In Kirby We Trust
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Once the Sugar Bowl contest with Baylor is complete on New Year’s night the Georgia Bulldogs will still be one of the elite programs currently in college football.
The reason why is Kirby Smart. I have heard a lot of criticism of Kirby Smart since the SEC title game loss last week to LSU and what we should be hearing is a huge thank you to a man who rescued a program that was going nowhere fast in 2015.
When Smart was hired in Athens the previous staff had not won an SEC title in 10 seasons. Georgia had lost two straight games to bad Florida teams, had gone 5-10 against UF under the previous coaching staff, was struggling against Georgia Tech with an OT loss in Athens in 2014, and scraped by with an OT win against Georgia Southern in 2015.
Georgia was known as a finesse team in the SEC that had talent in the skill areas but lacked the physicality to compete with the Alabama’s of the world as evidenced by an embarrassing 38-10 loss to Alabama at home in 2015 in a monsoon that could have been 56-10 on a dry field.
Georgia was a soft program that could not manage rosters, recruit elite level players and numbers along the offensive line. During Kirby’s first year in 2016 he had to bring in a graduate transfer from Rhode Island to start 12 games at offensive tackle due to poor roster management prior to his arrival.
When Kirby was hired, the fan base howled on social media about being a more physical football team, and UGA struggled in Smart’s first year and went 8-5 while he changed the culture in the Classic City.
The offensive line and defensive line became a focus on the recruiting trail, and UGA began the transition into becoming a physical football team and it starting paying off in 2017 with the first of three straight 11-1 regular seasons, with an SEC title and a blown coverage in OT costing UGA a National Championship.
Since 2017 when the transformation began UGA is 35-7 with three straight SEC East Titles, an SEC Title, and a Rose Bowl playoff win over Oklahoma.
The brand of football is tough, physical football, downhill run game and elite defense, and three straight top 3 recruiting classes. Isn’t that what the fan base asked for when he was hired?
So, now after back to back losses in the SEC Championship game to Alabama, which has been a dynasty since 2008, and LSU, who has a once in a generation type QB in Joe Burrow, people are raising concerns over a staff that is a perennial College Football Playoff contender? Have you people lost your minds?
I had a Florida Gator fan tell me UGA under Kirby is the second coming of Mark Richt. If that was the case then UGA fans would have watched Florida play LSU last Saturday.
Food for thought folks. Richt was 1-3 in his first four in Jacksonville. Kirby is 3-1 and UGA has physically whipped UF on the line of scrimmage over the last three seasons.
Now that we have that out of the way, we all know Jake Fromm had a tough year and the offense needs some tweaking, but Georgia is what you all wanted it to be under Kirby Smart. That is a team that imposes its will upon most others. You are not going to win every game, but he is winning 78% of the time.
The 43 wins in his first four seasons is most in school history over that span. Georgia will be a top 10 team in 2020 and a playoff contender.
The only folks wishing Kirby was on the hot seat reside in Florida, Lower Alabama, and North Avenue in Atlanta.
Enjoy these times Dawg fans, Kirby Smart has made UGA elite. Kirby will make the changes he needs to make this offseason. In Kirby we trust!
The NL East Beast
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Climbing the mountain to attain a division championship in Major League Baseball is tough. Maintaining superiority and defending a division title is even tougher.
But doing so while still trying to figure out a way to get to – and win – a World Series is as challenging as it gets.
That’s the problem facing the Atlanta Braves this winter.
The Braves surprised all of baseball by taking the NL East in 2018. Last season, Atlanta was a known power and excelled despite many more expectations placed on it to defend its division crown.
However, the postseason result remained the same as the Braves were bounced in the divisional series for a second straight year.
Heading into 2020, there is no doubt that the Braves will be a contender once again. The young guys who have emerged over the last couple of seasons are now entering their primes, while others like Freddie Freeman, Mike Foltynewicz and Nick Markakis are grizzled and reliable veterans playing at a high level.
Everything suggests that the Braves will be as good as ever and recent signings of Cole Hamels and Will Smith can only help. However, they might also find themselves in the day-to-day fire of competing in the best division in baseball.
Obviously, the elephant in the room is the Washington Nationals. The Nats couldn’t top the Braves in the regular season, but got the last laugh in winning the World Series.
The Nationals re-signing of Stephen Strasburg meant they would let All-Star third-baseman, Anthony Rendon walk, but Washington is more concerned with how healthy they can be.
The main reason for their second-place finish in the NL East last season was that it took two months for the team to get healthy. Once everyone was in place, the Nationals had the best record in all of baseball.
The New York Mets are in a similar spot. It seems as if the Mets have been terminally bitten by the injury bug as they have been underachieving and often short-handed for most of the last three seasons.
That said, New York still has an imposing starting rotation and could easily get into a division race if its bats can stay in the lineup all season.
Then there are the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phils won the 2018 offseason by signing Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen, while trading for J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura.
However, injuries plagued McCutchen and Segura, while nearly the entire bullpen was lost due to various ailments.
Philadelphia continues to dole out money as it has already signed pitcher Zack Wheeler and shortstop Didi Gregorious.
Aside from the still-rebuilding Marlins, there is no reason for any of the other four teams in the division to expect anything less than a winning record and a serious run at the postseason.
If the division proves to be as competitive on the field as it appears on paper, the Braves figure to have a bit of an advantage in that their roster is stocked with guys who have thrived down the stretch in division races the last two seasons.
Then again, the Braves were also the healthiest of the top four division finishers last season and could face a very different situation if they are forced to battle through constant lineup changes.
With winter approaching, baseball may seem a long way off, but a big part of every championship season occurs in November and December when pieces are shifted around by squads in hopes of solving the World Series puzzle.
It’s been a long time since the Braves’ ridiculous run of 14 consecutive division championships and the ways of baseball have changed to where even truly great teams might only have a window of a few years in which they can compete for a World Series.
This is that moment for Atlanta and the front office is clearly going for it. Now it’s just a matter of seeing how things play out.
The Sugar Bowl Disappointment
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Georgia Bulldogs didn’t get the SEC Championship win it was aiming for this season, but Georgia is the highest ranked two loss team and will make another trip to the Sugar Bowl.
It wasn’t supposed to end this way for the Bulldogs, a defensive minded team that believed they could control a high-powered LSU offense.
Instead, LSU had their way in Atlanta, running away with a convincing 37-10 victory.
Joe Burrow did it all in this game; throwing, running and even catching a pass. The entrenched force that was Georgia’s defense, which had only allowed more than 300 yards three times this season, was jumped by experience in LSU’s romp of 481 yards in total offense.
One play stuck out, Burrow’s 71-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson. Burrow spoke about that play after the game. “It was all improvisation. Justin ran a six-yard hitch route and saw me scramble and Justin took off downfield.”
Joe Burrow picked apart the Georgia defense and the Bulldogs’ defensive backs looked lost. Georgia, who hasn’t played a quarterback close to Burrow’s stature this season, had their hopes on making the College Football Playoffs utterly crushed.
Go ahead and give Joe Burrow the Heisman. Burrow’s stats from the SEC Title Game were 347 yards passing, 4 touchdown passes, 46 yards rushing and 16 yards receiving (a pass from himself).
You do have to feel for Kirby Smart though, eight players left the game with injuries. Some returned and some were significantly hurt like Jake Fromm. Defensive back Tyrique Stevenson and wide receiver Dominick Blaylock were also carted off the field with leg injuries.
D’Andre Swift said, “We lost last year. We lost this year. They have to do a better job finishing in the future.”
Bulldog Nation, please step away from the ledge! Georgia’s future is still very bright with Kirby Smart at the helm. Smart is one of the top recruiters in the country and Georgia will have another top five recruiting class in 2020. The program is still looking upward, despite these downward turns on the roster.
Georgia fans, Kirby Smart is not Mark Richt or Nick Saban. Kirby won the SEC East, beat Florida (again) and is heading to the Sugar Bowl.
This is one of the marquee bowl games in college football and it gives Georgia a chance to right their wrongs against Baylor. Let’s hope the Bulldogs have a better showing than last year’s 28-21 loss to Texas.
For the second straight year, the Bulldogs are not playing in the College Football Playoffs. I ask my Bulldogs Fans, is this season a disappointment?
Play It Off
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are in the sixth year of the College Football Playoff.
The top four teams have been picked and I think this is the first year where the committee had an easy decision selecting all of the teams. We are going to preview the playoff games.
Both games will be played December 28. No. 1 LSU (13–0) versus No 4. Oklahoma (12–1) in the Peach Bowl.
The Tigers return to Atlanta after trouncing No. 4 Georgia in the SEC Championship. LSU is led by the clear Heisman Trophy front-runner Joe Burrow.
Burrow is the best quarterback I’ve seen at LSU in the past 25 years. This program is notorious for having poor QB play, so they are really enjoying this because I do not think they will be in this position again anytime soon.
Burrow has thrown for over 4,700 yards, 48 touchdowns, 6 interceptions with a 93.7 QBR (2nd).
Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has rushed for nearly 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also has 50 receptions for 400 yards so he makes plays all over the field.
Receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase both have over 1,200 receiving yards with double digit TD’s.
The Tigers are ranked 32nd nationally in total defense.
This is Oklahoma’s third straight playoff appearance and they are looking for their first win.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts transferred from Alabama, so he’s played against LSU the last three seasons. He won’t be intimidated and their defense is not as good as they previously were.
Hurts is the epitome of a dual threat, passing for over 3,600 yards, 32 touchdowns, 7 picks and a QBR of 90.6 (4th). Hurts also ran for more than 1,200 yards, 18 TD’s and he averages 5.7 yards per carry.
CeeDee Lamb is his top target and big play threat. OU is 24th in total defense.
This game should be high scoring and both offenses should play well. Hurts has a bad habit of turning the ball over and I don’t see this game being any different. That will help LSU win by double digits.
No. 2 Ohio State (13–0) plays No. 3 Clemson (13–0) in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Az.
Both teams are led by highly recruited quarterbacks from Georgia. They were also finalists in the 2017 Elite 11 with Justin Fields finishing first and Trevor Lawrence finishing second.
Fields has thrown for almost 3,000 yards, 40 TD’s, 1 interception and his QBR is 92.4 (3rd). I must admit I’ve been labeled an ‘OSU hater’ by a friend of mine because I give an honest opinion of Fields and last year Dwayne Haskins.
I watch the Buckeyes regularly and notice that quarterbacks typically throw short passes like slants, screens and crossing routes. The receivers get massive yards after catch, which makes the QB’s stats look good.
Running back J.K. Dobbins has rushed for over 1,800 yards, 20 TD’s and he averages 6.5 ypc. The defense ranks second in total D.
Clemson is the defending national champion and they have been disrespected all year. Lawrence played poorly for the first month of the season with several multiple interception games. He finished the year with 8 picks but he improved.
Receiver Tee Higgins and running back Travis Etienne are going to be first round picks in this year’s draft. The Tigers defense is the best in the nation in total defense.
This should be a close game but Clemson will win. The Tigers of LSU and Clemson will meet in the national championship.
Hot Seat?
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The University of Georgia Bulldogs stumbled early on in 2019, losing a game in September to a South Carolina Gamecocks squad that would eventually end the season with a 4-8 record.
They battled back and scored big wins against the likes of Auburn and the University of Florida to propel them to a third consecutive SEC East Championship and a showdown against the Louisiana State University Tigers for the SEC Championship.
Given that they didn’t have to play Alabama, the specter that haunted them each of the previous two seasons, this seemed like a golden opportunity for Kirby Smart to right the ship after a disappointing follow-up season in 2018 to the 2017 College Football Championship run.
However, Joe Burrow and the Tigers showed up to Mercedes Benz Stadium and sealed their own CFB playoff spot instead.
Burrow blew the ink dry on his Heisman campaign with 349 passing yards and 4 touchdowns to boot. Jake, from State Fromm, managed 1 touchdown while throwing for 225 yards but tossed two interceptions as well.
It was, as I mentioned before, UGA’s second loss of the season, while LSU remained undefeated.
You have to wonder now if the Bulldog’s rabid (no pun intended) fan base is going to turn against Smart. Even though he was sending out a depleted roster to take on a Tigers team that averaged nearly 50 points per game during the season.
Kirby followed in the footsteps of Mark Richt, who – like Smart – took a season to get acclimated to Athens before winning the SEC Championship in his second year.
That victory was in 2002 and Richt earned another in 2005 before a decade of pretty good, but not quite great, football.
All the goodwill Richt earned by winning the first SEC Championship in 20 years had pretty much worn off by the time he was dismissed in 2015 and Richt remains a debated figure by the UGA faithful.
Smart may not get the 10 years that Richt had, but he led a team to the National Championship game and has taken steps back in the two years since.
Today’s coaches are on the hot seat the second they’re hired. Especially, in the SEC.
I’m not saying that Kirby Smart isn’t going to make it to the New Year with his job intact but he’s in definite danger after losing a second straight SEC Championship.
The Bulldogs seemed like they were trending up just a couple of short years ago, but that trend has seemingly done an about face.
A double-digit lead over Alabama in the 4th quarter in the National Championship Game in 2017 led to a loss.
A double-digit lead in the 3rd quarter in the SEC Championship the very next year led to a loss and to the exact same team, no less.
They followed that with an embarrassing Sugar Bowl loss to Texas. Now they’re entering Championship games as the underdog and the upsets aren’t happening.
That’s a dangerous path for an SEC coach to be on, especially with popular former Bulldog player & coach Mike Bobo suddenly in the unemployment line.
I know there have been calls for Kirby to bring Bobo onto his staff but now I wonder: after this loss and with this continuing trend of getting farther away from greatness, will those calls now change to calling for Bobo to replace Smart?
Lump Of Cole?
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Braves continued with a dazzling array of off-season moves with the addition of LHP Cole Hamels.
Hamels signed a one year $18 million dollar deal this week. Hamels, who will be 36 years old on opening day, has been in the major leagues since 2006.
Cole Hamels will try to help the Braves get over the hump. The Braves won the past two division crowns, but haven’t yet managed to translate that success into the postseason.
Hamels will step in for Dallas Keuchel as a durable veteran, who has ‘been there and done that’ plenty of times over a long and prosperous career. Keuchel let the Braves down in the 2019 Postseason.
Following a long and successful run in Philadelphia from 2006-15, he was traded at the deadline to the Texas Rangers in a blockbuster that involved eight players, mostly prospects.
He was a summer trade target again, three years later, when the Cubs acquired him from Texas for three more players in July 2018.
He’s been a reliable member of Chicago’s rotation ever since, making 27 starts for the organization in 2019 and holding a 3.81 ERA and 4.09 FIP in 141.2 innings.
It was the 12th season of his career in which he was worth at least 2.5 WAR. Hamels was the 2008 World Series MVP for the Phillies, leading them to their first World Title since 1980. Hamels has a career record of 163-121 with a 3.42 ERA and a 7-6 postseason record with a 3.41 ERA.
This is the latest addition for the Braves, who have already added some nice pieces before the Winter Meetings even launch.
Hamels isn’t the top-of-the-rotation arm he once was, but his addition doesn’t rule out other moves. At this stage in his career look for Hamels to be a solid #2 or #3 starter in the Braves rotation in 2020. Now the focus moves to resigning Comeback Player of the Year Josh Donaldson at third base.
Is a 36-year-old Hamels going to be reliable for the Braves in 2020? With Stephen Strasburg and Gerrit Cole on the market you would think the Braves, who are set up for a World Series run, would have gone after one of these two studs to anchor the rotation.
The knock on Hamels is he possibly is wearing down. During the month of September last season Hamels never made it past the 5th inning in any of his starts. Does that sound familiar Braves fans; starting pitchers not making it through 5 innings?
Have the Braves gotten better by swapping Keuchel for Hamels?
Back to Donaldson, with the Braves using $18 million on Hamels will the Braves still try and sign Donaldson? Does this now mean that the Braves are finished dealing during this offseason?
The bullpen is now the best ‘on paper’ in baseball, and you bring in Hamels to help anchor a shaky rotation, but without re-signing Donaldson has this team really improved this offseason?
I for one hope the Braves are not done this offseason. This team is close to contending for a World Series title, but even with signing Hamels, I think the Braves need to get another top line starter to go with the awesome everyday line-up.
We know of all the young arms in the system, but will they be ready in 2020 to make a contribution?
Come on Braves finish the winter strong. Keep your eye on the prize.
More Cinderellas
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The first month of the NCAA basketball season has been wild as it pertains to the national polls.
For the first time ever, two No. 1 teams have lost home games to unranked opponents in the same season.
Four different teams claimed the top national ranking within the first five releasings of the national poll and the annual rush of marquee tournaments and made-for-TV matchups have delivered a handful of top-10 matchups already.
Without a doubt, the early weeks of the 2019-20 season have been filled with fireworks.
It’s just too bad that none of it will matter much over the next few months.
With nearly three times as many teams competing for the Division I basketball title than the FBS football championship, it stands to reason that more teams are involved in the final tournament. And over the last few decades, ‘March Madness’ has become a billion-dollar moneymaker for the NCAA.
But for all the buzzer-beaters and Cinderella stories that emerge each spring, the fact remains that the deck is stacked against the little guys of basketball as much as with any other sport overseen by the NCAA.
All 32 Division I conferences own an automatic bid to the tournament, but 21 of those leagues received just that one guaranteed bid, with two of the conference champion auto-bid recipients placed in the tournament’s play-in round.
The perennially dominant leagues like the ACC, Big Ten, SEC and Big 12 routinely end up cutting down the nets. And no one can argue that the top teams from any of those conferences should be thought of as top seeds and favorites in any given tournament.
But for the sake of parity and fair play, those conferences really need to stop sucking up all the air in the bracket.
While some conferences are admittedly weaker and should only get one bid into the national tournament, that number of conferences certainly doesn’t comprise two-thirds of the national landscape.
Far too often, the tournament selection committee gets it in its head that a certain conference will only get one team into the bracket and is then left scrambling for reasons to justify snubbing a dominant team with 25-plus wins that just happened to fall short during its conference tournament on the way to an auto-bid.
The plight of smaller conferences won’t find much sympathy outside of leagues with similar problems, but the growing gap between the haves and have-nots is hurting the game itself.
For every extra at-large bid a power conference vacuums up in March, the sport as a whole becomes less relevant during the regular season.
Sure, bid scarcity will fuel some incredible regular season and tournament games in smaller conferences, but for every intense game with huge repercussions in small conferences, there will be a dozen more regular season meetings between middling power conference teams that routinely sleepwalk through some games with the assumption that even a modest record will be enough.
That’s not what the NCAA tournament should be about.
Each season, the NCAA churns out dozens of highlight reels, making sure to emphasize the little guys and tout ever punch a David can deal out to a Goliath. The NCAA and its tournament would do even better by all parties involved to include a few more of those long shots.
No one remembers the 8-9 game between two power conference also-rans. Meanwhile, the upsets and names involved with them are talked about decades after the fact.
The same elite group of programs are likely to contend for – and win – the title each season. But there’s no reason not to ensure that every good team gets a fair chance at tournament glory.
The New Magic Show
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Orlando Magic continue to get glimpses of what they can be, but injuries and inconsistent play is making this season like a roller coaster.
With Nikola Vucevic being out for a minimum of 4 weeks with a high ankle sprain, I’m excited to see what player steps up in his place and how the team responds.
Vucevic is Orlando’s only All-Star player and last season he led the Magic to the playoffs. Vucevic led the team in 2018 in scoring (20.8 per game) and rebounding (12 per game). Vucevic left some big shoes to fill.
Magic forward Jonathan Isaac is now one of their featured players offensively and his main assignment is defending the opponent’s best player.
How Isaac responds to the additional responsibility could determine how the Magic fare over the next four to six weeks.
The Magic are pushing the ball more for Isaac and rely on him to accomplish more on the offensive end of the court.
In the absence of Vucevic, Isaac has become impossible to ignore. He is a dominating defender and has become a crucial offensive force. Isaac is average on the stat sheet, just under 15 points per game, 3 blocked shots per game, and 9 rebounds since the Vucevic injury.
Isaac’s play has created some room for Coach Clifford to trust him a little more on the offensive side of the court. Isaac has shown improvement in his 3-point shooting, ball handling, and footwork.
Markelle Fultz, the first pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, became the starting point guard for the Orlando Magic just six games into this season.
Fultz has only played 33 NBA games coming into the 2019-2020 season due to injuries. In case you don’t remember, Fultz was traded to the Magic in February 2019, in exchange for Jonathon Simmons and two second round draft picks.
Since Fultz’s addition to the starting lineup, the Magic’s offensive efficiency has ranked 18th in the league, scoring an average 108 points per game, which is a significant improvement from the first 6 games.
Fultz has been aggressive at getting to the paint, finishing at the rim, and finding guys open for easy baskets.
And on the defensive side of the ball, Fultz has been a disrupter. His 6’4” frame with a 6’9” wingspan has caused defections and steals.
Fultz needs to keep improving on his mid-range jumper and three-point shot. He’s shown flashes of why he was the number one pick in the draft. Due to injuries, this year has essentially been Fultz’s rookie season.
Fultz was diagnosed with the nerve condition Thoracic outlet syndrome. Many NBA experts did not think Fultz would ever play again. He has had plenty of doubters since he made it into the league, and he isn’t going to let them get to him.
Markelle Fultz, at the age of 21, and Jonathan Isaac, at the age of 22, are two young pieces stepping up for the Orlando Magic.
Both players have shown great instincts of both ends of the court. With time and effort both will start to get closer star-player-status in the NBA.
Pick Away
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL regular season is winding down. We know who the contenders are and the teams that need to try again next year.
I’m going to take a look at the projected NFC South draft order and team needs.
Pick #5 Atlanta: The biggest team needs are edge rusher, defensive back and offensive line.
The Falcons have struggled to protect their $150 million quarterback Matt Ryan. In the Thanksgiving game against New Orleans he was sacked nine times (tying a career high). Atlanta failed to sack Drew Brees, which brings the team’s needs in the trenches into focus.
Ohio State defensive end Chase Young is by far the best pass rusher in the draft. I do not expect him to be around when the Falcons pick, so I think Iowa edge rusher AJ Epenesa will be their pick. He had double-digit tackles for loss the last two seasons. He had 10.5 sacks in 2018 and 9 in 2019.
Pick #12 Carolina: Their biggest team needs are DB, OL and defensive line.
Quarterback might also be a need since Cam Newton has not played since Week 2. Kyle Allen has stepped in but he has not played well. His QBR is 38.3, which is 30th, and he’s thrown double digit interceptions.
The Panthers defense cannot stop the run, ranking 29th in run defense. Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs would be a good pick. He has great size standing at 6’2 and 208 pounds. He has 3 interceptions and 8 pass breakups this season.
Pick #14 Tampa Bay: The Buccaneers biggest team needs are QB, RB, OL and DL.
Jameis Winston is in the final year of his rookie contract and he’s still struggling. He’s been a turnover machine his entire career and this season is no different.
Winston leads the league with 20 interceptions. That would be too much for a rookie but he’s in his fifth season and he has also had off the field issues.
The Bucs have several other areas of concern but I believe they will prioritize drafting a franchise quarterback.
Oregon QB Justin Herbert could be the answer. He has prototypical size at 6’6 and 237 pounds. He’s a senior so he has a lot of experience which is invaluable.
Herbert helped bring the Ducks program back to a national title contender. This season he has 31 touchdowns with only 5 interceptions, so we know he can protect the football.
Pick #29 New Orleans Saints: The Saints are truly Super Bowl contenders so this might turn into the 31st or 32nd pick.
The biggest needs are WR, interior OL and DB. Michael Thomas is great but he could use another receiver to help stretch the field. Thomas is a true possession receiver and he is the focal point of the defense.
A player with speed would be explosive and they could make teams pay for covering him one on one.
Three of the seven Saints defenders who have played the most snaps in 2019; Vonn Bell, Eli Apple and P.J. Williams happen to be members of the New Orleans secondary. All three are scheduled to become free agents in 2020.
Clemson receiver Tee Higgins would be a great addition, assuming he’s still on the board.
Lucky Dawg
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The first scenario that has Georgia making it to the college playoffs is pretty straightforward- beat LSU in the SEC Championship game and you’re in. Nothing very complicated about it, except for, you know, the fact they have to beat LSU.
What’s more intriguing to me is whether or not there’s a scenario where Georgia could still make the playoffs, even if they lose to the Tigers; something I assume most Georgia fans have already begun contemplating.
To start with, let’s go ahead and assume Ohio State, Clemson, and LSU all win their respective title games and are in. That leaves the winner of the Big-12 matchup (Oklahoma or Baylor) and possibly the winner of the Pac-12 (Utah or Oregon) that the Bulldogs would have to contend with for the final spot.
I’m going to just skim right over Oklahoma and Oregon because if they Sooners win, they’re in. And if Oregon happens to win, I think they would end up behind either Big-12 winner and Georgia since they’ll have two losses and the Pac-12 is basically regarded as an inferior spin-off of a better conference.
Where it gets interesting is if both Baylor and Utah win. The argument for putting Georgia in ahead of either of those two teams begins and ends with one thing; name recognition.
As much as the NCAA wants us to believe the committee is choosing the four most deserving teams, they’re not. What they’re looking for are the four biggest named teams ($$$) that they can realistically justify putting in the playoffs. I mean, how else do you explain their love affair with Alabama and their FCS looking schedule?
The committee will play their part and acknowledge that Georgia will ultimately have one more loss than either Baylor or Utah, but then I imagine they’ll argue Georgia comes from a tougher conference (they do), had a better overall season (debatable, especially considering the South Carolina loss), and that the Dawgs pass everyone’s favorite metric, the eye test (probably true), as reasons as to why the Bulldogs made the cut ahead of the other two.
When the teams were announced for the college playoffs inaugural season in 2014, there was a large contingent of fans arguing Ohio State only made the playoffs, not on their merits, but because of their national recognition. It would be no different this year; Ohio State vs. Georgia is much more appealing on paper than OSU vs. Baylor/Utah. (By the way, I went ahead and put Ohio State as the overall #1 seed because if this scenario actually plays out, just watch the committee place Ohio State ahead of LSU. But, remember, this whole thing is purely objective and nothing is based on matchu…….hahaha, I can’t even finish typing it out.)
Look, I’m not promising this is what will happen, or even that it’s what should happen, I’m just so skeptical when it comes almost everything the NCAA touches, that I almost expect that’s the way things will turn out. After all, it’s a business, and Georgia is better business.
Of course, this all changes if UGA gets steamrolled by LSU, or best-case scenario for Bulldog fans, they happen to win Saturday.
That said, if the latter takes place, and Oklahoma winds up winning the Big-12, it may bring up an even more interesting question- what does the committee do with LSU?
Either way, don’t be shocked if a one-loss Baylor or Utah team is on the outside looking in. I know the NCAA won’t be.
