National Championship Discussion: The Tiger Bowl

[crawdads]

This pretty much sums it up to me. Clemson's defense and defensive line is no where near as talented as last years squad. The Ohio St team is not as skilled as the LSU one and the OL is not as good. Big difference between playing Wake Forrest, Duke and Virginia..

Ohio State exposed some defensive shortcomings in Clemson that nobody in the ACC could exploit. LSU could and probably will take advantage of some of those same issues.
Clemson surrendered season-highs Saturday across the board: points (23), total yards (516), rushing yards (196) and passing yards (320). The only salvation was stops in the red zone, and a couple of those were more attributable to Ohio State error than anything else. Coordinator Brent Venables eventually dialed up some things that created problems for the Buckeyes, but it was close to a rout early.
The issues start up front, where Ohio State gave quarterback Justin Fields plenty of time in the pocket against a young Clemson pass rush that is averaging its fewest sacks per game since 2013. The LSU offensive line won the Joe Moore Award as the best unit in the sport, and it has only allowed 30 sacks in a season with 518 pass attempts.
And while the Clemson back seven is both talented and experienced, it also lost its share of individual matchups against the Ohio State receivers. The problem now for the orange Tigers is that LSU’s receiving corps is even better.

 

[PNGFROM2003]

While I’m not waving a white flag or agreeing with you Hunt I would love to have a private discussion after the season is complete. We can even assign a moderator/translator for each of us to provide clarity. And just so you know I love you man!!!! And I’m well aware how special this season is and I’m only cautiously optimistic it ends the way I’ve always dreamed one would end. My passion for my team is one of the few things I still can’t seem to control. GEAUX TIGERS!!! P.S. I take immense pride in the fact I wanted Coach O ahead of Fisher or Herman and all the attacks and name calling I endured is already worth it. BUT one more win is needed very badly to seal the deal and cement a historic season. One Team One Heartbeat!!!

 

[HUNT]

This pretty much sums it up to me. Clemson's defense and defensive line is no where near as talented as last years squad. The Ohio St team is not as skilled as the LSU one and the OL is not as good. Big difference between playing Wake Forrest, Duke and Virginia..

Ohio State exposed some defensive shortcomings in Clemson that nobody in the ACC could exploit. LSU could and probably will take advantage of some of those same issues.
Clemson surrendered season-highs Saturday across the board: points (23), total yards (516), rushing yards (196) and passing yards (320). The only salvation was stops in the red zone, and a couple of those were more attributable to Ohio State error than anything else. Coordinator Brent Venables eventually dialed up some things that created problems for the Buckeyes, but it was close to a rout early.
The issues start up front, where Ohio State gave quarterback Justin Fields plenty of time in the pocket against a young Clemson pass rush that is averaging its fewest sacks per game since 2013. The LSU offensive line won the Joe Moore Award as the best unit in the sport, and it has only allowed 30 sacks in a season with 518 pass attempts.
And while the Clemson back seven is both talented and experienced, it also lost its share of individual matchups against the Ohio State receivers. The problem now for the orange Tigers is that LSU’s receiving corps is even better.

Good stuff bro.

 

[HUNT]

While I’m not waving a white flag or agreeing with you Hunt I would love to have a private discussion after the season is complete. We can even assign a moderator/translator for each of us to provide clarity. And just so you know I love you man!!!! And I’m well aware how special this season is and I’m only cautiously optimistic it ends the way I’ve always dreamed one would end. My passion for my team is one of the few things I still can’t seem to control. GEAUX TIGERS!!! P.S. I take immense pride in the fact I wanted Coach O ahead of Fisher or Herman and all the attacks and name calling I endured is already worth it. BUT one more win is needed very badly to seal the deal and cement a historic season. One Team One Heartbeat!!!

I hear you man. I'd be the same way!

 

[HUNT]

Auburn had 16 total first down and scored 20 points in large part to a couple of turnovers. UGA scored 10 including a meaningless 4th quarter touchdown.

They gave up a lot against Bama, if that means they have flaws. So be it.

Auburn had a lot of short fields. Terrible qb.

Lsu d is not great, but it's decent.. . I'm just going based on their whole body of work, I'm just one opinion.. And they don't impress me on d to take a Clemson tt under. Clemson definitely not as good upfront like last year but very well coached, as it's lsu. Just think both teams will score a lot. I personally have no feel for either team to win and certainly can't fade either qb right now.

 

[HUNT]

BTW I respect everyone's opinion. You're all good dudes in my book. Known craw forever on the boards.

 

[booksbestfriend]

Has the line come into play in the NC during this format?

 

[HUNT]

When I come down there for a game I expect all you lsu fans to get me drunk and get me good food
Really want to go to the death valley

 

[HUNT]

Has the line come into play in the NC during this format?

Good question. Dogs have won outright. Maybe bama GA?

 

[PNGFROM2003]

When I come down there for a game I expect all you lsu fans to get me drunk and get me good food
Really want to go to the death valley

I don’t go much anymore these days but you do not need us brother. Our minority idiots get a bad rap but get dealt with swiftly when the situation is realized by other fans. You would be invited in to help yourself by 98% of all tailgates to drink and eat as much as you could handle. The neutral fans that come for the experience are the ones that really get next level 5 star treatment. Don’t be bashful introduce yourself and let them know you came for the experience outside of a top shelf pussy guarantee (not out of the question) you will be overwhelmed with hospitality and memories you’ll never forget.

 

[PNGFROM2003]

You have to make sure if/when you come is to an SEC night game. Preferably Bama, Auburn, Florida And soon enough I’m afraid Ole FKN Piss. The day games are cool and all but it’s just not the same. The full day of drinking and eating makes it a mass of 150K-200K happy, drunk, horny (our Coeds are top 10 nationwide at worst) united people that are more concerned that you’re having a good time than the time that they are having. I’m a struggling Business grad in part to all that is described above. Hard to get excited about class when you have more important tasks at hand like juggling poon and staying hammered. I dabbled a little too much in the late night party scene (Raves were epic from mid to late 90s into the early 2000s). A good time was had by all. Thursday to Sunday afternoons were one day on far too many occasions. Yes I made poor decisions that resulted in rich memories. The End.

 

[PNGFROM2003]

Auburn had a lot of short fields. Terrible qb.

Lsu d is not great, but it's decent.. . I'm just going based on their whole body of work, I'm just one opinion.. And they don't impress me on d to take a Clemson tt under. Clemson definitely not as good upfront like last year but very well coached, as it's lsu. Just think both teams will score a lot. I personally have no feel for either team to win and certainly can't fade either qb right now.

And that is where the mistake lies IN MY UBERLY BIASED opinion. At LaTech they have trimesters instead of semesters. Categorize LSUs D into 3-4 segments. Vandy game is irrelevant. The suspensions we endured were laid out like this. X # of players must sit 8 of the 12 games. You choose the games and let us know beforehand. The info wasn’t made widely public. As fans we knew 5-6 starters wouldn’t be available on a week to week basis. So do you sit your major contributors versus Vanderbilt and Vandy or Florida and Alabama? It’s only a piece of the puzzle but it’s a large part of why the past 4 games have presented an LSU defense that looks nothing like the one that gets discussed ad nauseum when people start comparing us to other top shelf teams. Even I was a little more than anxious about the Georgia and Oklahoma games from a Spread perspective. At this point, Clemson has no idea what they have coming their way. I pray they blitz Joe. I pray they test Fulton and Stingley and I’m very interested in seeing what their run game does against an LSU D that is full strength absent Todd Harris for the first time all season. I CANT WAIT TO SEE ALL THE CARDS ON THE TABLE! And I’m going to lock in something under a TD right fkn now. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

 

[PNGFROM2003]

This pretty much sums it up to me. Clemson's defense and defensive line is no where near as talented as last years squad. The Ohio St team is not as skilled as the LSU one and the OL is not as good. Big difference between playing Wake Forrest, Duke and Virginia..

Ohio State exposed some defensive shortcomings in Clemson that nobody in the ACC could exploit. LSU could and probably will take advantage of some of those same issues.
Clemson surrendered season-highs Saturday across the board: points (23), total yards (516), rushing yards (196) and passing yards (320). The only salvation was stops in the red zone, and a couple of those were more attributable to Ohio State error than anything else. Coordinator Brent Venables eventually dialed up some things that created problems for the Buckeyes, but it was close to a rout early.
The issues start up front, where Ohio State gave quarterback Justin Fields plenty of time in the pocket against a young Clemson pass rush that is averaging its fewest sacks per game since 2013. The LSU offensive line won the Joe Moore Award as the best unit in the sport, and it has only allowed 30 sacks in a season with 518 pass attempts.
And while the Clemson back seven is both talented and experienced, it also lost its share of individual matchups against the Ohio State receivers. The problem now for the orange Tigers is that LSU’s receiving corps is even better.

The Red Zone comments reminded me of something. One team is #1and has been throughout the year. I was shocked to see the other is barely in the top 50. I’m going to attempt to attach pictures wish me luck.

 

[Inspekdah]

I know mutual opponents isn’t a great capping tool. But Florida almost beat LSU on the road and have played relatively close to UVA. Virginia couldn’t stay on the field with Clemson.

 

[M.W.]

This pretty much sums it up to me. Clemson's defense and defensive line is no where near as talented as last years squad. The Ohio St team is not as skilled as the LSU one and the OL is not as good. Big difference between playing Wake Forrest, Duke and Virginia..

Ohio State exposed some defensive shortcomings in Clemson that nobody in the ACC could exploit. LSU could and probably will take advantage of some of those same issues.
Clemson surrendered season-highs Saturday across the board: points (23), total yards (516), rushing yards (196) and passing yards (320). The only salvation was stops in the red zone, and a couple of those were more attributable to Ohio State error than anything else. Coordinator Brent Venables eventually dialed up some things that created problems for the Buckeyes, but it was close to a rout early.

I know you're going to hate to hear this, but it's entirely possible -- even probable -- that Ohio State is better than LSU. At the least, Ohio State is better than any team LSU has beaten. Diminishing the accomplishment of Clemson in beating the Buckeyes could mislead you in your efforts to handicap this game.

 

[M.W.]

Has the line come into play in the NC during this format?

Twice. Bama -6.5 beat Clemson by 5, and Bama -3.5 beat UGA 26-23. The other dogs all won straight up.

Dog is 5-0 ATS in final game by avg of 14.80.

 

[HUNT]

I don’t go much anymore these days but you do not need us brother. Our minority idiots get a bad rap but get dealt with swiftly when the situation is realized by other fans. You would be invited in to help yourself by 98% of all tailgates to drink and eat as much as you could handle. The neutral fans that come for the experience are the ones that really get next level 5 star treatment. Don’t be bashful introduce yourself and let them know you came for the experience outside of a top shelf pussy guarantee (not out of the question) you will be overwhelmed with hospitality and memories you’ll never forget.

My kind of shit. Southern hospitality at its finest.

 

[HUNT]

You have to make sure if/when you come is to an SEC night game. Preferably Bama, Auburn, Florida And soon enough I’m afraid Ole FKN Piss. The day games are cool and all but it’s just not the same. The full day of drinking and eating makes it a mass of 150K-200K happy, drunk, horny (our Coeds are top 10 nationwide at worst) united people that are more concerned that you’re having a good time than the time that they are having. I’m a struggling Business grad in part to all that is described above. Hard to get excited about class when you have more important tasks at hand like juggling poon and staying hammered. I dabbled a little too much in the late night party scene (Raves were epic from mid to late 90s into the early 2000s). A good time was had by all. Thursday to Sunday afternoons were one day on far too many occasions. Yes I made poor decisions that resulted in rich memories. The End.

Been there in your shoes man. That's what life is all about. Ok, I'm coming to an sec school at night.

 

[M.W.]

The Red Zone comments reminded me of something. One team is #1and has been throughout the year. I was shocked to see the other is barely in the top 50.

LSU is #6 in TD% at 78.57%, right behind Ohio State (78.67%). Of course, before going 0-4 against Clemson, Ohio State was #2 at 83.09%. Clemson is #9 at 75.38%, by the way, so the teams are very close in this regard.

In red zone zone TD defense, though, it's a very different story. Clemson is #3 at 35.71%, while LSU is #84 at 63.16%.

 

[HUNT]

And that is where the mistake lies IN MY UBERLY BIASED opinion. At LaTech they have trimesters instead of semesters. Categorize LSUs D into 3-4 segments. Vandy game is irrelevant. The suspensions we endured were laid out like this. X # of players must sit 8 of the 12 games. You choose the games and let us know beforehand. The info wasn’t made widely public. As fans we knew 5-6 starters wouldn’t be available on a week to week basis. So do you sit your major contributors versus Vanderbilt and Vandy or Florida and Alabama? It’s only a piece of the puzzle but it’s a large part of why the past 4 games have presented an LSU defense that looks nothing like the one that gets discussed ad nauseum when people start comparing us to other top shelf teams. Even I was a little more than anxious about the Georgia and Oklahoma games from a Spread perspective. At this point, Clemson has no idea what they have coming their way. I pray they blitz Joe. I pray they test Fulton and Stingley and I’m very interested in seeing what their run game does against an LSU D that is full strength absent Todd Harris for the first time all season. I CANT WAIT TO SEE ALL THE CARDS ON THE TABLE! And I’m going to lock in something under a TD right fkn now. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Haha. Love the enthusiasm.

 

[M.W.]

Been there in your shoes man. That's what life is all about. Ok, I'm coming to an sec school at night.

I've been to games there twice. Once with a girl whose dad was from Jeanerette, and the other time with a girl from Lake Providence. Had a blast.

 

[HUNT]

My kind of thread. Love it.

 

[Noles4life]

It definitely was dropping since two weeks ago. I think at one point I saw Clemson at 1 or 1.5 maybe Christmas Eve ? Fwiw, I don't blame them for moving it whatsoever.

all look ahead lines i saw before Saturday beat down of okla had Clemson -1.5 over LsU and Ohio St LSU at a pk..... they can go as high as they want i think the world will be on LSU but keep on going cant wait to get cleMson +ML i want all that smoke

 

[HUNT]

I've been to games there twice. Once with a girl whose dad was from Jeanerette, and the other time with a girl from Lake Providence. Had a blast.

Awesome good to hear.

 

[M.O.T]

I know mutual opponents isn’t a great capping tool. But Florida almost beat LSU on the road and have played relatively close to UVA. Virginia couldn’t stay on the field with Clemson.

Florida didn’t almost beat LSU, but just to play along:

Clemson 24 Texas A&M 10
LSU 50 Texas A&M 7

Games played at Clemson and LSU.

Clemson yards 389-289, first downs 26-18
LSU yards 553-169, first downs 31-12

But correct, none of the games against common opponents are relevant at this point.

 

[B.A.R.]

Florida didn’t almost beat LSU, but just to play along:

Clemson 24 Texas A&M 10
LSU 50 Texas A&M 7

Games played at Clemson and LSU.

Clemson yards 389-289, first downs 26-18
LSU yards 553-169, first downs 31-12

But correct, none of the games against common opponents are relevant at this point.

Well, FLA got picked off going in with 7 mins left it so in the game to tie it up. Right after they scored within a few plays to seal it. That game was definitely in doubt in the 4th quarter. Who cares though, right? Just like we all knew Clemson was not that good the first 4-5 weeks relative to expectations when looking at that TAM game.

 

[M.O.T]

So they needed to score a touchdown, get a stop, get another score, and likely another stop? Don’t really see that as “almost beating”, they had the lead for about 3 minutes of game time. But again Clemson didn’t play Florida and LSU didn’t play Virginia so they technically aren’t even common opponents anyway.

 

[raems]

Playing a qb in Hurts who LSU already knew, who isn’t a good thrower of the football, and also playing against a bad defense, creates this value in the title game.

I’ll happily take the points with the best qb prospect since Luck and a team that hasn’t lost since the 2017 calendar year. If it doesn’t work out it doesn’t work out.

 

[aplous]

This has all the feels of a shootout and these teams going back and forth. I'm fairly confident that LSU wins but it could easily be a last team has it situation and or Clemson scoring late for a backdoor. Also feels important that the Clemson field goal kicker STINKS (which could help Clemson lose but stay within the number?)

 

[M.O.T]

Divinity confirmed to be back for the game. Not sure where he’ll fit in after the suspension/layoff, but at a minimum have to think he’ll be used as a pass rusher opposite Chaisson in obvious situations.

 

[B.A.R.]

This has all the feels of a shootout and these teams going back and forth. I'm fairly confident that LSU wins but it could easily be a last team has it situation and or Clemson scoring late for a backdoor. Also feels important that the Clemson field goal kicker STINKS (which could help Clemson lose but stay within the number?)

With a bad kicker...I almost cap games as the offense will be more aggressive?

 

[crawdads]

I know you're going to hate to hear this, but it's entirely possible -- even probable -- that Ohio State is better than LSU. At the least, Ohio State is better than any team LSU has beaten. Diminishing the accomplishment of Clemson in beating the Buckeyes could mislead you in your efforts to handicap this game.

I disagree. I think Tua even being dinged makes Bama a better team. I saw what Michigan did in the first half vs. Ohio st and that was enough for me to knock them down a couple of notches. The big 10, in my opinion, was bad, real bad.

 

[PNGFROM2003]

I just went fishing in this thread for things to argue against and dammit it’s almost all factually based and has its place in the discussion. I will go one further and point out (all I heard from Florida fans after their loss) Greenard and Zunega (no clue spelling) were out for almost the entire game. Pretty sure they were both “healthy” for the first time in awhile versus Virginia. However, great/well coached teams grow as the season progresses. And to the Clemson beat a better team than we’ve faced that very well could be true. However, Clemson didn’t beat Ohio State. A) the play calling was shit IMO, B) Dobbins was clearly ailing and they kept forcing him C) call it 50/50 but personally the fumble/TD so should have stood at worst. ETC ETC. The best coaching staff won IMO but not sure the best team did. If only we could have slipped a round robin format in this would easily have been the best college football season to ever occur. 13 days and 13 ways. CANT FKN WAIT FOR THE DUST TO SETTLE. ITS GONNA BE LITTY LIKE A FKN TITTY!!!

 

[cashflowmatters]

LSU had 49 in the first half with Chase being non-existent and their all conference rb barely on the field.

Playing inside again, in Louisana will be a tough out.

Still think Ohio St wasnt that good and could have easily beat Clemson last night. If Trevor Lawrence is your leading rusher again, they lose and lose badly.

Chase was non existent last 5 games of season

 

[cashflowmatters]

Time of possession means nothing to LSU. They score on 5 or 6 play drives.

Clemson D is better than any LSU has faced this year

 

[booksbestfriend]

Clemson D is better than any LSU has faced this year

There may another a Tiger squad that would beg to differ.

 

[braves]

Really looking forward to this one

has a Texas/USC feel to it

Amazing Dabo once again gets to use the nobody respects us underdog role

 

[M.O.T]

Chase was non existent last 5 games of season

Chase in the 5 games leading up to Oklahoma (receptions - yards - TDs):

6-140-1
8-227-3
6-144-2
7-197-2
3-41-1

Oklahoma played a safety over him and LSU didn’t target him at all in the first 20 minutes.

 

[Inspekdah]

There may another a Tiger squad that would beg to differ.

argument dead after today

 

[Inspekdah]

The SEC is looking like trash everywhere. Wrong team favored here.

 

[Inspekdah]

This pretty much sums it up to me. Clemson's defense and defensive line is no where near as talented as last years squad. The Ohio St team is not as skilled as the LSU one and the OL is not as good. Big difference between playing Wake Forrest, Duke and Virginia..

Ohio State exposed some defensive shortcomings in Clemson that nobody in the ACC could exploit. LSU could and probably will take advantage of some of those same issues.
Clemson surrendered season-highs Saturday across the board: points (23), total yards (516), rushing yards (196) and passing yards (320). The only salvation was stops in the red zone, and a couple of those were more attributable to Ohio State error than anything else. Coordinator Brent Venables eventually dialed up some things that created problems for the Buckeyes, but it was close to a rout early.
The issues start up front, where Ohio State gave quarterback Justin Fields plenty of time in the pocket against a young Clemson pass rush that is averaging its fewest sacks per game since 2013. The LSU offensive line won the Joe Moore Award as the best unit in the sport, and it has only allowed 30 sacks in a season with 518 pass attempts.
And while the Clemson back seven is both talented and experienced, it also lost its share of individual matchups against the Ohio State receivers. The problem now for the orange Tigers is that LSU’s receiving corps is even better.

I disagree. I think Tua even being dinged makes Bama a better team. I saw what Michigan did in the first half vs. Ohio st and that was enough for me to knock them down a couple of notches. The big 10, in my opinion, was bad, real bad.

Big 10 has looked underrated thus far based on bowl performances. No doubt.

 

[Inspekdah]

The SEC is looking like trash everywhere. Wrong team favored here.

and I love LSU this year but Clemson after UNC game was more dominant.

 

[Inspekdah]

Final score doesn’t reflect beat down by Minny:

 

[M.W.]

This pretty much sums it up to me. Clemson's defense and defensive line is no where near as talented as last years squad. The Ohio St team is not as skilled as the LSU one and the OL is not as good. Big difference between playing Wake Forrest, Duke and Virginia..

Ohio State exposed some defensive shortcomings in Clemson that nobody in the ACC could exploit. LSU could and probably will take advantage of some of those same issues.
Clemson surrendered season-highs Saturday across the board: points (23), total yards (516), rushing yards (196) and passing yards (320). The only salvation was stops in the red zone, and a couple of those were more attributable to Ohio State error than anything else. Coordinator Brent Venables eventually dialed up some things that created problems for the Buckeyes, but it was close to a rout early.
The issues start up front, where Ohio State gave quarterback Justin Fields plenty of time in the pocket against a young Clemson pass rush that is averaging its fewest sacks per game since 2013. The LSU offensive line won the Joe Moore Award as the best unit in the sport, and it has only allowed 30 sacks in a season with 518 pass attempts.
And while the Clemson back seven is both talented and experienced, it also lost its share of individual matchups against the Ohio State receivers. The problem now for the orange Tigers is that LSU’s receiving corps is even better.

I doubt Ohio State exposed anything. Clemson's defensive weaknesses have been well-known all year, at least to people paying attention (mostly Clemson fans, I guess). Venables has been hiding them with smoke and mirrors, just like Clemson's OC's used to coach around OL deficiencies. He'll be using deception to disrupt pre-snap reads (like last year) and disguise blitzes and coverages. And then he'll rely on exceptional red-zone play due to the best redzone playcalling there is and, of course, the compression of the space in which the O has to operate.

 

[He Hate Me]

Really looking forward to this one

has a Texas/USC feel to it

Amazing Dabo once again gets to use the nobody respects us underdog role

Poor Clemson, maybe if their QB and WRs were as good as LSUs they would have a chance.

 

[crawdads]

Clemson D is better than any LSU has faced this year

This is incorrect. You have to look at the offenses Clemson played. If you take away the LSU game, Bama's defense was pretty damn good also.

 

[gps_3]

This is incorrect. You have to look at the offenses Clemson played. If you take away the LSU game, Bama's defense was pretty damn good also.

Alabama’s defense is nowhere close to Clemson’s this year. If it was, we’d be talking about them in this game

 

[crawdads]

and I love LSU this year but Clemson after UNC game was more dominant.

Not sure this is accurate either.. I guess considering they played a bunch of shitty teams then maybe. LSU did Beat #4 by 35 #5 by 27, beat A&M by 43 to end the year.

 

[M.O.T]

Georgia not looking good against Baylor, that will clearly translate to the field when LSU plays Oklahoma. There’s value on the Sooners.

 

[bmac]

This is a great thread. Food for thought.... Auburn, LSU, Texas, Oregon, Minnesota, and Wisconsin all played games vs. one or another that came down to within one possession.