Indiana concluded a perfect season by beating Miami in Monday night's College Football Playoff National Championship Game. The win arguably places the Hoosiers among college football's most dominant teams, but an NFL superstar isn't convinced.
Following two blowout victories over Alabama and Oregon, Indiana squeaked out a 27-21 win over Miami at Hard Rock Stadium. They became the sixth undefeated program in the CFP era and the first to ever go 16-0.
Despite that feat, Micah Parsons doesn't think the Hoosiers stack up to one of the past decade's other juggernauts. As Monday's close contest ended, the Green Bay Packers edge rusher claimed that Indiana still falls short of LSU's 2019 squad.
"Indiana might win, but ball knowers, I better never hear a comparison to Joe Burrow and that LSU team to this Indiana unit," Parsons wrote on social media.
How Indiana compares to 2019 LSU
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Indiana reminded college football fans of the 2019 LSU Tigers throughout a spectacular season.
Fernando Mendoza will likely follow Burrow as a No. 1 draft pick after a Heisman Trophy campaign. He tossed 41 passing touchdowns during a breakout season, but still fell 19 short of Burrow's record-setting tally.
Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt gave Mendoza explosive playmakers, but it's hard for any duo to match Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase. The 2019 Tigers also featured Clyde Edwards-Helaire, K'Lavon Chaisson, and Patrick Queen among its 14 NFL Draft picks.
The Hoosiers didn't eclipse a Tigers offense that averaged 48.4 points per game. However, Curt Cignetti's squad posted a higher average victory margin (29.9) thanks to a tenacious defense that allowed just 11.7 points per game.
Their respective finales may still lead observers to declare LSU the superior team.
LSU cruised to a 42-25 win over the Clemson Tigers in the National Championship Game behind 463 passing yards and five touchdowns from Burrow. The Tigers amassed an outrageous 628 total yards while containing a Clemson offense featuring future NFL stars Trevor Lawrence, Tee Higgins, and Travis Etienne Jr.
Indiana, on the other hand, did not close its season with as grand a statement. Miami gained 342 yards to Indiana's 317, and Mendoza didn't throw a touchdown for the first time since Week 1. Yet a late touchdown on a blocked punt helped the Hoosiers avoid an upset.
Regardless of how they compare to past champions, the Hoosiers captured the school's first national title in historic fashion.