As much as any program in America, LSU is known for its capacity to go boom-or-bust. The 2019 college football saw as big a “boom” as possible coming out of Baton Rouge. LSU won the national championship with one of the most dynamic offenses of all-time.
Just a year earlier, Joe Burrow had been a somewhat erratic quarterback. All of that went away in 2019. Burrow completed 76 percent of his passes, averaging better than ten yards per attempt and produced an insane TD-INT ratio of 60/6. Suffice it to say, Burrow won the Heisman Trophy. He also won the Lombardi Award, which was in the midst of a brief experiment of being given to non-linemen/linebackers.
Burrow had future NFL stars as his targets. Ja’Marr Chase was an All-American, racking up nearly 1,800 yards receiving. Justin Jefferson caught 111 passes and went over 1,500 yards himself. The running game had the versatile Clyde Edwards-Hilare producing 1,400 yards. LSU scored more points than anyone in the country. And while the defense only ranked 32nd, they had playmaking stars in the secondary. Grant Delpit won the Thorpe Award at safety, and corner Derek Stingley Jr. was an All-American who intercepted six passes.
As usual, there was plenty of competition in the SEC. And as usual, Alabama was right there. The Crimson Tide had the second-best offense in the nation. Tua Tagovailoa completed 71 percent of his passes at 11.3 yards-per-attempt. While Tua missed a few games with injuries, he still compiled a 33-3 TD/INT ratio. Najee Harris ran for over 1,200 yards, while Jerry Jeudy and DeVonta Smith combined for 2,400 yards receiving.
While LSU and Alabama fought it out in the West, Georgia and Florida were the setting the tone in the East. The Bulldogs had the nation’s stingiest defense. J.R. Reed was an All-American defensive back, while Richard LeCount III intercepted four passes. The offense was a little more pedestrian, but could still run the football. With All-American lineman Andrew Thomas paving the way, De’Andre Swift rolled up over 1,200 yards on the ground.
The Gators got respectable play at quarterback from Kyle Trask, and that was enough for the seventh-ranked defense in the land to lead the way. Donovan Stiner intercepted four passes at safety, while linebacker Jonathan Greenard recorded 9 ½ sacks.
All four teams—Alabama, LSU, Georgia, and Florida, opened the season in the national top 10. In non-conference play, the Tigers struck first when they beat ninth-ranked Texas 45-38. The Bulldogs knocked off seventh-ranked Notre Dame 23-17. And the SEC was off to the races.
Florida won a battle of Top 10 teams against Auburn in early October. Later in the month, LSU also beat Auburn, and the latter faded from the national scene. On October 12, LSU beat Florida 42-28, while Georgia suffered an upset loss to South Carolina. By November, LSU and Alabama were 1-2 in the country, with Georgia and Florida both still in the top 10 and very much alive for the College Football Playoff.
The Bulldogs got a leg up for the SEC East crown when they beat the Gators 24-17. A week later, in a highly anticipated shootout, LSU went into Tuscaloosa and walked out with a 46-41 win over Alabama. Three weeks later, the Crimson Tide lost to Auburn in another shootout, 48-45. When the dust settled, Alabama was left out of the major bowl picture entirely.
It came down to LSU and Georgia for the SEC title. The nation’s best offense against its best defense. The Tigers were ranked #1 and likely in the Playoff whether they won or lost. The Bulldogs were #4 and playing a de facto elimination game. The result was no contest. LSU hammered Georgia 37-10. The Bulldogs settled for a Sugar Bowl bid. Florida got an Orange Bowl invite.
Clemson was the defending national champion and opened the new season at #1 in the polls. The Tiger offense was another explosive unit. Travis Etienne averaged almost eight yards per rush attempt in rolling up over 1,600 yards. Trevor Lawrence led a passing game that was built around Tee Higgins. And the defense was even better—ranking third nationally in points scored, the Clemson D was anchored by Butkus Award-winning linebacker Isaiah Simmons.
The Tigers won their key non-conference test against 12th-ranked Texas A&M, 24-10, on September 7. Then, Clemson just started churning through the ACC. While the pollsters knocked them down to #3, the Tigers were still undefeated and in control of their Playoff destiny when they reached the ACC Championship Game.
Virginia was having a nice year behind dual-threat quarterback Bryce Perkins and 1,000-yard receiver Hasise DuBois. The Cavaliers went 9-3 and reached the ACC title game themselves. They were no match for Clemson, as the Tigers rolled to a 62-17 win and a Playoff berth. But Virginia still got the ACC’s guaranteed spot in the Orange Bowl.
Ohio State set the tone in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes had All-Americans on defense in end Chase Young, who rang up 16 ½ sacks, and defensive back Jeff Okudah. They had an All-American in the offensive trenches, with Wyatt Davis. And they had explosive playmakers. Justin Fields spread the ball around, completed 67 percent of his passes at 9.2 YPA and posted a TD-INT ratio of 41-3. J.K. Dobbins was a 2,000-yard rusher.
Starting at #5 in the polls, Ohio State blew out Michigan State 34-10. They hammered a good Wisconsin team 38-7. By the time the season hit its crunch point—the final two regular season games with Penn State and Michigan—the Buckeyes had moved past LSU for the top spot in the rankings.
Wisconsin had a 2,000-yard rusher of their own. Jonathan Taylor was an All-American, as was offensive lineman Tyler Bladasz. Jack Coan played efficient, mistake-free football at quarterback, while linebackers Zach Braun and Chris Orr combined for 24 sacks. The Badgers made a big statement in September when they hammered Michigan 35-14. In spite of a mysterious loss to Illinois, along with the defeat to Ohio State, Wisconsin won key November games with Iowa and Minnesota, finished 10-2 and got a ticket to the Big Ten Championship Game.
Penn State had one of the nation’s best linebackers in Micah Parsons, and a playmaking defensive end in Yetur Gross-Matos. In October, the Nittany Lions began to distinguish themselves from the pack, beating Iowa and Michigan in consecutive weeks. Penn State rose to #5 in the polls, before a loss to Minnesota broke their momentum. But when the season’s stretch drive arrived, the Lions were still #9 and angling for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
But it would be Ohio State taking over in the Big Ten’s biggest games. They beat Penn State 28-17. The Buckeyes hammered Michigan 56-27. And after a spotty first half against Wisconsin, they got control and beat the Badgers 34-21. That slow first half in the Big Ten title game apparently cost them the 1-seed, as they slipped to #2 when the Playoff rankings came out. But optimism flourished in Columbus as the postseason arrived. Wisconsin still went to the Rose Bowl, while the Cotton Bowl came calling for Penn State.
In the Big 12, Oklahoma had no problem putting points on the board. Jalen Hurts transferred from Alabama, quickly picked up head coach Lincoln Riley’s schemes and completed 70 percent of his passes for 11.3 YPA. Hurts mixed in almost 1,300 yards rushing. CeeDee Lamb was a big-play receiver and the All-American averaged over 21 yards per catch. Kennedy Brooks was another 1,000-yard rusher. OU could score a lot, and they needed to, because the defense was mediocre at best.
The Sooners beat Texas 34-27 in their rivalry showdown. The defensive problems showed their face in a 48-45 loss to unranked Kansas State, but Oklahoma still had a Playoff chance when November arrived. Baylor was also in the mix. The Bears had an efficient quarterback in Charlie Brewer and a 1,000-yard receiver in Denzel Mims. Grayland Arnold was a ball hawk at corner, picking off six passes and All-American defensive lineman James Lynch rang up 13 ½ sacks.
In a big November battle, Oklahoma edged Baylor 34-31, and then beat ranked Oklahoma State 34-16. It moved the Sooners up to #6 for the conference championship games. OU did their part, winning a rematch with Baylor, 30-23. The previous night, fifth-ranked Utah had lost. And when fourth-ranked Georgia fell later on Championship Saturday, Oklahoma was moved up to the 4-spot and into the Playoff. Baylor still got a Sugar Bowl ticket.
Oregon had the Outland Trophy winner with offensive lineman Penei Sewell. They had a highly touted NFL prospect at quarterback with Justin Herbert. The Ducks had a 1,200-yard rusher in C.J. Verdell. And they had playmakers on defense, with Jevon Holland and Verone McKinley III in the secondary, and Kayvon Thibodeaux at defensive end.
While Oregon took a 27-21 loss to Auburn to start the season, and also dropped a game to Arizona State in Pac-12 play, the Ducks still finished the regular season 10-2. Then they ruined Utah’s Playoff hopes in the Pac-12 Championship Game with a 37-15 rout. Oregon was going to the Rose Bowl.
The Group of 5’s bid to the New Year’s Six major bowls went to Memphis. The Tigers had an offense that ranked in the top 10 nationally. Brady White threw for over 4,000 yards, with Damonte Coxie as his primary target. Their top running back, the aptly named Kenny Gainwell, produced 1,459 yards at better than six a pop. Memphis got met several big tests in November. They outgunned ranked SMU 54-48. The Tigers beat ranked Cincinnati 34-24 to end the regular season. Then, Memphis turned around and beat the Bearcats again a week later, 29-24 in the American Conference Championship Game. The Tigers were going to the Cotton Bowl.
On the bowl undercard, Alabama got some measure of redemption for their November fade, when they hammered Michigan 35-16 in the Citrus Bowl. The run of major bowls started in Dallas, with Penn State beating Memphis 53-39. Florida took care of business in the Orange Bowl with a 36-28 win over Virginia, and Georgia did the same, 26-14 over Baylor in the Sugar Bowl.
Oregon and Wisconsin played an exciting Rose Bowl game, and it appeared the Badgers had gotten their upper hand midway through the fourth quarter. But a fumble turned the tide. Herbert rallied the Ducks to a touchdown and a 28-27 win.
The Playoff bowls started with the Peach, and the LSU offense put on a spectacular show. On the first seven possessions, the Tigers scored touchdowns on the Oklahoma defense. If it’s possible for a 63-28 final to be not as close as the score makes it sound, this one was it.
By contrast, the Fiesta Bowl was a thriller. Clemson and Ohio State traded blows, but the Buckeyes seemed to consistently have the upper hand. Ohio State also missed opportunities, and in the end, those came back to haunt. The Tigers took the lead 29-23 and then preserved it with a late interception in their own territory. Clemson was going back to the national championship game.
In a battle of Tigers, Clemson spent much of the first half looking they were ready to repeat champs. They took a 17-7 lead. But in 2019, you could only hold off Burrow and LSU for so long. They ripped off three touchdowns in the second quarter and took a 28-17 lead. Clemson cut the margin to 28-25 in the third quarter, but LSU took over one more time. They scored two TDs and pulled away to a 42-25 win.
As Burrow came off the field after the last touchdown, he was pointing to his ring finger. He wanted that ring, and he all but had it. LSU was on top of the college football world.