has every bit as much NFL talent as the team on the other side of the field.

The problem this year was continuity. The program could never get to 100% after a mediocre start, most of its offensive line was missing late in the year, and 22 players were out for the Big Ten Championship against Northwestern. The Clemson game was as close to normal as it’s been for these Buckeyes, and that’s the X factor in this year’s CFP.

We didn’t quite know what this team was capable of because we hadn’t seen it. It’s now all coming together at just the right time.

College Football Playoff National Championship
Why Ohio State will win the national title
Why Alabama will win the national title
What’s Going to Happen, Prediction, History

NEXT: Why Ohio State Will Win, Why Alabama Will Win, College Football Playoff National Championship Prediction

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Alabama early favorite over Ohio State in College Football Playoff Championship game according to BetMGM

The early odds are out for the College Football Playoff national championship game, and Ohio State is an early underdog to Alabama.

Ohio State skinned the Clemson cat on Friday night and now looks ahead to lower the Tide in Miami for the national championship. It’s been a twisting, turning, eventful 2020 college football season, and the fact that we’re right here on the doorstep of the final, and biggest game of the season about a week away seems unbelievable and surreal.

But here we are. The Buckeyes proved all the media, hype-machines, narratives, and oddsmakers wrong by blasting Clemson by 21 points, and now they must do the same with Alabama.

The early line on the CFP national championship game is set and Ohio State is a prohibitive underdog once again. In fact, according to BetMGM, the Crimson Tide are favored by -7.5 points.

 Odds courtesy of BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks. 

Being a dog against souther teams is nothing new for Ohio State. At the end of the 2002 season, the Miami Hurricanes were favored by two touchdowns, Alabama was favored significantly in the Sugar Bowl in 2014, and we all know about what occurred Friday night in New Orleans.

However, this Alabama team does seem to be one on a roll, and it’ll take everything the Buckeyes have, and maybe then some, to pull off yet another upset.

But, we’ve seen this movie before, and if there’s one team that has the physicality and athletes to match man for man against the Tide, it’s this OUS team.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage

 

2020-2021 Bowl Projections, College Football Playoff Predictions: Spring Version

CollegeFootballNews.com bowl projections and College Football Playoff schedule and predictions: 2020 spring version

CollegeFootballNews.com bowl projections and College Football Playoff schedule and predictions: 2020 spring version

Oh, why the heck not?

We’re living in absurd times, so let’s just get even weirder.

Will there actually be a 2020 college football season?

Uhhhhh … not sure.

Will there be a full bowl slate if there is some sort of a season?

Uhhhhh …

Are all of the conferences bowl tie-ins locked in yet?

The Power Fives are, but the Group of Five situation is extremely loose.

Who cares? It’s fun offseason stuff that – if this all actually happens – probably isn’t too terribly far from the pin.

There are a whole slew of ground rules and new contracted deals for the 2020-2021 bowl season. Here are the main ones.

– The College Football Playoff will be the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. The Orange Bowl has to take an ACC team – the next-highest ranked ACC team will get in if the champion is in the CFP – and Notre Dame can’t take the league’s spot. Otherwise, the non-CFP New Year’s Six games are wide open.

– As always, every Power Five conference champ will at least be in a New Year’s Six game, and the top-ranked Group of Five champion will be in, too, or in the College Football Playoff.

– Again, most of the Group of Five bowl tie-ins are still up in the air. There are 16 ESPN owned and operated bowls with a whole lot of holes to fill – that’s where the available American Athletic, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, and Sun Belt teams come in. An eligible BYU will take one of them, and then it’ll be all about the top matchups and best geographic possibilities.

Let’s just do this already. If you don’t see your team on here, don’t sweat it. We’ll do this exercise again later this summer, and we’ll adapt and adjust as we go.

CFN in 60: Spring College Football Playoff Projections
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2020-2021 Bowl Projections, College Football Playoff Predictions

– Future College Football Playoff Sites & Dates
– All of the 2020-2021 bowl tie-ins

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

Games listed alphabetically until all the dates are announced 

Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Big 12 vs. SEC
Spring Projection: TCU vs. Tennessee
Last Season: Texas A&M 24, Oklahoma State 21

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN
Big 12 vs. SEC 
Spring Projection: Baylor vs. Mississippi State
Last Season: Navy 20, Kansas State 17

Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
SEC vs. ACC (or American Athletic)
Spring Projection: Syracuse vs. Houston 
Last Season: UCF 48, Marshall 25

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Bahamas Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Thomas Robinson National Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas
Conference USA vs. MAC
Spring Projection: Southern Miss vs. Northern Illinois
Last Season: Buffalo 31, Charlotte 9

Belk Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
ACC vs. SEC
Spring Projection: Virginia vs. South Carolina 
Last Season: Kentucky 37, Virginia Tech 30

Camellia Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Spring Projection: Buffalo vs. Louisiana
Last Season: Arkansas State 34, FIU 26

Camping World Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
ACC vs. Big 12
Spring Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State
Last Season: Notre Dame 33, Iowa State 9

Cheez-It Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Big Ten vs. Big 12 
Spring Projection: Michigan State vs. West Virginia 
Last Season: Air Force 31, Washington State 21

Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Howard Schnellenberger Field at FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
American Athletic or Conference USA or MAC
Spring Projection: Temple vs. Marshall
Last Season: Florida Atlantic 52, SMU 28

Cure Bowl

Saturday, December 19
CBS Sports Network
Exploria Stadium, Orlando, FL
American Athletic or MAC or Sun Belt
Spring Projection: SMU vs. Toledo
Last Season: Liberty 23, Georgia Southern 16

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Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Date Coming
ESPN
Lyle Smith Field at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID
MAC vs. Mountain West
Spring Projection: Miami University vs. Air Force
Last Season: Ohio 30, Nevada 21

NEXT: 2020-2021 New Year’s Six Bowl Projections, Spring Version, Part 2

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Joe Burrow’s record-breaking CFP national championship game caps his magical season

Joe Burrow carried LSU to a perfect 15-0 season.

Joe Burrow entered the College Football Playoff National Championship game on the verge of breaking a couple records, and, given the way he played throughout the season, in-game marks seemed like they were his to take.

Leading No. 1 LSU to a 42-25 victory over No. 3 Clemson, the defending national champs, late Monday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Burrow capped his spectacular season with a dominant performance college football fans have come to expect from the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner.

Coming into the game with an astounding 77.6 completion percentage, 5,208 passing yards and 55 touchdown passes, Burrow lived up to all expectations.

Against Clemson, he threw 31-for-49 for 463 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for 58 yard and another touchdown, and in the process, he broke these records, according to ESPN:

    • Most touchdown passes in a single season: 60
    • Most touchdowns responsible for in a single season: 65
    • Most passing yards in a BCS/CFP championship game: 463
    • Most touchdowns responsible for in a BCS/CFP championship game: 6

And this was after he shattered several records a couple weeks ago against No. 4 Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff semifinal game.

LSU also finished with a perfect 15-0 record, a first for an SEC team, according to ESPN Stats & Info. It was the Tigers’ fourth national championship and first since 2007.

Connecting with tight end Thaddeus Moss for their second touchdown play of the game with a little more than five minutes left in the third quarter, Burrow officially broke the single-season record for passing touchdowns. This play gave LSU a 35-25 lead, as the team pulled away from the defending champions.

It came immediately after a controversial moment in the game when Clemson linebacker James Skalski was ejected for targeting.

Burrow also ran for a three-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-goal with about nine minutes left in the first half when LSU trailed, and he helped shrink the deficit to 17-14 before his team exploded at the end of the quarter to take a 28-17 halftime lead.

In only his second season with LSU after transferring from Ohio State, Burrow looked like an entirely different player this season compared with last, when his completion percentage was at 57.8 and threw for 2,894 yards and only 16 touchdowns.

But this time around, he was a lock for the Heisman Trophy weeks before the ceremony in early December. He’s only thrown six interceptions this year, and his last one was in mid-November during a beatdown of Ole Miss.

He dazzled college football fans throughout the season, escaping sacks and extending plays with one jaw-dropping performance after another. And the national championship game was no different, finishing off a magical season for LSU.

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9 potential Chargers to watch during College Football Playoff National Championship

Gavino Borquez lays out nine potential Los Angeles Chargers fans should watch during the College Football Playoff National Championship.

All eyes will be glued to the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship game, where the LSU Tigers take on the Clemson Tigers on Monday night.

While many will be watching it for entertainment purposes, there will be plenty of NFL caliber talent on the field that are worth keeping an eye out for.

With that, here are nine players that the Los Angeles Chargers could be scouting tonight:

Norm Hall/Getty Images

LB/S Isaiah Simmons, Clemson (#11)

Simmons possesses the traits that defensive coordinator Gus Bradley would drool over. His size and speed give him incredible play-making potential. Simmons’ ability to play up in the box, back deep in coverage, or work out of the slot in man coverage make him a versatile Day 1 starter that would make out to be one of the most deadly tandems in the league between him and safety Derwin James.

WR Tee Higgins, Clemson (#5)

The Chargers will be in the market for a WR3 this offseason. Should they look to address the position early on, Higgins is a player that could be available in Round 2. Higgins, the 6-foot-3 and 205 pound wideout, is a physically imposing individual with long arms and great length, which enables him to excel in 50-50 balls.

WR Justin Jefferson, LSU (#2)

Jefferson isn’t going to win with pure speed, but he will with his good understanding of his body and how to play to his strengths to get open. He can win off the line of scrimmage with detailed movements at the line of scrimmage, can make tough catches, is a good outlet given his catch radius and hand strength when reeling in the ball, and can break tackles after the catch.

CB A.J. Terrell, Clemson (#8)

The Chargers will likely be looking for a cornerback to compliment Casey Hayward on the outside this offseason. Terrell, the 6-foot-1 and 192 pound corner, has a great blend of height and length for the position. He has top-notch long speed to stay on the hip of opposing wide receivers, while showing great eye discipline to stay intact with the quarterback and the route. Once the ball is thrown, he disrupts passing lanes using his long arms, making life tough on receivers.

RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU (#22)

Depending on what happens with Melvin Gordon, the Chargers could be looking to round out the backfield. As a runner, Edwards-Helaire has good patience, balance and lateral explosion and burst. A powerful, downhill back with some wiggle to slip through tackles, Edwards-Helaire constantly keeps his legs churning upon contact and can push the pile for additional yardage. He also offers some value as a pass-catcher, showing reliable hands and refined routes out of the backfield.

OG John Simpson, Clemson (#74)

The interior part of the offensive line needs an upgrade this offseason, and Simpson would be a great addition. Simpson, the 6-foot-4 and 336 pound guard, possesses the competitiveness and character that the Chargers would covet. The former high school state wrestler has extremely strong hands and does whatever it takes to finish his blocks as a run blocker. He has a really powerful anchor and sound technique in pass protection.

LB Patrick Queen, LSU (#8)

The Chargers found a gem in Drue Tranquill in last year’s draft. Should they look to find another one and round out the linebacker room, Queen should be in consideration. He possesses good change of direction, sideline-to-sideline ability, short area burst, lateral agility, and reactive athleticism to make plays against the run. In a pass-happy league, Queen is a solid coverage defender where he’s smooth in his backpedal and can close passing windows efficiently.

DT Rashard Lawrence, LSU (#90)

The Chargers will be looking to add more beef up front, especially with Brandon Mebane’s tenure close to coming to an end. Lawrence is a disruptive, upfield player that can penetrate and use his active hands to get into the backfield to make plays. As a run defender, he’s a laterally quick player that can beat blockers to the gap or slide down the line to make plays. His effort and intensity can’t be questioned.

OT Tremayne Anchrum, Clemson (#73)

The Chargers will seeking to solidify the offensive line from the early rounds to the mid-late rounds. Anchrum, the 6-foot-2 and 312 pound, would fall under the mid-late round category, but he is a solid player who can offer position versatility. Anchrum projects well outside or inside at the next level based on his frame, aggression, athleticism, and finishing ability. Despite his length and size, he moves well in open space to fend off pass-rushers.

LSU made an absolutely jaw-dropping hype video for the CFP National Championship

Chills. Literally, chills.

When it comes to hype videos, LSU’s social media team really is the gold standard. From production quality to content, it’s tough to imagine any college football team topping LSU’s social videos anytime soon.

And after Thursday’s LSU hype video, other team accounts shouldn’t even bother trying.

With four days to go until LSU faces Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship in New Orleans, the LSU Football Twitter account released a hype video that honestly could have been mistaken for a big-budget film trailer.

Seriously, you don’t even need to have a rooting interest in LSU for this video to get you ready to run through a wall.

The video was narrated by New Orleans native and freaking Falcon from the MCU, Anthony Mackie, and it hit a next level once the music transitioned into Fast Life Yungstaz’s “Swag Surfin.”

Between the narration, music and cinematography, LSU basically created the perfect hype video.

Your move, Clemson.

[jwplayer YgihEsh5-q2aasYxh]

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2019-2020 Bowl Schedule: Games, dates, times, TV and location

Everything you need to know about the upcoming college football bowl season.

College football bowl season is upon us, with a total of 40 games gracing the schedule between Dec. 20 and Jan. 13, when a national champion will be decided.

LSU, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Clemson are still vying for the College Football Playoff title. The other 74 teams will play over a 17-day span, starting with Buffalo and Charlotte in the Bahamas Bowl and ending with Louisiana and Miami Ohio in the LendingTree Bowl.

Here’s the full schedule for the 2019-2020 college football bowl season.

College Football Playoff National Championship

  • Date: Monday, Jan. 13, 2020
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: New Orleans, La.

Peach Bowl

  • Teams: No. 1 LSU vs. No. 4 Oklahoma
  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019
  • Time: 4 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Atlanta, Ga.

Top-ranked LSU had the most impressive resume in the nation, beating four teams ranked in the top 13 of the final College Football Playoff rankings.

The Tigers will take on an Oklahoma team led by former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts that sputtered a bit in early November but survived the season with just one loss, thanks to an overtime victory over Baylor in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Fiesta Bowl

  • Teams: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Clemson
  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Tempe, Ariz.

Ohio State getting the No. 2 seed matters because it has to face the tougher opponent in the semifinals — the Clemson Tigers. The Buckeyes are actually a small underdog in this game despite having the higher seed.

These two teams last met in the College Football Playoff in 2016, when Clemson blanked the Buckeyes 31-0 en route to a national title win over Alabama.

MORE: Find Official Bowl Game Tickets, Hospitality, and Fan Travel Packages at PrimeSport

Other New Year’s Six Bowls

Rose Bowl

  • Teams: Oregon vs. Wisconsin
  • Date: Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020
  • Location: Pasadena, Calif.
  • Time: 5 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN

Orange Bowl

  • Teams: Virginia vs. Florida
  • Date: Monday, Dec. 30, 2019
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Miami, Fla.

Sugar Bowl

  • Teams: Georgia vs. Baylor
  • Date: Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020
  • Time: 8:45 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: New Orleans

Cotton Bowl

  • Teams: Penn State vs. Memphis
  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019
  • Time: 12 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Arlington, Texas

Remaining bowl games in chronological order.

Bahamas Bowl

  • Teams: Buffalo vs. Charlotte
  • Date: Friday, Dec. 20, 2019
  • Time: 2 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Nassau, Bahamas

Frisco Bowl

  • Teams: Kent State vs. Utah State
  • Date: Friday, Dec. 20, 2019
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN 2
  • Location: Frisco, Texas

Cure Bowl

  • Teams: Liberty vs. Georgia Southern
  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019
  • Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: CBS Sports Network
  • Location: Orlando, Fla.

New Mexico Bowl

  • Teams: Central Michigan vs. San Diego State
  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019
  • Time: 2 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Albuquerque, N.M.

Boca Raton Bowl

  • Teams: Florida Atlantic vs. SMU
  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019
  • Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: ABC
  • Location: Boca Raton, Fla.

Camellia Bowl

  • Teams: FIU vs. Arkansas State
  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019
  • Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Montgomery, Ala.

Las Vegas Bowl

  • Teams: Boise State vs. Washington
  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: ABC
  • Location: Las Vegas

New Orleans Bowl

  • Teams: UAB vs. Appalachian State
  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: New Orleans, La.

Gasparilla Bowl

  • Teams: UCF vs. Marshall
  • Date: Monday, Dec. 23, 2019
  • Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Tampa, Fla.

Hawaii Bowl

  • Teams: Hawaii vs. BYU
  • Date: Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2019
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

Independence Bowl

  • Teams: Miami vs. Louisiana Tech
  • Date: Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019
  • Time: 4 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Shreveport, La.

Quick Lane Bowl

  • Teams: Eastern Michigan vs. Pitt
  • Date: Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Detroit

Military Bowl

  • Teams: Temple vs. North Carolina
  • Date: Friday, Dec. 27, 2019
  • Time: 12 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Annapolis, Md.

Pinstripe Bowl

  • Teams: Wake Forest vs. Michigan State
  • Date: Friday, Dec. 27, 2019
  • Time: 3:20 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: New York, NY

Texas Bowl

  • Teams: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M
  • Date: Friday, Dec. 27, 2019
  • Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Houston

Holiday Bowl

  • Teams: Iowa vs. USC
  • Date: Friday, Dec. 27, 2019
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • TV: FS1
  • Location: San Diego

Cheez-It Bowl

  • Teams: Air Force vs. Washington State
  • Date: Friday, Dec. 27, 2019
  • Time: 10: 15 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Phoenix

Camping World Bowl

  • Teams: Iowa State vs. Notre Dame
  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019
  • Time: 12 p.m. ET
  • TV: ABC
  • Location: Orlando, Fla.

First Responder Bowl

  • Teams: Western Kentucky vs. Western Michigan
  • Date: Monday, Dec. 30, 2019
  • Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Dallas, Texas

Music City Bowl

  • Teams: Louisville vs. Mississippi State
  • Date: Monday, Dec. 30, 2019
  • Time: 4 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Nashville, Tenn

Redbox Bowl

  • Teams: Illinois vs. Cal
  • Date: Monday, Dec. 30, 2019
  • Time: 4 p.m. ET
  • TV: FOX
  • Location: Santa Clara, Calif

Belk Bowl

  • Teams: Kentucky vs. Virginia Tech
  • Date: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019
  • Time: 12 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Charlotte, N.C.

Arizona Bowl

  • Teams: Georgia State vs. Wyoming
  • Date: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019
  • Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: CBS Sports Network
  • Location: Tucson, Ariz.

Sun Bowl

  • Teams: Florida State vs. Arizona State
  • Date: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019
  • Time: 2 p.m. ET
  • TV: CBS
  • Location: El Paso, Texas

Liberty Bowl

  • Teams: Navy vs. Kansas State
  • Date: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019
  • Time: 3:45 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Memphis, Tenn.

Alamo Bowl

  • Teams: Texas vs. Utah
  • Date: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: San Antonio, Texas

Citrus Bowl

  • Teams: Michigan vs. Alabama
  • Date: Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020
  • Time: 1 p.m. ET
  • TV: ABC
  • Location: Orlando, Fla.

Outback Bowl

  • Teams: Minnesota vs. Auburn
  • Date: Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020
  • Time: 1 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Tampa, Fla.

Birmingham Bowl

  • Teams: Boston College vs. Cincinnati
  • Date: Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020
  • Time: 3 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Birmingham, Ala.

Gator Bowl

  • Teams: Tennessee vs. Indiana
  • Date: Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020
  • Time: 7 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Jacksonville, Fla.

Potato Bowl

  • Teams: Nevada vs. Ohio
  • Date: Friday, Jan. 3, 2020
  • Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Boise, Idaho

Armed Forces Bowl

  • Teams: Southern Miss vs. Tulane
  • Date: Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020
  • Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Lending Tree Bowl

  • Teams: Louisiana vs. Miami Ohio
  • Date: Monday, Jan. 6, 2020
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: Mobile, Ala.

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