TNF Preview: Tua Tagovailoa & Joe Burrow Renew Rivalry

As Burrow was putting up eye-popping numbers, his Tigers were moving up the polls from the preseason ranking of No. 6 to No. 2, with an eye towards their showdown with No. 1 Alabama. Just as LSU was closing the gap on Bama, Burrow was gaining on Tua in the Heisman race.

We were treated to a thriller as the teams combined for 1,100 yards, including over 800 yards and seven touchdowns through the air, as Burrow’s Tigers upset Tua and the Crimson Tide (-6.5) to vault both the Bayou Bengals and one Joe Burreaux to a National Championship and Heisman Trophy daily double.

That game solidified the fact that Burrow was the real deal.

Fast forward to 2022, and the momentum from LSU’s win over Alabama in 2019 hasn’t stopped. It was Burrow, who was the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft (remember Tank for Tua?). It’s Burrow who’s won an award (NFL Comeback Player of the Year). It’s Burrow who led the NFL in completion percentage in 2021. It’s Burrow who led his team to the Super Bowl.

It’s Burrow, who is debated among the best young quarterbacks in the NFL. Meanwhile, Tagovailoa, the sixth overall pick in the same draft (he did end up in Miami, who were allegedly tanking), was considered a borderline starting quarterback in the league where they play for pay coming into 2022.

 The surprising upstart this time around? That would be Tagovailoa.

It’s Tua’s team that is undefeated. It’s Tua who has thrown for 925 yards through three games (second in the NFL behind Josh Allen) with eight TD passes (third with Patrick Mahomes), a 117.8 rating (second in the NFL behind Lamar Jackson), and 9.2 yards per pass (second in the NFL behind Jalen Hurts).

Tonight is Tua’s chance (fingers crossed) to prove that he is, in fact, the real deal. Dealing with back and ankle issues, Tagovailoa is expected to play.