As Clemson gets set to play LSU in the College Football Playoff National Championship next Monday, Clemson is trying to figure out a way to slow down Joe Burrow and the LSU offense.

The Bayou Tigers lead the national in scoring (48.9 pts/game) and total offense (564.1 yds/game). LSU has scored at least 36 points in 13 of their 14 games this season and six times this year they have scored 50 or more points, including 63 in their Peach Bowl win over Oklahoma.

“I think our team, as a whole, is playing our best football,” Burrow said. “Our defense has become one of the best in the country, and they’ve worked really hard to get there. I think as an offense, obviously, there’s still some room to improve, but I think we’re very explosive right now, and our O-line is playing their best ball of the season.”

The odds are Clemson will not be able to completely stop Burrow and company, but they hope to at least slow them down. The ACC’s Tigers lead the nation in scoring defense (11.5 pts/game) and passing defense (151.5 yds/game) and rank second in total defense (264.1 yds/game).

“It’s unbelievable what their quarterback has done, and just a complete football team in every sense of the word,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said.

Burrow, who won the Heisman Trophy, leads the nation in touchdown passes (55) and completion percentage (77.6) and is second in yards (372.0) per game. He is also second in passing yards (5,208).

“You can tell he’s just an inspirational type guy, great winner. He has great belief, and you can tell his team is highly motivated around him,” Swinney said. “But he’s played in big games and just is very poised in those situations. Got a chance to see him in the Alabama game in Tuscaloosa there, so watched that one, and just very, very impressive in how he’s competed all year long.”

The only time LSU has been slowed down came against Auburn on Oct. 26. Auburn held LSU to a season-low 23 points. Though LSU managed 508 yards, they turned the ball over twice, including once in the red zone and were 0-for-2 on fourth down.

“There were obviously some games where we were not as sharp as others, but we have a mature group of guys that is focused on winning and focused on doing their job, and we’ve put in a lot of work for this season,” Burrow said. “If we come out and lay an egg, we’re pretty disappointed in ourselves every single week.

“So, we try to do our job every week and execute to the best of our ability.”

Clemson and LSU will meet in New Orleans next Monday from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome at 8 p.m., ET.

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