ATLANTA – Joe Burrow needed a year under his belt, along with a coaching change and a new wide-open offense, to really find his way at LSU.
Jalen Hurts didn’t have even that long to adjust, which makes his lone season at Oklahoma that much more remarkable.
Now, two transfer quarterbacks who have made indelible marks on their second programs will meet Saturday afternoon in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl, which kicks off at 4 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. ESPN will televise the game, as well as the 8 p.m. EST semifinal between No. 2 Ohio State (13-0) and No. 3 Clemson (13-0) at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.
The winners meet Jan. 13 in New Orleans.
The overall matchup in the early semifinal looks a bit one-sided – top-ranked LSU (13-0) is a two-touchdown favorite over the No. 4 Sooners (12-1) – but the quarterback duel is downright tantalizing.