College Football Playoff Odds: LSU Expects to Dominate Oklahoma on Both Sides of Ball

Posted on: December 28, 2019, 01:00h. 

Last updated on: December 27, 2019, 09:31h.

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No. 1 LSU (13-0) comes into its College Football Playoff semifinal against No. 4 Oklahoma (12-1) as a two-touchdown favorite in a game the Tigers believe they can dominate.

FanDuel Sportsbook has installed LSU as a 14-point favorite over the Sooners in what is expected to be a high-scoring affair.

LSU and Oklahoma will be playing in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The winner will go on to face the winner of the other College Football Playoff semifinal between Ohio State and Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday night.

Burrow Leads Relentless LSU Attack

The over/under total has been set at 76, with the Tigers being a -510 favorite on the money line over Oklahoma (+380).

LSU has been dominant for most of the season, surviving regular season tests against Auburn and Alabama before burying Georgia 37-10 in the SEC Championship. The Tigers have been powered by an almost unstoppable offensive attack that has averaged 46.3 points per game, good for third in the nation.

The offensive attack has been led by Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow, who has put together a brilliant year as the Tigers quarterback. Burrow has thrown for 48 touchdowns to lead all FBS quarterbacks, and is second in passing yardage with 4,715 yards.

While few expect the Oklahoma defense to keep Burrow in check, the senior quarterback believes the Sooners will be ready for him on Saturday.

They’re really fast and I think Coach Grinch is a really good coach that’s going to have a good plan for us,” Burrow told reporters. “So, we’re going to have to see what they’re going to do and make in-game adjustments really well.”

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Alex Grinch acknowledged that there was no way his team could shut down the LSU offense. But, he said, they’ll try to do as much as possible to limit the damage when Burrow is on the field.

“‘Slow’ is the right word because you’re not going to stop those guys,” Grinch told the media. “Obviously, from a personnel [perspective], they’re as elite as you’re going to have in the country. They’ve got one of everything, and they’ve got multiples of some. And so, in any event, what we need to do is commit to the things that got us here, worry about us, and it’s coach-speak, but it’s true.”

Tigers Believe They Can Slow Oklahoma Offense

At 41 points per game, it’s possible that Oklahoma’s offense could have a chance of keeping up with LSU in a shootout. But the Tigers defenders believe that they might be able to solve that puzzle as well. LSU has given up just 17 points over its last two games, a sign that a solid defensive unit might be putting it all together at just the right time.

The o-line’s not great, the backs are not great, but they make it work,” LSU linebacker Patrick Queen told reporters. “Jalen [Hurts] is a great quarterback, and they’ve got some great wide receivers. I feel like if we can get the ball out of Jalen’s hands and try to make other people make plays, I feel like our defense can make plays in space. I feel like, with this game plan we’ve got, we can dominate them.”