The Joe Burrow Touchdown Bracket Elite Eight: Day Three

The Final Four is halfway there and once again chalk prevailed. Burrow’s back-breaking touchdown pass to Clyde Edwards-Helaire against Alabama won the Cigar Region, joining 3rd and 17 in the Final Four.

With two down and two to go, the last four touchdowns will all feature Ja’Marr Chase. Today we’re crowning a champion in the Get the Nat region and it will probably be the biggest tossup of the entire bracket.

No. 1: Chase’s opening bomb vs. Clemson

Why it should advance:

Because it’s the damn national championship and this was LSU’s answer to Trevor Lawrence’s touchdown run.

LSU’s offense was spinning its wheels the first times it had possession of the ball. Between being buried in poor field position and Clemson borrowing some strategy that Auburn used, LSU’s first three possessions ended in punts and the ghosts of 1/9/12 were starting to emerge.

But champions respond time and time again, and that’s exactly what LSU did. Go down 7-0? Boom, here’s a 50-yard response. LSU may have been late to its coronation party but once Burrow and Chase connected, the Tigers were well on its way to seizing its destiny.

No. 2: Chase’s first quarter strike vs. Alabama

Why it should advance:

Because this was LSU’s shot heard round the world. This was LSU letting us and Alabama know this losing shit stops here and now. Remember, this gave LSU its first lead over Alabama since Zach Mettenberger hit Jarvis Landry to go up 17-14 in the 2012 game. It took 2.562 days for LSU to have another lead on the Tide.

I rewatched that 2012 game this morning. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s because I hate myself. But after that I played Chase’s touchdown on loop and it felt good seeing it. Watching Burrow throw it up, Chase go up and get and Trevon Diggs just comically falling flat on his face is my cocaine. Seven years of frustration gets returned in full on this play and it’s only a small serving of payback Burrow and company dish back out.