The College Football Playoff National Championship is almost here, and the top two teams have risen from a talent-filled and tumultuous 2019 college football season. The Clemson Tigers and LSU Tigers are both full of talent on either side of the ball, so we take to the PFF data from grading every player on every play of every game to rank the top 25 stars in the championship game. Ed Orgeron's squad narrowly comes out on top, with 13 of the top 25 players.
Note: This is not a projection of NFL talent or a future ranking. It's based on how good the players are right now heading into Monday night's game.
1. Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
This one is simple. Take the Heisman Trophy winner who just set College Football Playoff records with eight total touchdowns against Oklahoma as the best player to likely participate in a CFP National Championship. Burrow is that good. His accuracy levels are off the charts. His grades top every other player in every other situation. Burrow is in a class of his own this season.
2. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
The second-best quarterback in a game for probably the first time in his career, Lawrence usually plays second fiddle to no man. While his NFL projection may have him ahead of Burrow, Lawrence enters the national championship just a tick behind the LSU signal-caller for the top grade at the position this season. Still, after a forgettable Week 8 first quarter against Louisville, Lawrence turned it on and became the highest-graded quarterback down the backstretch of the season. He proved his worth with his legs against Ohio State and added a wrinkle to his already stellar right arm.