Know Your Enemy: How the National Championship is Viewed Through the Eyes of the Clemson Tigers

Does the Clemson offense have a weakness? Who are some under the radar players poised for a big game?

We've reached the home stretch of the College Football Playoff National Championship between the No. 1 LSU Tigers and No. 3 Clemson Tigers. It's a game that features many promising matchups that could make it a classic.

LSU fans have been reading what the purple and gold must do to clinch its first title since the 2007 season but haven't looked through the eyes of an everyday Clemson fan. We caught up with Clemson Maven for Sports Illustrated publisher Zach Lentz to find out how things look on the Clemson side as gameday approaches.

We all know the greatness of Trevor Lawrence and the myriad of weapons he has at his disposal. If there’s one area of this offense you’d consider a weakness, what would it be and why?

The Tigers have lacked tight end production for the last three seasons since the departure of former Tiger Jordan Leggett, who caught 16 touchdown passes in 2016. Since then the Tigers have only 6 touchdowns to tight ends.

The Tigers do get Braden Galloway back, after serving a one-year suspension for a banned substance last season, but how much will he help in his first game back is yet to be determined.

LSU has faced its fair share of tough defenses this year (Auburn and Georgia) just to name a few. What is it about Clemson’s defense that might be able to do something none other could figure out—-how to slow down Joe Burrow?

One word: Isaiah Simmons. The linebacker/ safety/ cornerback/ Swiss Army knife has been Brent Venables secret weapon this season.

He is a consensus top 10 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and his unique ability to play multiple positions make Venables’ job slightly easier. Expect Venables to showcase his talented defender in a multitude and variety of ways in hopes of creating confusion for Burrow, much like he did against Tua Tagovailoa last season.

What is the sense around Clemson, whether it be fan base, coaching staff or players about how this LSU team is viewed? Is it confidence or more of a nervous feel when it comes to the comfort level of winning this game?

There is no sense of nervousness around the Clemson Tigers. Why would there be? They have been on this stage four out of the last five seasons.

While the Tigers certainly respect LSU and what they have accomplished they understand that they have faced “the best offense ever” and the “greatest team ever” before, and walked away with a golden trophy.

Give us a couple of under the radar players you could see having a big game for Clemson and why?

First on the under-the-radar players for the Clemson Tigers would be linebacker Chad Smith. Smith was named the MVP of the Fiesta Bowl after having a quiet, but very productive campaign. The Fiesta Bowl showed what he was capable of, and if the Tigers are going to leave New Orleans with a win, he will probably have to have a performance equal to that of the Fiesta Bowl.

On the offensive side, I would say the player that could be an X-factor for the Tigers would be wide receiver Amari Rodgers. Rodgers’ ability to run the jet sweep and over-the-middle routes, combined with his less-than-enormous size provide the opportunity for him to get lost in coverage and cause problems for opposing defenses–similar to Hunter Renfrow in the past.

Prediction? 

I am still working on that, so look for it Sunday on Clemson Maven. But if you want a winner, I think that Clemson’s experience and speed on defense will be a little too much for the Bayou Bengals. Clemson goes to 30-0 and becomes the first back-to-back national champion in the history of the College Football Playoff.