CFP National Championship X-factors

Jan. 13 in New Orleans, Clemson and LSU will face off for the College Football Playoff National Championship. With 16 days separating the semifinals and the title game, there is plenty of time to analyze the game, and plenty already have voiced their opinions. However, we are going to break this game down a little differently. We have three X-factors that will help you look at this contest from a different perspective.

Future No. 1 draft picks

Only once have two quarterbacks, who were selected first overall in the NFL Draft, played against each other in college. It happened in November of 1997, when Peyton Manning and Tennessee defeated Tim Couch and Kentucky. Both quarterbacks had career games. Manning threw for 523 yards, while Couch managed 476 yards through the air. Manning came out on top with a 59-31 victory.

We will most likely get the second occurrence next Monday night, when LSU's Joe Burrow (2020 draft) and Clemson's Trevor Lawrence (2021 draft) face off. Burrow is a consensus No. 1 pick for this April's draft. Lawrence is already the No. 1 pick on everyone's 2021 mock draft, and only time will tell if that remains true.

We may see statistical output similar to 1997 from the quarterback position. The older Burrow will likely have the advantage, although Lawrence has championship experience.

LSU is playing in its home state

This game will be the eighth time a team has played for a national title in its home state. The "home" team is 3-4 in those games, and LSU has been involved in three of them. The Tigers are 2-1 in those situations, with the one loss coming to Alabama in 2012. This will be LSU's fourth national championship game, with all four played in the Superdome.

Clemson will not feel too far from home, however. Star running back Travis Etienne is from Louisiana and has already played in the Superdome once in his college career. That was the 2018 national championship against Alabama, when he only mustered up 22 yards on four carries in a loss.

Battle of former interim head coaches

Both head coaches began their tenure at each program as an interim coach.

Dabo Swinney took over for the fired Terry Bowden in October of 2008. After he led Clemson to a bowl game, he was named the full-time head coach and has gone won 130 games, with only 30 losses, and two national championships.

Ed Orgeron took over for the fired Les Miles in September of 2016. Orgeron finished that season 6-2, and his teams have improved each year.

Orgeron will look to become only the third head coach to win a national championship after starting with the program as an interim head coach. He would join Phil Fulmer (Tennessee) and Swinney. With championship experience, Swinney has the coaching advantage in this one.

These three X-Factors slightly lean in favor of LSU. However, I expect this to be one of the best national championships we have seen in recent memory. Do not be surprised if we get a shootout between the two best quarterbacks and two best offenses in the country.

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