The last time the LSU Tigers were in the BCS National Championship Game, they faced their conference rivals the Alabama Crimson Tide. The battle for college football supremacy took place on January 9, 2012, in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The game was a defensive struggle as points were at a premium. Alabama managed to kick three field goals to take a 9-0 lead at halftime. During the second half of the 2012 showdown, Alabama turned up the defensive intensity. LSU only crossed the 50 yard line one time in the second half. Along with the defensive dominance, Alabama added a pinch of offense as they went on to win by a score of 21-0.
At Louisiana State University, the football program has high expectations. The coaches, players, alumni, and fans expect the Bayou Bengals to be in contention for the National Championship every year. After 2012, LSU went multiple years where they didn’t meet the expectations. Every year LSU had a star-studded defense, but a mediocre offense.
A native of Larose, Louisiana, Ed Orgeron inherited the interim head coaching job in 2016. He finished the season with a 6-2 record. Due to his success and the support from the LSU fan base, Orgeron earned the full-time head coaching job. In 2017 he posted a record of 9-4. For the 2018 season, Orgeron added Ohio State graduate transfer quarterback Joe Burrow. After the 2012 disappointment, LSU continuously tried to find a quarterback to get them over the hump. Burrow appeared to have the skill set to take the Tigers to the next level. He put up impressive numbers as he led LSU to a 10-3 record.
As the 2019 season unfolded it was apparent Joe Burrow transitioned from being a good college quarterback to a great college quarterback. Week after week, Burrow put up big numbers and LSU kept winning. The moment of vindication arrived in the form of LSU defeating their nemesis, Coach Nick Saban and his Alabama Crimson Tide. The Tigers ended their season with a 13-0 record. Joe Burrow added multiple awards to his trophy case including the prestigious Heisman Trophy Award. Despite all of the records and awards, Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers had their eyes on the ultimate prize. The Tigers finished the 2019 season with the number one ranking, and a spot in the four-team college football playoffs. On December 28, 2019, in Atlanta, Georgia, LSU demolished the Oklahoma Sooners by a score of 63-28. The victory earned LSU a trip back to New Orleans and a spot in the College Football National Championship Game.
The night of January 13th marked the clash of the unbeaten. The Clemson Tigers came in riding a 29-game winning streak. Their star quarterback Trevor Lawrence never tasted defeat. He came into the Championship Game with a 25-0 record as a starter. The Clemson Tigers got off to a quick start as the defending champions took an early 17-7 lead over the LSU Tigers. The Bayou Bengals overcame the early adversity as the offense hit their stride. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 110 yards, and Thaddeus Moss, the son of Hall of Fame NFL wide receiver Randy Moss caught two touchdowns. LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase set a college football playoff championship record with 221 receiving yards, and the Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow passed for 463 yards and 5 touchdowns as the LSU Tigers defeated the Clemson Tigers 42-25. “This team is going to be mentioned as one of the greatest teams in college football history,” Coach Orgeron stated after LSU’s triumphant victory. LSU has a solid case for that claim as they beat six top ten ranked teams and won the title by knocking off the defending champs. The National Championship victory was long overdue for LSU and the great state of Louisiana. It was gratifying for the players and the fans in reference to LSU winning another championship in their home state. As the saying goes in the state of Louisiana, “let the good times roll.”
