College Football Playoff 2019: 16-team bracket simulation

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 07: Head coach Ed Orgeron of the LSU Tigers talks with Joe Burrow #9 in the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs during the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 07, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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BATON ROUGE, LA – NOVEMBER 30: LSU Tigers wide receiver Justin Jefferson (2) catches a pass for a touchdown during a game between the LSU Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies on November 30, 2019, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.. (Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

1. LSU vs. 16 Iowa

Just based on the first look, putting the Iowa Hawkeyes, a team that finished 9-3 overall on the season and notched just one signature win in the Big Ten by beating Minnesota, against the SEC Champion LSU Tigers that finished the season undefeated led by the eventual Heisman Trophy winner, Joe Burrow, seems like a substantial mismatch. And the truth is not far from what the first look would indicate.

With Burrow working under Joe Brady and with two dynamic receiving weapons in Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson with the supplemental game of running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU’s offense has been near unstoppable this season. The Tigers average 47.8 points per game while playing against some of the best defenses in the country in SEC play.

That LSU offense would be matched up against Iowa, who has succeeded this season off of controlling the pace and playing strong defense. Nate Stanley and the Hawkeyes defense have been fine in 2019 but they are at their best when they aren’t needing to get into a shootout in order to win. And that’s an issue in this matchup.

The Tigers have not been slowed down by anyone except for Auburn, who they still put up 23 points on. Iowa does not have that same caliber of defense and it’s hard to imagine the Hawkeyes first slowing down Burrow and the LSU offense and then, subsequently, being able to keep up after the fact. This would be a blowout in favor of the No. 1 seed.

Winner: LSU Tigers