LSU Releases Amazing Hype Video Ahead of National Championship vs. Clemson

In Friday’s Hot Clicks: LSU’s incredible national championship hype video, the story behind a viral high school basketball call and more.

LSU is the national champion of hype videos

If you need a reason to root for LSU in the national championship game on Monday (beyond Dabo Swinney being the most self-righteous hypocrite in the extremely self-righteous, hypocritical world of college football) then check out this hype video the Tigers dropped on Thursday.

It looks, sounds and feels just like a really good movie trailer. There’s no way to watch that video and not wish the game was tomorrow. 

The two breakout stars for LSU this season have been Joe Burrow, who transformed from a wholly average quarterback into a Heisman winner and surefire No. 1 NFL draft pick, and video coordinator Matt Karin. 

Back in November, Karin captured some striking footage of Burrow making his final entrance at Death Valley. The video went mega-viral, racking up nearly 10 million views on Twitter alone.

For everyone asking how it was shot:
Sony A7iii + Sony 24-70 2.8 lens + Ronin-S
pic.twitter.com/HO34GmzEWr

— Matt Karin (@LSU_Matt) December 1, 2019

Karin and the rest of the video team, under the direction of coordinator of creative and digital content Matt Tornquist, put out stunning videos like those on a regular basis. 

One Team.
One Heartbeat.
One Week. pic.twitter.com/kibPB3VpK6

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) January 6, 2020

Producing viral videos isn’t just good for getting fans pumped up for a big game, though. It’s also a massive recruiting tool. Recruits are always on social media and if they see an amazing video like the ones LSU puts out, they can start to visualize themselves in the place of Burrow or Justin Jefferson or Clyde Edwards-Helaire. That’s what a team needs to make sure a trip to the title game isn’t a one-off.

I still can’t believe he said this

The video above is probably my favorite 14 seconds of 2020 thus far. I was so flabbergasted that I had to call the announcer and get his side of the story. 

The best of SI

Greg Bishop spoke with Patrick Mahomes as the Chiefs begin their playoff run. ... Legal analyst Michael McCann examines the odd case of a former Georgia player’s family suing over an amputated finger. ... Former No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz is starting to live up to the hype in Orlando. 

Around the sports world

Kevin Durant got a big Twitter fight with former teammate Kendrick Perkins. ... ESPN is making a 30 for 30 about Michael Vick. ... A former Yankees prospect acted as his own lawyer and filed a lawsuit claiming the team sabotaged his career to protect Derek Jeter. ... Phil Mickelson once got stuck in traffic outside a Guns ’N’ Roses concert and called his agent to try to get him a helicopter. ... The bed frames in the Olympic Village this summer will be made out of recycled cardboard. ... The famous golf course architect Pete Dye died at age 94.

I’m late to this but it was fantastic

Why aren't there more black head coaches in the NFL? pic.twitter.com/0DOsRyfTKY

— HIGH NOON (@HIGHNOONonESPN) January 8, 2020

OKC pays tribute to Russ

Russ returns to OKC. Here's our tribute video he watched in the arena tonight. pic.twitter.com/tNsf3J8nGe

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 10, 2020

The ovation Russell Westbrook got from the OKC crowd during his intro was electric 🙌

(via @okcthunder)pic.twitter.com/GDdU1Q1hHp

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 10, 2020

First goalie goal in six years

He embarrassed him

Chris Paul nutmeg SHEEEEEEESH pic.twitter.com/q29mvuKsPI

— Chris (@gswchris) January 10, 2020

Not bad for a defenseman

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A post shared by NHL (@nhl)

Mississippi State’s video announcing the Mike Leach hiring is pretty awesome

Swing Your Sword, #StarkVegas 🏴‍☠️#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/Y0FG0fzNEq

— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) January 9, 2020

It all comes full circle

You cannot make up the state of Mississippi football right now. Ole Miss lost to Mississippi State after a player mimicked peeing like a dog.

... the Bulldogs, meanwhile, just hired a head coach who has this as the first page of the foreword of his book: pic.twitter.com/jYqlpl0Ysl

— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) January 9, 2020

This was one of the longer hockey fights of the season

Not sports

Alex Trebek says he won’t let Jeopardy! producers know when his last show is until the day they tape it. ... A Vermont lawmaker introduced a bill to ban people under 21 from using cellphones, but he says it’s so unrealistic he probably wouldn’t even vote for it himself. ... A gold bar discovered under the streets of Mexico City was determined to have belonged to Montezuma.  

She was so confident

I tuned in to Canada's new version of Family Feud and may have witnessed one of the most iconic game show moments I've ever seen. pic.twitter.com/QsTIjEzoM7

— Mike Morrison 🏳️‍🌈 (Support trans kids) (@mikesbloggity) January 10, 2020

A small price to pay

Life in Scandinavia is one big metal album and you can’t convince me otherwise

Herders spraying reflective paint on their reindeer's antlers to avoid road accidents leads to absolute surreal and scary pictures #Lapland #Finland pic.twitter.com/4PdVslNMjV

— Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort (@kakslauttanen) January 8, 2020

Follow your dreams

A good song

Email dan.gartland@simail.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.