Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Photo: Don Juan Moore/Getty Images
Both teams in tonight's college football national championship (8pm ET, ESPN) are from the South, they're both undefeated, they share the same mascot (Tigers) and stadium name (Death Valley), and their QBs are both projected No. 1 picks.
The state of play: Only LSU has a Heisman Trophy winner leading one of the most dangerous offenses in college football history. And only Clemson has the defensive firepower and championship game experience necessary to stop it.
What to watch: The game is truly a matchup of strength vs. strength.
- LSU offense: Ranked first nationally in points scored (48.9 per game) and yards gained (564.1 per game).
- Clemson defense: Ranked first nationally in points surrendered (10.6 per game) and yards allowed (244.7 per game).
By the numbers:
- 70%: Joe Burrow completed at least 70% of his passes in every game this season, while Clemson hasn't allowed an opposing QB to complete more than 70% of passes in a game since 2012 (108-game streak).
- 787 days: Trevor Lawrence hasn't lost a game since high school (Nov. 17, 2017). The coach that beat him that day, John Thompson, was Ed Orgeron's college coach at Northwestern State and later served as his defensive coordinator at Ole Miss, per The Athletic (subscription).
- 15 ways to watch: This year's ESPN MegaCast will feature 15 presentations (nine on TV, six on the ESPN app). They include Refcast, which lets viewers watch alongside former refs, and All-22, an above-field camera that ensures all 22 players can be seen at all times.
For the bettors: LSU opened as a 3.5-point favorite following the semifinals, but after nearly 90% of early bets came in on the Tigers, the line moved all the way to 6.5, then back down to 5.5 as of this morning.
- Line: LSU -5.5
- O/U: 68
Worth noting: Under the College Football Playoff system, underdogs are 5-0 against the spread in national title games.
- 2015: Ohio State was a 6.5-point underdog against Oregon and won by 22.
- 2016: Clemson was a 6.5-point underdog against Alabama and only lost by five.
- 2017: Clemson was once again a 6.5-point underdog against Alabama and won by four.
- 2018: Georgia was a 3.5-point underdog against Alabama and only lost by three.
- 2019: Clemson was a 5.5-point underdog against Alabama and won by 28.
Flashback: Ohio State tops the first CFP rankings