We're just under a week away from College Football's National Championship game as the Ohio State Buckeyes are set to face off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This Playoff has practically become a coronation for the Ohio State Buckeyes ever since they dismantled Tennessee and Oregon with everyone in the media deciding that they're far and away the best team in the Country and the National Champions before the game is even played.
To take it a step further Ohio State isn't only being crowned the best team in the Country this year but, they're crowing this team as the greatest team ever assembled and everyone has decided that this team is as good as 2019 LSU. Media Members and Coaches have compared Ohio State to that LSU team all Playoff long.
This Ohio State team may be the last of a dying breed. This Ohio State team, playing at peak levels like it is right now, is akin to 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama or either of the subsequent Georgia national champions.
— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) January 2, 2025
That doesn't mean Oregon stinks or Dan Lanning blew it. It's just…
“[Ohio State] looks like 2019 LSU right now.”@chrisfallica, @NotTheeWillHill and @geoffschwartz hand out their picks for #OhioState vs #Texas
— Bear Bets Podcast (@BearBetsPod) January 7, 2025
(Super 6 sponsored by @DraftKings)
🎙️https://t.co/NSj8jma8wS
📺 https://t.co/ape2g1sJeA pic.twitter.com/fX6s4Eu9f5
Marshall's Head Coach Says That Ohio State's Offense Is On The Same Level As Joe Burrow's 2019 LSU Tigers https://t.co/rwlQGVANwB pic.twitter.com/QDb0LJ0l1V
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 23, 2024
The truth is that even if the Ohio State Buckeyes win the National Championship, they are not the 2019 LSU Tigers and they don't even come close. The Tigers finished the 2019 Season 15-0 winning the SEC and the National Championship. Ohio State is currently 13-2 and didn't play in their conference Championship because they lost to a Michigan team that finished the year 8-5. You can't be the "Most Dominant" Team of All Time if you lost twice.
The expectation for Ohio State was to be the most dominant team ever after the entire offseason the narrative was that Ohio State built a $20 Million roster. This wasn't possible in 2019 as Instant Transfers without sitting out wasn't yet possible nor was NIL.
When you look at the rosters of both teams, LSU is far superior up and down the lineup compared to Ohio State.
At Quarterback, Ohio State has Will Howard who is a fine quarterback who has throw for 3,779 yards and 33 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. His season comes nowhere close to what Joe Burrow had done passing for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns with 6 interceptions en route to winning the Heisman, The Maxwell Award, The Walter Camp Award, AP Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year, The Davey O'Brien Award, The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, The Manning Award, and SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
At Running Back, Ohio State has the two headed monster of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins who have combined for 2,351 yards and 24 touchdowns. Clyde Edwards-Helaire recorded 1,867 yards from scrimmage along with 17 touchdowns and as a team picked up more yards than Ohio State rushing in the same amount of games.
Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate is an incredible Wide Receiver Trio racking up a combined 2,872 yards and 28 touchdowns. Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson alone surpass the Buckeyes Trio as they combined for 3,320 yards and 38 touchdowns while Terrace Marshall Jr added 671 yards and 13 touchdowns while missing a massive chunk of the season with an injury.
LSU's Offensive Line won the Joe Moore Award in 2019 keeping Joe Burrow upright, this season Army won the Joe Moore Award.
The area Ohio State has an edge over LSU with is its defensive line as the Buckeyes have been far more productive than LSU's group has been. Linebacker is the best debate between the two teams as Ohio State's core has had a solid year led by Cody Simon while LSU's core had a solid year in 2019 led by Patrick Queen.
The Tigers once again get back to being dominant over Ohio State when it comes to defensive back play. Caleb Downs is regarded as the best defensive back in the Country, Grant Delpit won the Thorpe Award for being the best defensive back in the Country in 2019. LSU had a duo at cornerback of Derek Stingley Jr and Kristian Fulton, Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun are solid but, they don't reach the level that LSU's duo played at.
In the end, its impossible to argue that Ohio State belongs in the same conversation as LSU and other dominant teams for the most dominant team of all time especially when they lost twice. Head to Head, Ohio State would have trouble staying in the same game as LSU let alone beating that team. Two things can be true in that Ohio State is a really good team but, they've also shown they're clearly flawed during this season.