Sunday afternoon, the College Football Playoff committee announced the LSU Tigers, Ohio State Buckeyes, Clemson Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners will participate in this year’s tournament. LSU finished the season No. 1, and will take on No. 4 Oklahoma at the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl Dec. 28. In the other semifinal, the Buckeyes and Clemson Tigers will battle in the Fiesta Bowl.
For the Fighting Tigers, it will be their first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
“We’re fortunate to go back to Atlanta,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. “I feel like we’ll have a lot of fans there. It worked out in our favor.”
This year’s Peach Bowl will undoubtedly center around star quarterbacks Joe Burrow for LSU and Jalen Hurts for Oklahoma.
“You can take us to Canada, and we’ll play on a gravel lot,” LSU quarterback Joe Burrow said after winning the SEC Championship. “It doesn’t matter where or who we play.”
LSU jumped from the No. 2 to the No. 1 spot in the final rankings after a dominant 37-10 win over No. 4 Georgia in the SEC Championship game. The win over Georgia gave the Tigers their fifth win over a team ranked in the top-10 at the time of the game. LSU is first in the country in total offense and is the first team in the history of the SEC to feature a 4,000-yard passer (Joe Burrow), a 1,000-yard rusher (Clyde Edwards-Helaire), and two 1,000-yard receivers (Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson). Burrow is first or second in the nation in passing yards (4,715, second), passing touchdowns (48, first), passing yards per game (362.7, second), passing efficiency (201.5, second), total offense (384.9, second) and points responsible for (308, T-first). His favorite receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, leads the country in receiving yards (1,498) and touchdowns (18).
“LSU is a really good football team,” Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley said. “That’s part of the (CFB) Playoff. It’s nothing new to us. We should be facing really good teams. There’s no doubt we’re going to be facing a really good team, and LSU is going to be facing a pretty good one too.”
Oklahoma ascended to the 4th position after Utah and Georgia lost their conference championship games this weekend. The Sooners will make their first-ever trip to the Peach Bowl. Oklahoma beat No. 7 Baylor to win its fifth consecutive Big 12 crown. However, Oklahoma’s quarterback Jalen Hurts is no stranger to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, after playing in three games in Atlanta. Hurts is top-three in the country in total offense (376.1, third), passing efficiency (200.3, third) and points responsible for (308, T-first). Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb ranks third in receiving touchdowns (14) and seventh in receiving yards (1,208).
Bayou Joe Burrow (Burreaux) and this is his Heisman Moment.
— The Atlanta Voice (@theatlantavoice) December 8, 2019
Video: @CBSSports #SECChampionship #TheAtlantaVoice pic.twitter.com/yofJEhLGCH
“You have to have good quarterback play to get in the playoff and win it all,” Riley said. “Jalen had a very positive impact on our program. It’s rather unique. We’re not talking years. It’s been months. It’s been kind of fast and furious, but it’s been very positive.”
The game is already sold out. However, limited standing room only tickets are now available at $200 per ticket with a two (2) ticket maximum per account.
“The road to the National Championship once again comes through Atlanta this year as we host our second College Football Playoff Semifinal,” said Bob Somers, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl chairman. “Both of these teams have had outstanding seasons and we are thrilled to welcome them to Atlanta, the Capital of College Football, where they will face off with the chance to march on to glory and a berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship.”
Kickoff for the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl is set for Dec. 28th at 4:00 PM on ESPN. It will be the third time LSU and Oklahoma ever met. The Sooners beat the Tigers 35-0 in 1950 and on Jan. 3, 2004, LSU beat Oklahoma 21-14 to win a National Championship.
