The College Football Playoff is about to kick off Saturday with a semi-final matchup between No. 1 LSU and No. 4 Oklahoma at 4 p.m. E.T. on ESPN followed by No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Clemson at 8 p.m. E.T.
The day is filled with four big-time quarterbacks, including Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow (LSU), two other Heisman finalists in Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) and Justin Fields (Ohio State), and Clemson's Trevor Lawrence who guided the Tigers to the 2018 national title. But these teams are all a lot more than their prestigious signal callers. Here are four players to know:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ceedee Lamb, wide receiver, Oklahoma — The Sooners' top pass catcher will take on his old friend Delpit in the first semi-final. He's also expected to be a high draft pick after picking up 1,208 receiving yards and snagging 14 touchdowns, which was good for fourth in the country.
Chase Young, defensive end, Ohio State — If you're a college football fan, you already know who Chase Young is. The pass-rusher is considered the best player in the draft, but it looks like he'll be the second overall pick, since the Cincinnati Bengals are expected to take a quarterback with the top selection. Young, despite missing three games, had a nation-leading 16.5 sacks.
Travis Etienne, running back, Clemson — Etienne has been an incredibly efficient rusher during his three seasons at Clemson. This year, he led the country with a staggering 8.2 yards-per-carry and finished in the top 10 with 1,500 rushing yards.
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster showSpeed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
