There are seasons in college football that transcend the sport itself, moments when the game feels more like history in motion rather than just wins and losses. For the LSU Tigers in 2019, led by quarterback Joe Burrow, that kind of season unfolded in a way that redefined excellence. It wasn’t just that LSU won games, or even that they won the national championship—it was the way they did it. They didn’t merely beat opponents; they dismantled them with an energy and rhythm that felt otherworldly. That 2019 Tigers team, with Burrow at the helm, was on another level, so dominant and captivating that they’re still talked about today as perhaps the greatest college football team of all time.
The story of Joe Burrow and LSU in 2019 was one of unlikely beginnings and meteoric rises. Burrow himself wasn’t always viewed as a generational quarterback. Before arriving in Baton Rouge, he was a backup at Ohio State, struggling to find his place in a crowded quarterback room. When he transferred to LSU in 2018, he was seen as a solid but unspectacular option. The Tigers, too, had been a program searching for a true offensive identity for years, built on defensive toughness and a strong running game but often falling behind modern passing juggernauts. Everything changed in 2019 when offensive coordinator Joe Brady brought in a new spread passing scheme, giving Burrow the tools and freedom to unleash his full potential. Suddenly, the Tigers went from being a traditional SEC team to the most explosive offensive force the sport had ever seen.
Burrow’s season was nothing short of legendary. He threw for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns against only six interceptions, shattering SEC records and rewriting the NCAA history books. His completion percentage of 76.3% was mind-blowing, particularly considering the level of competition he faced week after week in the toughest conference in college football. Burrow didn’t just accumulate stats; he did it with precision, poise, and a sense of inevitability. Every time he dropped back, it felt as though something spectacular was about to happen. His confidence radiated through the entire team, and the Tigers followed his lead with an unshakable belief that no one could stop them.
But Burrow wasn’t doing it alone. That 2019 LSU roster was loaded with talent that is now scattered across the NFL. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase dominated defenses with his blend of speed, strength, and elite ball skills, putting up 1,780 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns on his way to winning the Biletnikoff Award. Justin Jefferson, his partner in crime, added 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns, giving LSU two of the most unstoppable receivers in the country. Even third options like Terrace Marshall Jr. were NFL-caliber talents, ensuring that Burrow always had weapons at his disposal. Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire provided balance, rushing for over 1,400 yards while catching 55 passes out of the backfield, embodying the versatility of the new-look LSU offense. Together, this unit wasn’t just efficient—they were devastating, breaking defenses down in ways that felt inevitable, no matter who lined up against them.
The schedule LSU faced in 2019 made their dominance even more impressive. It wasn’t a soft run to the title. They beat seven teams ranked in the AP Top 10, including Alabama, Florida, Auburn, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Clemson. Each of those games felt like a showcase for how far ahead of the curve LSU really was. Against Alabama, in Tuscaloosa, Burrow threw for 393 yards and three touchdowns in a 46-41 victory that snapped an eight-game losing streak to Nick Saban’s dynasty and marked a turning point in college football power. Against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, LSU shredded one of the best defenses in the nation, with Burrow throwing for 349 yards and four scores. In the College Football Playoff semifinal against Oklahoma, Burrow delivered perhaps his most jaw-dropping performance: eight total touchdowns in the first half alone, seven of them passing, turning the game into a blowout before halftime. Then came Clemson, the defending national champions riding a 29-game winning streak, and LSU took them apart too. Burrow threw for 463 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-25 win that cemented LSU’s place as one of the greatest teams of all time.
What made the 2019 Tigers stand out wasn’t just the wins or the records—it was the style in which they dominated. Their offense was revolutionary for the SEC, a spread scheme that maximized mismatches and relied on quick reads, tempo, and relentless execution. Every game felt like a clinic in how modern football could be played at the college level. Burrow operated it with the precision of a surgeon, never flustered, always one step ahead of the defense. Watching LSU that year was like watching inevitability in motion; opponents knew what was coming but could do nothing to stop it. Even elite defenses like Georgia’s and Clemson’s were left reeling, unable to keep up with the pace and skill LSU brought to the field.
Burrow’s Heisman Trophy campaign was one of the most lopsided in history, as he won with the highest percentage of first-place votes ever at the time. His emotional speech, where he highlighted his journey and gave voice to the struggles of his hometown of Athens County, Ohio, cemented his reputation not just as a great player but as a leader and a symbol of resilience. That speech resonated across the country, adding a human element to his remarkable on-field dominance.
Defensively, LSU wasn’t as statistically dominant as some of its past teams, but they had playmakers everywhere. Safety Grant Delpit won the Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back. Linebacker Patrick Queen, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., and pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson gave LSU the kind of athletes who could make game-changing plays when needed. While the offense grabbed headlines, the defense stepped up in big moments, ensuring that LSU was a complete team, not just a one-dimensional powerhouse.
The legacy of the 2019 Tigers is still debated, but many believe they are the greatest college football team ever assembled. They went 15-0, beat nearly every elite program in the country, set records for offensive production, and sent an astonishing 14 players to the NFL draft, including five first-round picks. In many ways, they represented the perfect storm: a quarterback playing the best single season in history, a cutting-edge offensive scheme, and a roster stacked with NFL talent. Other teams have gone undefeated, and other teams have had talent, but no one has combined dominance, style, and substance the way LSU did in 2019.
For Joe Burrow, that season was the launching pad for everything that followed. He went from transfer quarterback to national champion, Heisman winner, and the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. His performance elevated LSU back into the spotlight and gave fans memories that will never fade. The image of Burrow smoking a cigar in the locker room after the national championship win became an iconic moment, symbolizing the swagger and confidence that defined LSU’s season. He wasn’t just a quarterback; he was the embodiment of a culture shift, the leader of a team that believed they were unstoppable—and proved it every single week.
