This year’s National Championship is one of the most intriguing that we’ve seen in quite some time.

Both LSU and Clemson call themselves the Tigers, both nickname their stadiums “Death Valley” and both have a plethora of talent on their respective rosters. The list of similarities between the two powerhouses goes on and on but, perhaps the most exciting similarity between the Tigers are their superstar quarterbacks.

LSU has a stud on their side with Joe Burrow. Burrow is in his second year playing for the Tigers and putting up one of the most memorable seasons ever. His 5,208 passing yards rank second among all FBS quarterbacks. On top of that, he leads the nation in touchdown passes with 55. Early in the season, analysts wanted to see how he would perform against “real defenses” like Alabama. Hearing all these doubters, Joe balled out in Tuscaloosa putting up 393 yards and three TDs. After that game, the college football world was put on notice and began to respect Burrow.

His performances against ‘Bama and other SEC foes led his Heisman campaign. Burrow won the award along with the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards. In other words, Burrow dominated this season and he received the respect he deserved through his awards. A large part of Burrow’s success were his playmakers on the outside and in the backfield. Running back, Clyde Edwards-Helaire has had a monster junior season due in thanks to the Joe Moore (best offensive line award) award recipient offensive line that have led the way for Edwards-Helaire and kept Burrow clean in the pocket. On the perimeter, the Tigers boast one of the country’s most lethal trios of receivers. The trio is made up of Jamarr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Terrace Marshall. All three have proven dangerous this season, but Chase had the best season out of the bunch. Chase won the Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in college football and is a threat to score wherever he catches the ball.

On the flip side, Clemson boasts one of the most lethal offenses in the country as well. At QB, Trevor Lawrence is a bonafide stud in his own right. Lawrence doesn’t have the flashiest numbers or plays but, his arm strength and accuracy down the field has consistently led the Tigers to victory. Similar to Burrow, Lawrence has one of the country’s most explosive group of playmakers to give the ball to. His wideouts both stand 6’-4” and are incredible athletes. Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross create matchup problems for whoever they go against. But their best athlete may reside in the backfield. Travis Etienne is one of those guys who gets the ball and has the immediate threat of being able to score anytime he touches the ball because of his blazing speed.

Both quarterbacks, Burrow and Lawrence, will for sure be top picks in their NFL draft classes. Both QB’s could end up being the top player taken in their respective drafts. Regardless of the outcome, everyone watching should take note because the QB dual in New Orleans on Monday could be the same dual that we see in a few years in the NFL.

There are a lot of unknowns about this upcoming game but one thing is for sure: offense will be on full display as the #1 (LSU) and #2 (Clemson) ranked offenses will be on full display. Another intriguing matchup will be coaching.

Coach Ed Orgeron is one of the hottest names in the whole sports world. Not only because of his heavy Cajun accent and his signature “Go Tigas” line in interviews, but also because of his coaching brilliance. He has orchestrated this team perfectly all year leading his team to a 14-0 record and hoping to remain undefeated on Monday. The opposing coach, Dabo Swinney, has proven that he also is one of the country’s best coaches. On Monday, he will try to lead Clemson to their third national title in five years. What he has done at Clemson is remarkable and should be appreciated by Clemson fans.

As far as the game goes though, I think that Clemson has a very important advantage over LSU in that they have been on this stage before. Winning the title last year gives Clemson an underestimated advantage of experience, but as the country saw against Oklahoma, if anyone can take them down from their throne it is Joe Burrow. I expect LSU faithful to show up in big numbers as the game is only an hour down the road in New Orleans. I don’t see Clemson being able to stop Burrow and that high-powered offense enough times to win the game which is why I pick the Tigers of LSU to prevail.

Score prediction: LSU- 38 Clemson-24