By Akaash Kamdar

We have some great teams in this year’s college football championship, and anything can happen. Here are my predictions

Semifinal Games

Ohio State 34 vs. Clemson 27

After securing two Heisman finalists out of the final four candidates, Ohio State should come out of the gates pouncing in this matchup. With a strong defensive front posted by the potential first-pick defensive end Chase Young and top-five pick cornerback Jeff Okudah, a strong matchup should be expected against Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence. Sophomore quarterback Justin Fields lit up an explosive season for the Buckeyes, securing a Heisman candidacy, and should be able to eke out a win against the undefeated Tigers. 

LSU 42 vs. Oklahoma 14

Though Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts played a phenomenal season in his transfer season from Alabama, LSU has proved to be more than unstoppable this year. Star quarterback Joe Burrow won the Heisman trophy by a landslide and has proved himself to be the top quarterback entering the 2020 NFL Draft. Unfazed by any level of competition, Burrow and the Tigers eliminated Alabama and Georgia from contention seemingly without any difficulty. In a dominating match, LSU will pick apart the Sooner defense and wear them out through an effective pass-rush offensive play ratio. 

Championship Game—Jan. 13 in New Orleans

LSU 31 vs. Ohio State 24

In the matchup that college football fans hope to witness, the clear top two teams in the NCAAF will go head-to-head in an offensive shootout, although their defenses are so strong that maybe we won’t see as many points put up as many expect. Though Chase Young has been ruthless all year on the defensive line, the Tigers offensive line should be able to give Burrow enough time in the pocket to throw on the Buckeyes secondary. LSU senior safety John Battle is one of the top-ranked position picks for the draft, and a strong defensive stand by LSU should be able to shut down the high-powered Justin Fields-led offense. After shutting down the passing game, the real battle will be stopping explosive Ohio State running back JK Dobbins; however, the LSU defense should prevail. In a tight match through and through, the Tigers have been seemingly invincible throughout this season and should only continue this way.