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LSU, Clemson to play in College Football Playoff National Championship

By Kevin Kelley - December 29, 2019
2020 College Football National Championship

Photo: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

The LSU Tigers and the Clemson Tigers will play in the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship.

LSU (14-0) and Clemson (14-0) will square off at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La., on Monday, January 13, 2020. The game will be televised by ESPN at 8:00pm ET.

LSU, the top-ranked team in the College Football Playoff, dominated the 4th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners 63-28 in the first semifinal game at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Ga., on Saturday. The Tigers scored on their first possession and never trailed in the game.

Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Joe Burrow threw seven touchdown passes, all in the first half, which tied the number of touchdown passes thrown in any bowl game. Burrow finished the game 29-of-39 for 493 yards. He also rushed five times for 22 yards and another touchdown.

Wide receiver Justin Jefferson caught four touchdown passes from Burrow and finished the game with 227 yards on 14 receptions. Terrace Marshall, Jr. caught two touchdown passes, while Thaddeus Moss caught one.

3rd-ranked Clemson, which trailed 2nd-ranked Ohio State 16-0 late in the first half, rallied to defeat the Buckeyes 29-23 in the second semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz.

Following an Ohio State punt and trailing 23-21 with 2:55 remaining in the game, Clemson drew up a four-play, 95-yard drive that was capped off by a 34-yard touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence to Travis Etienne. On Ohio State’s ensuing possession, Clemson’s Nolan Turner intercepted a Justin Fields pass in the end zone to seal the win for the Tigers.

LSU will be making their first College Football Playoff National Championship game appearance, while Clemson will be making their fourth. Clemson fell to Alabama 45-40 in 2016, but then defeated the Crimson Tide 35-31 in 2017 and 44-16 in 2019.

According to BetOnline, LSU is favored by 4.5 points over Clemson.

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