Lessons from the National Championship Game

[WoadBlue]

This is a false statement: It is all about the Jimmys and Joes.

LSU won the game ultimately because Joe Brady was able to react correctly to what Venables designed to thwart the LSU offense. Brady made the correct adjustments, and Venables was not able to make comparable adjustments to reagin the upper hand.

On the other side of the ball, Dave Aranda had the perfect game plan to foul up Clemson's offensive rhythm. Once in-game tinkering got it just right, Clemson had nothing because Clemson made no adjustments that worked.

Venables got beat by the best OC in the college game. Elliott got beat by one of the 4 or 5 best DCs in the college game.

What Brady did against a DC as excellent as Venables is all the proof any CFB fan should need to conclude that Brady is the guy you want to get to your program as Oc/Associate HC/HC in waiting. Of course, that can work only if your HC is older and is a proven mentor. Mack Brown checks those boxes.

 

[Archer2]

The lesson? If you’ve got a whole team full of four and five star players, you’re going to win a lot of games. With some good coaching, a Natty is possible.

 

[JP4UNC2020]

With two defensive starters out in the 2nd half even Clemson struggles with good offenses.

 

[Raising Heel]

I’ve said this elsewhere, but the notion that “defense wins championships” has been flipped on its head. All four playoff teams were in the top 5 nationally in total offense. Only Ohio State and Clemson were in the top 5 in total defense and neither one brought home the trophy.

 

[blazers]

Offense wins, and good offense needs great qbs.

Swap Burrow for average QB and we're talking about Dabo.

 

[ohio tarheels]

And actually Joe Brady was only the passing game coordinator so did it make the adjustments or is that on the OC Steve Emslinger??

And it looks like Brady is coming to North Carolina!!! Charlotte

 

[blazers]

The lesson? If you’ve got a whole team full of four and five star players, you’re going to win a lot of games. With some good coaching and a Heisman qb, a Natty is possible.

^added something important imho

 

[Tigertown_a_Rick]

I’ve said this elsewhere, but the notion that “defense wins championships” has been flipped on its head. All four playoff teams were in the top 5 nationally in total offense. Only Ohio State and Clemson were in the top 5 in total defense and neither one brought home the trophy.

I totally agree.....The one aspect of defense that affected Clemson's offense was LSU's secondary being able to run with Clemson's receivers, while also being physical with them at the line of scrimmage which made it tougher for Trevor Lawrence to get into any kind of rhythm for most of the 2nd half as he overthrew his WRs on multiple occasions.....On the flip side, Clemson's secondary had a hard time matching up with the WRs of the Bayou Bengals....

I don't see Clemson making the same mistakes in 2020 as they are the legitimate favorite to not only make it back to the playoffs but also the early favorite to win it all if they can find enough decent OL because that is where they are taking the biggest hit, losing roughly 4 starters.....

As for Carolina, I think that we have a better than average chance of winning the Coastal, and playing Clemson in the ACC Championship game....At least, I hope that's the way that it plays out.....

 

[blazers]

on the topic of jimmys & joes, LSU has 7 EARLY nfl entrants, and Thad Moss will probably make it 8. That's in addition to the seniors like Joe Burrow, Kristian Fulton, Lawrence Rashard and the two OG who are potential 7th round or FA. Won't be a surprise to find 10 new LSU players in NFL next yr.

 

[ARC Dog]

With two defensive starters out in the 2nd half even Clemson struggles with good offenses.

Their defense gave up 350 yards in the first half with everyone on the field.

 

[blazers]

on the topic of jimmys & joes, LSU has 7 EARLY nfl entrants, and Thad Moss will probably make it 8. That's in addition to the seniors like Joe Burrow, Kristian Fulton, Lawrence Rashard and the two OG who are potential 7th round or FA. Won't be a surprise to find 10 new LSU players in NFL next yr.

Moss and K'lvon Chaisson go, making it NINE UNDERCLASSMEN - yeah pure coaching... nothing to do with jimmys & joes.

 

[Lydia green]

It's the Jimmies and the Joes

 

[HumasButthole]

Yeah, forget the fact that LSU was loaded to the brim with 1st round and arguably generational talent on O, while Clemson was in a rebuilding year loaded with 2 and 3 stars on D. That had nothing to do with it

 

[Archer2]

Yeah, forget the fact that LSU was loaded to the brim with 1st round and arguably generational talent on O, while Clemson was in a rebuilding year loaded with 2 and 3 stars on D. That had nothing to do with it

”2 and 3 stars on D”? Give me a freakin’ break!

 

[Raising Heel]

Yeah, forget the fact that LSU was loaded to the brim with 1st round and arguably generational talent on O, while Clemson was in a rebuilding year loaded with 2 and 3 stars on D. That had nothing to do with it

Do you need a tissue?

 

[tarheel0910]

”2 and 3 stars on D”? Give me a freakin’ break!

Pretty sure he was joking, but I'm not sure what point he was trying to make either way.

 

[Hark_The_Sound_2010]

I don't see how you can say it's not about the Joes and then go on to say it's all about Joe Brady and Joe Burrow...

 

[TarHeelMark]

I don't see how you can say it's not about the Joes and then go on to say it's all about Joe Brady and Joe Burrow...

And don't forget the Jimmy's... Orgeron's middle name is James.

 

[tarheel0910]

And don't forget the Jimmy's... Orgeron's middle name is James.

 

[Archer2]

It's definitely about the Jimmies and the Joes. A significant part of being a great coach is being able to sign the better players.

 

[HumasButthole]

”2 and 3 stars on D”? Give me a freakin’ break!

Pretty sure he was joking, but I'm not sure what point he was trying to make either way.

I wasn't joking. My point was that OP’s analysis entirely missed the mark.

This was an extremely undermanned defense, talent wise. Of course we have/had 4 and 5 stars, you don’t get to where we were without them. My point was that BV wasn’t outwitted and out coached, it was that this was arguably his best coaching job to date. Our schedule was garbage, granted, but he made it to the title game with a D that had no business being there

This was a rebuilding year and he still had a group that kept us in the game against what some are calling the greatest offense of all time.

 

[treetiger]

Venables did a masterful job considering what he lost on the DL. He had to use a lot of 3 man fronts because of the weaknesses on the DL. It required a lot of blitzing trying to pressure the QB. If you require blitzing to pressure the QB it will eventually bite you in the ass when you have a team ith a good OL and a great QB. Once Brady got a bead on what he was facing (after the 1st quarter), unless Clemson and Trevor Lawrence played a near flawless game, the outcome was a no brainer. Clemson did not play well, and Trevor had one of his worst games as a Clemson QB, after having at up to that time what was one of his worst performances (especially early) against Ohio State. Now both Ohio State and LSU had elite secondary's, and Ohio State had an elite DL as well.

If Clemson had just two of the departed DL from last year, and Trevor plays just a little better, Clemson likely wins, or at least it is a nail-biter to the end.

The good news for Clemson. They will now have elite DLs for years to come.