Bishop Media Sports Network
Numbers Don’t Lie
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I was listening recently and don’t ask me why I was tuned in to a regional radio show that suggested that the ACC was the best football conference in the country due to Clemson’s recent success on the gridiron.
These types of things interest me because I know the SEC is the king in football, so I looked up the stats to confirm what I already know. Here goes:
P5 Conference Bowl Records (All-Time)
SEC: 261-195-9 (.571)
ACC: 132-140-2 (.485)
BIG 12: 84-88-0 (.488)
B1G: 143-163-1 (.467)
PAC 12: 149-136-5 (.522)
The PAC 12 is the only other “Power 5” conference with a winning bowl record.
SEC All-Time vs. Other Conferences (current conferences)
SEC vs:
ACC: 319-171-10 (.648)
AAC: 19-8-0 (.704)
B1G: 96-65-2 (.595)
BIG 12: 98-79-6 (.552)
CUSA: 158-28 (.849)
MAC: 98-14 (.875)
Mountain West: 25-11 (.694)
PAC 12: 74-43-5 (.627)
Sun Belt: 154-11 (.933) –
Random tidbits:
SEC TEAMS VS. ACC
W L T Win % PFPG PAPG
Alabama 26 5 0 83.9 28.3 13.3
Arkansas 0 2 0 0.0 17.0 27.5
Auburn 34 12 0 73.9 26.5 16.6
Florida 33 26 2 55.7 24.3 19.6
Georgia 77 27 5 72.9 25.4 17.1
Kentucky 15 15 1 50.0 19.5 18.5
LSU 24 2 0 92.3 28.5 10.8
Mississippi 1 4 0 20.0 18.0 31.4
Mississippi St 6 7 0 46.2 24.5 28.2
South Carolina 18 23 0 43.9 20.7 24.4
Tennessee 36 15 1 70.2 24.7 15.8
Texas A&M 2 4 0 33.3 35.5 32.5
Vanderbilt 31 25 0 55.4 21.4 21.3
Clemson is by far the best football program in the ACC currently, but their all-time record against the SEC is 56-99-5, and 6-9 in bowl games.
CLEMSON VS. SEC TEAMS
W L T Win % PFPG PAPG
Alabama 2 11 0 15.4 13.2 31.5
Auburn 9 17 1 35.2 16.3 22.6
Florida 2 2 1 50.0 14.8 22.2
Georgia 9 28 2 25.6 12.8 22.8
Kentucky 5 6 0 45.5 13.7 13.0
LSU 1 3 0 25.0 14.3 20.8
Mississippi 0 1 0 0.0 0.0 13.0
Mississippi St 1 1 1 50.0 11.7 10.3
South Carolina 18 10 0 64.3 28.0 21.2
Tennessee 1 4 0 20.0 17.6 22.0
Texas A&M 2 0 0 100.0 26.0 18.0
Vanderbilt 1 1 0 50.0 16.0 14.5
Note: Clemson is 18-42-4 all-time against Georgia but for this story only games against SEC are counted.
SEC was formed in 1933. Florida State is the only ACC team with a winning record against the SEC.
FSU has a losing all-time record against SEC teams, but a winning record against the SEC since they joined the ACC in the 1990’s.
SEC Bowl Records vs. P5 Opponents
The SEC is 47-29 (.618) against the ACC in bowl games.
The SEC is 57-32 (.640) against the B1G in bowl games.
The SEC is 46-36-1 (.560) against the BIG 12 in bowl games.
The SEC is 9-7-1 (.559) against the PAC 12 in bowl games.
Clemson does have a winning record against the SEC over the last decade thanks to their current ownership of South Carolina.
There you have it folks, proof in numbers that the SEC is the most dominant football conference in the country.
I respect the ACC as a football conference, but FSU, Miami and Virginia Tech need give the Tigers some help at the top.
LSU is the current king of College Football and flat out owns the ACC.
Clemson is probably the best overall program right now, but the SEC is the most powerful conference because the numbers don’t lie.
I Will Take My Talents To…
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
With the Early Signing Period in the rearview mirror and bowl season over, the last big day for college football before spring practice is National Signing Day.
With many of the top recruits from the 2020 class already signed, who is left for the top programs to pick up on Wednesday, February 5th?
Five Star Running Back Zack Evans is the number 1 running back in the class of 2020.
By far the wildest recruitment of the 2020 cycle. Evans signed a LOI (Letter of Intent) with the Georgia Bulldogs back in December, got cold feet, and asked to be released from his LOI.
Georgia obliged and now Evans is back on the market as an extremely talented athlete with some off the field issues.
This recruitment still seems very cloudy through, as Evans has left a lot of coaches guessing. This is shaping up to be a Tennessee, Ole Miss and Georgia battle. Alabama, Florida and LSU have rescinded their offers over the past few weeks. My Pick: Georgia
Four Star Safety Avantae Williams backed off his early commitment to the Oregon Ducks back in December.
Williams is the 9th ranked safety in the 2020 class.
He is a hard-hitting safety that can cover a lot of ground. Williams’ recruitment is a battle between Miami, Florida and Georgia. My Pick: Florida
Four Star Offensive Lineman Sedrick Van Pran has been committed to Georgia since August.
Van Pran has taken official visits to Alabama and is scheduled to be at Florida this weekend.
With the departure of former Offensive Line coach San Pittman, Van Pran seems to have opened up his recruitment. It would be shocking if Van Pran is not a Bulldog come National Signing Day. My Pick: Georgia
Four Star Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs has been committed to Georgia Tech since May.
After a very strong senior season, Gibbs has received offers from Ohio State, LSU, Georgia and Florida.
While Florida and Ohio State have put on the full court press, Gibbs will stay firm to his commitment. My Pick: Georgia Tech
Four Star Athlete Damarcus Beckwood has hopes of playing college football and basketball.
The 6-foot-4, 220 pounder is a versatile weapon on offense playing both wide receiver and tight end in high school. This is a battle between Tennessee and Florida. My Pick: Florida
February 5th marks the final day of the 2020 recruiting cycle. National Signing Day will still be important as there are a couple highly touted 2020 high school prospects that remain uncommitted.
And there will always be the few flipped prospects that make headlines on National Signing Day.
Since Dan Mullen’s time at Florida, the Gators have used the transfer portal to pluck talented players. The Gators have landed four star Van Jefferson and Trevon Grimes in Mullen’s first year at Florida.
Last season, the Gators landed five-star defensive end, Brenton Cox.
This season is much different, the Gators signed a pair of five stars in running back Lorenzo Lingard and wide receiver Justin Shorter. Both players have applied for waivers with the NCAA.
Kirby Smart used the portal to add quarterback Jamie Newman. Newman has one season of eligibility and should be the front runner for QB1 for the Bulldogs.
Can Newman do what Joe Burrow did for LSU?
Young Hawks Learning To Fly
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Hawks are a young team. They are led by second year point guard Trae Young. Young was selected as a starter in the upcoming All-Star Game.
So far, he’s one of the few bright spots on the team. They are currently 12 – 35 and tied with Cleveland for last place in the East. They have the second worst record in the league behind Golden State.
The team got a rare win Sunday against Southeast division foe Washington, 152-133. Despite the W the league was in a very somber mood.
NBA legend Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash Sunday morning. There were nine people involved in the crash, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.
Young was mentored by Bryant and he knew Gianna, nicknamed Gigi. He was her favorite player.
She came to two Hawks games this season and met with Young. Their relationship began when Kobe Bryant asked Young, who trained him, and hired Alex Bazzell, to work with Gigi as well.
Young started the game wearing a # 8 jersey and taking an eight second violation.
Young had 45 points and 14 assists to lead the Hawks to victory.
“One of the last conversations we had, he was just telling me how much he’s seen my game progress and he’s just been happy for me,” Young said between pauses. “He said how proud he was of me and how he wants me to continue to be a role model for kids growing up and for Gigi and all the kids looking up to me to inspire these kids and continue to play my heart out.”
Atlanta had lost three of four going in to that game. They scored the most points in a game this season. Several other players stepped up and had big games. De’Andre Hunter finished with 25 points, Kevin Huerter had 18 and John Collins scored 16.
Bradley Beal scored 40 points for the Wizards, who dropped to 15 – 30.
“Trae, he’s a problem,” Washington coach Scott Brooks said. “He’s a handful. He’s an All-Star for all the right reasons. He’s a hard guy to guard. He was making his shots and getting guys involved.”
I was initially outspoken about wanting the Hawks to keep Luka Doncic instead of trading him to Dallas on draft night.
I was wrong about him because he has proven to be a great pick thus far. He has averaged 30 points per game, 9 assists per game and 5 rebounds.
Journeyman Jabari Parker has been a pleasant surprise. He has averaged 15 ppg and 6 rpg. The other power forward John Collins is averaging 19 ppg and 10 rpg.
The player they are counting on to be great is rookie small forward Cam Reddish. He was drafted tenth overall out of Duke. So far, he is only averaging 9 ppg. He has to develop into a star player, which is what we expect from players drafted that high.
The season could be a blessing down the road. This is a young team experiencing growing pains and learning how to play together. The best-case scenario is to continue at this pace and have one of the worst records in the league.
I hope that they can draft a player in the top five. If they can add a game changing player to pair with Young, they can become an instant playoff contender.
The Georgia QB Room
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I’ve always viewed Georgia’s football program as one that recruits elite talent on both the defensive side of the ball and at running back, while intermittently signing those types of players at the quarterback position.
I’m not trying to debate whether my observation is accurate, as much as my opinion has changed since Kirby Smart arrived.
I certainly don’t claim to be a Georgia Bulldog historian, but I doubt the program has had a run on quarterbacks as impressive as Smart’s since he arrived in Athens- Eason, Fromm, Fields, Newman, and now Vandagriff.
It seems fairly obvious that he is bringing in the best possible players he can recruit, even if he’s “recruiting over” someone, and letting the best win out.
Personally, if I were a Bulldogs fan, I would love the approach he’s taking, but it doesn’t come without pitfalls; mainly, as in the case with Eason and Fields, transfers.
Transfers are something college coaches have always dealt with, especially in basketball, and those numbers have started to increase significantly every year in football.
Even with restrictions on when a football player can declare for the NFL, recruits still arrive on campus with the mindset of how they can best position themselves to take that next step. I don’t blame them at all, but waiting a year behind someone to get your chance just doesn’t happen anymore.
As frustrating as transfers can be, the issue down the road is at what point do the numbers of transfers your program has, particularly at a high-profile position like quarterback, start to prevent recruits from actually signing to begin with?
It’s not a problem that typically rears its head until a situation arises where there is a need to rely on depth. When you have a significant amount of high-level talent you were planning on using for that depth exit your program, it creates a larger gap between your first-string players and second string. This is typically where the trouble seeps in.
Take this past year for example, had Fromm went down with an injury was there really a viable backup, especially when you consider both Eason and Fields would’ve been on the roster, had they not transferred?
Georgia seems to have avoided an issue for this upcoming season, as long as Newman plays well. But, if he doesn’t and Carson Beck steps in and has the type of freshman season Fromm did, Georgia could be looking at a similar situation with Beck/Vandagriff that they had with Fromm/Fields.
I know a lot of this is hypothetical, but trust me, as a Duke basketball fan, who has seen a number of players transfer over the years, the lack of depth is where this way of recruiting catches up to you.
Again, I’m not saying I’d do anything different if I was Smart. In fact, I always find it funny that fanbases will bash other coaches for bringing in higher ranked recruits, as if they’re not supposed to sign the best talent they possibly can.
But, as Georgia continues to bring in not only 5-star recruits, but quarterbacks ranked number one in their class, fans will need to get used to seeing their quarterbacks in the transfer portal- they may not even get the recruits in the first place.
Of course, 99% of the other programs in college football would gladly switch places with you in an instant, so there are definitely bigger problems you could be having.
Hot-lanta’s Hot Corner
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Braves’ acquisition of outfielder Marcell Ozuna to fill the role of cleanup hitter behind Freddie Freeman doesn’t mean that the Braves won’t make a move to upgrade their options at third base but it does make it a lot less likely.
After Josh Donaldson was more or less forced to leave Atlanta by Alex Anthopoulos’s unwillingness to sacrifice one or two bad years for two or three good ones, the rumor mill began to swirl about potential replacements for the erstwhile Bringer of Rain.
One of the more popular and exciting rumors was that the Braves would make a trade for the Colorado Rockies’ Nolan Arenado or for the Chicago Cubs’ Kris Bryant to hit fourth and man the hot corner.
Bryant’s future is still up in the air as he waits to find out whether or not he’s eligible to hit free agency at the end of this season or the next; The Rockies have said that Arenado would be in a Colorado uniform at the start of the season (and boy did he not like that announcement).
Those factors, coupled with the signing of Ozuna to a one-year deal, means that Atlanta is probably going to enter Spring Training and then the regular season with what they have at third base: namely, Austin Riley and Johan Camargo.
Is that good enough? For the large chunk of Braves Country that thought Nolan Arenado might be coming to Atlanta, Riley and Camargo are certainly let downs but they may not necessarily be that come game time.
Yes, Camargo really made himself questionable last season, but he was also shuffled around the diamond and lineup. He was forced to be a utilityman after going into the previous offseason under the impression that he’d start at third base in 2019.
Inconsistent at bats make a big difference to Major League ballplayers and, evidenced by the tear he went on in Gwinnett after he was demoted, he’s still got the ability if those ABs come more frequently.
Camargo had an insane OPS of 1.221 during his short stay in Triple A (only 58 at bats, but still) and we never got a real chance to see if that hot streak would stick around when he was promoted back to the bigs.
In short, the evidence suggests that with regular at bats, even if it’s just as part of a platoon, Camargo can bounce back.
Riley, of course, burst onto the scene upon his arrival from Triple A, blasting 16 homeruns in less than 200 at bats before the All-Star Break, after which his production tanked.
While that kind of Jekyll-and-Hyde act meant that the Braves couldn’t rely on him to bat cleanup going into this upcoming season, the kid is only 22 years old and isn’t anywhere near developing as a complete player just yet.
He also will finally get the chance to play his natural position with more regularity, and comfort is a real factor in production for plenty of ballplayers.
Perhaps the best thing about having these two are the primary options for third base is that they don’t need to produce at an elite level to be a big part of a winning team. With an offense that includes Freeman, Ozuna, Ronald Acuna, Jr., and Ozzie Albies, Riley and/or Camargo don’t need to feel the pressure of shouldering a large part of the team’s production.
They simply need to be good enough and if one of them should take off and play at an All-Star level, then they’ve simply exceeded both their own expectations and their necessity on the roster.
So no, neither Riley nor Camargo are Arenado or Bryant or Donaldson but they also don’t need to be.
The Coaching Ranks
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Our greatest game is now in the off season.
You already see early 2020 predictions being made for the college football season.
The SEC has a few new head coaches who are ready to make their mark on the conference. Here are my head coach rankings heading into the 2020 season:
Nick Saban: The Alabama HC is the gold standard that all college football coaches are measured by.
The Tide just finished an 11-2 season with a win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl and you would think the Alabama football program is on life support if you listen to the experts around the country. Saban will be back in 2020 and the SEC West will feel the full wrath of Saban.
Ed Orgeron: Coach O can do just about anything he wants in the State of Louisiana right now after leading LSU to a Natty. It’s hard not to love the man and the kids really play hard for him. LSU is a blue blood again in college football because of Coach O. Go Tigahs!
Kirby Smart: Yeah Kirby seems to be the butt of jokes because UGA hasn’t won a national title since 1980, but the butt of those jokes should go towards Ray Goff, Jim Donnan, and Mark Richt correct?
Kirby is 44-12 at UGA in four years, and coming off three straight 11-1 regular seasons. Kirby retooled his offensive staff after the Sugar Bowl and Florida is already the trendy pick in the East, so Kirby can use that as a motivational tool this offseason.
Jimbo Fisher: The Aggie HC is starting to drop down this list after getting the big $75 million contract from A&M. It is time for Aggie fans to see a good ROI on their investment in 2020.
Dan Mullen: Back to Back top 10 finishes in Gainesville is what the Gator nation expects out of Big Game Dan. The Gators now are dealing with high expectations for the first time in a few years so let’s see how they respond to it. My guess is they will be just fine.
Gus Malzahn: Who does less with more than Gus? It is time for Auburn to get back in the playoff hunt in the SEC. Too much talent at Auburn to have another 9-4 type season.
Mark Stoops: While you have been napping Stoops has built Kentucky into a respectable football program. The Cats have as many as 19 starters coming back in 2020.
Sleep on Kentucky at your own risk.
Mike Leach: Joe Moorhead, we hardly knew you.
The Pirate has won at Texas Tech and Washington State. The Air Raid is coming to the SEC and Leach will have you busting a gut like you are at a Kevin Hart concert.
Leach will win SEC Media Days this summer and field a good football team to go along with it.
Jeremy Pruitt: Pruitt is hardcore and has Tennessee on the rebound.
Look out moving forward for the Vols. Those of you that have forgotten about Vol football don’t worry they will be back soon, and you will hear Rocky Top 736 times during a 60-minute football game.
Will Muschamp: Good coach coaching in a tough environment, while Dabo is rolling at Clemson.
Georgia found out the hard way in 2019 and missed the college football playoff because of the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Lane Kiffin: Great offensive mind, but last time he was in the SEC as a HC he left Tennessee in a total mess. I think he moves up this list but starts here in 2020.
Derek Mason: Vandy is a tough place to build a resume. Mason’s teams play really hard, but are out-talented most weeks in the SEC.
Eli Drinkwitz: Yes, he looks like a CPA and did great things in Boone, NC, but we will see if that can carry over to Columbia, Missouri.
Sam Pittman: Arkansas is a raging dumpster fire that has some good tradition. We shall see if the Pit Boss can turn things around in NW Arkansas.
Hurry up SEC Media Days so I can tune into Mike Leach.
The Big Game
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The matchup for Super Bowl LIV is set, San Francisco versus Kansas City. The 49ers are the top seed in the NFC and the Chiefs are No. 2 in the AFC.
The teams are polar opposites. San Fran (15-3) has an elite defense, ranked second in total defense. They only give up 19 points per game and 282 yards. They have a great front four and can generate pressure with them. They ranked fifth in sacks with 48.
They also rank second in rushing offense. They average 31 rushing plays and 144 yards per game. The only team that had more yards was Baltimore.
This is old school football we used to see in the 80’s and 90’s. The surprising thing is that the Niners don’t have a bell cow running back.
They have a true committee with Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert.
Each of them has at least 530 yards during the season. Mostert was the star of the NFC Championship game against Green Bay, rushing for 220 yards and 4 touchdowns.
“I did have a lot of doubters and naysayers,” said Mostert, who has been cut seven times in his career. “Now I get to actually tell them, ‘Look where I’m at now. I never gave up on my dreams.”
Kyle Shanahan is in his third season as head coach in San Francisco. He was the offensive coordinator for Atlanta prior to this and he coached them in Super Bowl LI.
The Falcons had a decisive 28 – 3 lead late in the third quarter but lost. Shanahan was criticized for being too aggressive and not trying to run the ball more to control the clock.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo only had 8 pass attempts in the NFC Championship. He’s the one obvious weak link on the team.
San Francisco is playing in their seventh Super Bowl. They are trying to tie Pittsburgh and New England for the most Super Bowl wins for a franchise with six.
On the flip side Patrick Mahomes is the catalyst for the Kansas City offense. He was the league MVP last season. He missed two games in 2019 and still finished 10th in passing yards. Garoppolo was 12th.
In the AFC Championship, Mahomes threw for 294 yards, 3 TD’s and 0 interceptions. He also ran for 53 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs (14-4) have not been to a Super Bowl since 1970.
KC has great skill players and a lot of speed. Travis Kelce might be the best tight end in the league. Tyreek Hill is a top ten receiver and the fastest player in the NFL.
The Chiefs do not have a running game. They were 23rd in rushing and average 98 ypg. KC also has an average defense, ranked 17th in total defense. They give up 350 ypg.
Andy Reid has the most wins without a Super Bowl victory. He’s looking to change that in Miami.
I think this will be a very close game. I think the 49ers can get pressure on Mahomes without blitzing. They have a good secondary, so they can slow down the explosive Chiefs offense.
Kansas City’s defense has to stop San Francisco from running and force Jimmy G to beat them.
I give the slight edge to the 49ers.
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Bringer Of Rain
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Late Tuesday, news broke that Josh Donaldson had agreed to sign with the Minnesota Twins.
Donaldson, 34, had suffered through a few injury-plagued seasons, as he fell from his former MVP status before signing a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves in 2019 and reigniting his reputation as a slick-fielding third baseman, who can power his team to victory at the plate.
The immediate reaction from many Braves fans was one of dismay. After all, Donaldson had plenty to do with turning the team from a surprise division winner in 2018 to a legitimate powerhouse and a dark horse World Series contender last year.
There’s no doubt that Atlanta’s lineup won’t be as imposing on Opening Day 2020 as it was in last year’s playoffs.
But the Braves are positioned for success beyond 2020. And in the current structure of Major League Baseball and how its payrolls and contracts work, letting the Twins win the bidding war for Donaldson may prove to be a good move.
As much as Donaldson did for the offense and contributed to the team’s identity, last year’s performance was a personal showcase for exactly what transpired in the free agent market. Donaldson’s injuries left him with few options in 2019.
Plenty of teams would have taken him on at a low rate for a few years in hopes of getting a steal.
Instead, Donaldson bet on himself. He took a lucrative deal in Atlanta that came with the pressure of a single-year contract that could have spelled the end of his career if he didn’t produce.
But he returned to All-Star form and – because of that – was able to get right back on the open market for a premium price over a longer span.
And while the Braves are in a position where they could have competed with just about any team vying for Donaldson’s services, it is probably in their best interest to have bowed out and saved their money for other ventures.
Sure, Austin Riley might not be able to play third base at an MLB level. Sure, Johan Camargo is nowhere near the offensive threat as Donaldson in the everyday lineup. And sure, the stats of Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna could suffer a bit without a third true power bat in the order to keep pitchers honest.
But the current state of baseball is all about adjusting strengths to where money can be spent most efficiently.
Atlanta is currently enjoying the likes of Riley, Max Fried and Mike Soroka on dirt-cheap contracts, but those numbers will skyrocket in the next few years if those players continue to perform at their current levels.
There is also added spending for the Braves this season on the mound as they now own the full contracts of the high-price relief pitchers traded for last season, to go along with the offseason acquisitions of closer Will Smith and starter Cole Hamels.
In the end, the decision was probably a simple one for the Braves’ front office.
There is every possibility that Donaldson will have another huge year in 2020 that won’t help the Braves, but years of statistics suggest that the money the Twins will be paying him over the last couple of years of his new contract won’t be met with comparable results.
As for Atlanta, all of the money that could have been sunk into Donaldson can now be spent to lock up much younger and still-progressing players, or could be saved for leverage in a midseason trade to make a necessary move.
By letting Donaldson walk, the Braves will pay a price in offensive production on the front end, but will extend their financial flexibility as a younger core that continues to improve over the next few years.
Ballin
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened the season with cautious optimism. The hiring of Bruce Arians and staff brought a renewal light to Buccaneers fans.
That light flickered all season with glimpses of future hopes.
The Buccaneers finished the season 7-9 record and 3rd place in the NFC South division. The Buc’s were awful at home with a 2-6 record compared to a 5-3 road record.
The Bucs’ season was capped off with a 28-22 overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons. This game was a microcosm of the Buc’s season.
The Buc’s took a 22-16 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Falcon tied the game late in the 4th quarter with a Younghoe Koo field goal to send the game into overtime.
On the first possession of overtime, Bucs’ quarterback Jameis Winston threw his league leading 30th interception, a pick 6 for the Falcons. Game over, season over.
Jameis Winston was the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Buccaneers fans cheered that they finally had a franchise quarterback. Winston was selected to his first Pro Bowl game making him the first rookie quarterback in Buccaneer history to be selected. Promising, right?
This season he led the NFL in passing yards with 5,109 and interceptions with 30. He is the first player in NFL history to throw 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in the same season.
Winston made history on his final throw of the year with his seventh pick 6 of the season. Winston’s first and last pass as a Buc were both pick 6’s.
His five years in Tampa Bay have been nothing short of a nauseating roller coaster, with captivating highs and head scratching lows.
Don’t get me wrong, the Buccaneers have many holes to fill on their roster. Coach Bruce Arians and General Manager Jason Licht have a difficult decision at the game’s most important position this offseason, as quarterback Jameis Winston’s contract has expired.
The Buccaneers should have hope for Winston, despite his shortcomings at quarterback. He had a career year in his first season under Bruce Arians. Turnovers have plagued him throughout his NFL career, as Winston has thrown 88 interceptions and had 50 fumbles in 72 games.
Coach Bruce Arians’ season ending press conference addressed Jameis Winston’s pick 6 to end the season, “It smells as bad as it could possibly smell and it’ll smell that way for a long time.”
Here is the question Buccaneers fans: Is a 5,000 yard quarterback still worth 30 million a year if he can’t consistently win?
The Buccaneers must make a decision about Winston quickly so they can focus on other possible free agents.
Jason Pierre-Paul, Carl Nassib, Shaq Barrett, Ndamukong Suh, Demar Dotson and Breshard Perriman are all potential free agents that the Bucs must resign.
Offensive line and secondary must be addressed in the draft and free agency.
The Bucs offensive line was nowhere near NFL caliber. They ranked 24th in rushing yards per game and gave up 47 sacks this season.
After the Bucs released former first round draft pick Vernon Hargreaves, the trio of Jamel Dean, Carlton Davis, and Sean Murphy-Bunting began to produce some nice numbers with 31 pass deflections, 3 forced fumbles and 4 interceptions. In a pass happy NFL, you cannot have enough quality defensive backs.
The Bucs have not made the playoffs since 2008. Will 2020 be the year?
Geaux Tigers
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The CFP National Championship game was a matchup of two great teams. No. 1 LSU (14-0) versus defending national champion No. 3 Clemson (14-0). Both sets of Tigers were trying to make history.
Louisiana State is led by Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow. Burrow broke the single-season passing touchdown record previously set by Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan in 2006 with 58. Burrow had 60 this season.
Before this game Trevor Lawrence was undefeated as a college player. Early on Clemson had the momentum. They scored first to take a 7-0 lead. LSU scored on their opening drive in the previous six games but got off to a slow start.
Clemson squandered opportunities on their first two drives. They got inside the LSU forty, but they did not score and they had to punt both times.
Clemson led 17 – 7 early in the second quarter before the Bayou Bengal offense started clicking. Burrow finished the game with 463 passing yards, 5 touchdowns through the air and 1 rushing TD.
Biletnikoff Award winning wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase finished with nine catches for 221 yards and 2 touchdowns. Justin Jefferson had 9 catches for 106 yards.
“He’s one of the greatest players in LSU history,” Tigers coach Ed Orgeron said. “He’s done so much for the state of Louisiana and LSU. We are so grateful to Joe Burrow.”
Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire had 16 carries for 110 yards. He also had 5 catches for 54 yards. LSU won the game 42 – 25.
“This is what I wanted to do from the time I was 5 years old, was hoist this trophy, and bringing it back to Louisiana,” Burrow said, then caught himself. “I guess we’re in Louisiana, but staying in Louisiana, we weren’t going to let someone come in here and steal this from us in our home state. We have a great fan base that came out and supported us. We were going to keep this thing right here.”
Lawrence had 234 passing yards with no touchdown or interception. He also rushed for 49 yards and a touchdown. Travis Etienne had 15 carries for 78 yards and a TD.
“This team is going to be mentioned as one of the greatest teams in college football history,” Orgeron said, “15-0, as one of the greatest teams in LSU history. But that’s for you guys to decide.”
This team might be on the short list with teams like 1995 Nebraska and 2001 Miami. This is LSU’s first national title since 2007 and fourth overall.
This has been a very impressive year because LSU has struggled on offense for the last decade. They typically have great skill position players but poor quarterback play. Now they have a QB that probably had the best season ever at the position.
“What this offense has done, I’m amazed. I really am,” co-offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger said. “We changed the whole durn thing in one year, you know what I’m saying? We changed everything in one year. And these guys bought into it. They worked their ass off to get where they’re supposed to be, to get where they want to be, and they did it.”
