How to watch national championship football game: Clemson vs LSU TV, stream details
The Clemson Tigers are back in the national championship game for the fourth time in five years and will face LSU Monday night in New Orleans. Clemson has a chance to win back-to-back national titles and its third in four years. What you need to know:
What time do Clemson and LSU play today in the national championship game?
Who: Clemson vs. LSU
What time: 8 p.m. Monday
Where is the game? Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
What TV channel: ESPN
Radio: 1400 AM in Columbia, 93.3 in Greenville (Don Munson, C.J. Spiller, Tim Bourret, Reggie Merriweather) ... See all the radio affiliates around the state here.
Stream: WatchESPN
Betting spread: LSU by 5.5
Series history: LSU leads 2-1. Clemson won the last meeting 25-24 in the 2012 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl.
Weather: Thunderstorms in the morning, with a high of 73 and low of 65. The game will be played in a dome.
Halftime show: Each school’s respective marching bands will then perform at halftime. While that’s been the case the last two College Football Playoff title games, those watching ESPN were shown a concert — and not the marching bands. Monday’s intermission will also include, per the CFP, a “special presentation” to celebrate the end of college football’s 150th season.
What’s at stake for Clemson
Clemson can become the first team to win back-to-back national titles since Alabama in 2011-12 and the first team to win back-to-back titles without a loss since Nebraska in 1994-95.
With a victory, Clemson will improve to 7-2 in College Football Playoff games. Clemson’s seven wins in the playoff would pass Alabama (six) for the most in CFP history. No school other than Clemson and Alabama has more than two.
Clemson can win its sixth consecutive game over a team from the SEC with a victory. The Tigers have beaten Texas A&M (2), South Carolina (2) and Alabama from the SEC the past two seasons..
Top LSU players to watch
1. Quarterback Joe Burrow won the Heisman this season and is having a historic season. Burrow has passed for 5,208 yards and 55 touchdowns, with six interceptions. He threw for 493 yards and seven touchdowns in the College Football Playoff semifinal game against Oklahoma.
2. LSU has a talented group of receivers, led by Biletnikoff Award winner Ja’Marr Chase. The sophomore has 75 catches for 1,559 yards and 18 touchdowns this season, but others can make you pay if you devote too much attention to Chase. Justin Jefferson had 14 catches for 227 yards and four touchdowns in the Peach Bowl.
3. LSU’s defense had its share of struggles early in the year but has played much better as of late. Freshman cornerback Derek Stingley is already one of the best cornerbacks in the nation. He leads LSU with six interceptions and 15 pass breakups.
Top Clemson players to watch
1. Travis Etienne is hoping for a happy homecoming as he returns to his home state of Louisiana to play a game for the first time in two years. Etienne would love nothing more than to help Clemson to a win over his home-state school in what could be the final game of his college career. The junior has 1,536 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 8 yards per carry.
2. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence doesn’t get the attention Burrow does, but he has been as good as any QB in the country the second half of the season. Lawrence has passed for 3,431 yards, with 36 touchdowns and eight interceptions on the year — and in the past seven games he has 22 touchdowns and no picks.
3. Isaiah Simmons is one of the best defensive players in the country and a likely top 15 pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables moves Simmons all over the field, lining him up at linebacker and safety, while also using him as a pass rusher.
Clemson football projected depth chart
Offense
QB: Trevor Lawrence (Chase Brice, Taisun Phommachanh)
RB: Travis Etienne (Lyn-J Dixon, Darien Rencher)
WR: Tee Higgins (Joseph Ngata, Cornell Powell)
WR: Justyn Ross (Frank Ladson Jr., T.J. Chase)
WR: Amari Rodgers (Diondre Overton, Will Swinney)
TE: J.C. Chalk (Braden Galloway, Luke Price or Davis Allen)
LT: Jackson Carman (Jordan McFadden)
LG: John Simpson (Matt Bockhorst)
C: Sean Pollard (Cade Stewart)
RG: Gage Cervenka (Will Putnam)
RT: Tremayne Anchrum (Chandler Reeves)
Defense
DE: Logan Rudolph or Justin Foster (K.J. Henry)
DT: Tyler Davis or Jordan Williams (Xavier Kelly)
DT: Nyles Pinckney (Darnell Jefferies, Ruke Orhorhoro)
DE: Xavier Thomas or Logan Rudolph (Justin Mascoll)
SLB: Isaiah Simmons (Mike Jones Jr.)
MLB: James Skalski (Jake Venables, Kane Patterson)
WLB: Chad Smith (Baylon Spector, Keith Maguire)
CB: Derion Kendrick (Sheridan Jones, LeAnthony Williams)
SS: K’Von Wallace (Denzel Johnson)
FS: Tanner Muse (Nolan Turner)
CB: A.J. Terrell (Mario Goodrich, Andrew Booth Jr.)
Special teams
PK: B.T. Potter (Steven Sawicki)
P: Will Spiers (Steven Sawicki or Aidan Swanson)
KO: B.T. Potter (Steven Sawicki)
LS: Patrick Phibbs (Jack Maddox)
H: Will Swinney (Will Spiers)
PR: Derion Kendrick or Amari Rodgers
KOR: Joseph Ngata and Cornell Powell
