After roughly five months of Saturdays that were full of college football, the big game has finally arrived. Clemson will face off against Louisiana State in New Orleans for the 2020 National Championship. Both coming into the matchup with no losses, the excitement and expectations are being compared to the hype around the 2006 Rose Bowl between Texas and USC.
Defeating Oklahoma in the semi-final, LSU did Longhorn fans a favor by knocking the Sooners out of national championship contention early in the first quarter. Winning the game 63-28, the Tigers took care of business quickly and sat back and watched to see who their opponent would be.
In the other semi-final, Ohio State gave Clemson a run for their money early, having the chance to pull away from the Tigers like LSU did to Oklahoma. However, thanks to a couple of penalties before halftime, Clemson was able to storm back a win 29-23. Having the tougher path to this game, Clemson is battle-tested and ready for whatever LSU has to offer.
The Longhorns took on LSU earlier in the year, keeping them within a touchdown in early September. Besides Alabama and Auburn, nobody played them closer than Texas did. Both Sam Ehlinger and Joe Burrow had outstanding days, throwing for 401 and 471 yards respectively.
But who should Longhorn fans be cheering for in Monday’s game? Well, with LSU on the schedule for next season, having the opportunity to get a road victory against the defending national champions would be significant for Texas. The matchup against the Tigers will be important no matter what, but having a program like Texas versus the defending national champions is must-watch television.
If you mix that in with the fact that they took care of Oklahoma in the semi-final, Longhorn fans should be rooting for LSU in tonight’s national championship. Either way, it will be a fantastic game between two of the best teams in the history of college football.
You can catch the 2020 National Championship at 7:00 p.m. CST on ESPN.