ATLANTA – Joe Burrow and the rest of the unbeaten LSU Tigers walked on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium artificial turf here for a late Friday afternoon practice.
They looked relaxed, focused and like they belonged in Saturday’s 28th annual SEC championship game against Georgia.
This unblemished 12-0 season, powered by one of the best offenses in SEC history, is a stunner to everyone but the Tigers themselves.
“This isn’t a surprise,” said Burrow, the first player in SEC history to throw for 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in a season. “We knew we’d be here.”
But did he really believe that LSU, ranked No. 1 by the AP and Coaches and No. 2 by the College Football Committee, would average 48.6 points per game? Or that he’d complete 78.6 percent of his passes, on pace for an NCAA record? Or that he’d be surrounded by two 1,000-yard receivers, a 1,000-yard rusher and a tight end who has set an LSU season pass receptions record for a tight end?
He had inkling because Burrow understands excellence, working together and understanding each other takes time.
“It’s a long process and it doesn’t happen overnight,” said Burrow, the Ohio State graduate transfer quarterback who came to LSU in the summer of 2018. “They (his receivers) didn’t trust you right away, you didn’t trust them right away. It’s a long process of people seeing your hard work and building trust on and off the field. I think we’re as close as any team I’ve ever been around.”
A succession of events – LSU’s no-huddle offense in its 40-32 Fiesta Bowl win over UCF last January led by Burrow’s 394 yards and four TDs, the willingness of offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger to mesh new passing game coordinator Joe Brady’s spread/RPO ideas and unparalleled upperclassmen leadership – set the Tigers on their season of destiny course.
“If weren’t 12-0 right now, we’d be pretty disappointed,” Burrow said. “I knew the kind of players we had coming back. We knew if we worked hard, we could do exactly what we’ve been doing.”
