Kipp Branch
No Longer Pretending
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Jacksonville Jaguars in a relatively short period of time have become an AFC Title contender.
In 2022 the Jags won a playoff game over the Chargers and lost a close divisional playoff to Kansas City on the road. KC went on to win the Super Bowl. The Jaguars won the AFC South in 2022.
Looking ahead to the upcoming 2023 season outside of Jacksonville it looks like a total rebuild for the AFC South.
Tennessee looks to be at a crossroads with age creeping in on a roster that folded down the stretch in 2022. QB is an issue for the Titans so they went out and drafted Will Levis from Kentucky. Well, Levis is no Trevor Lawrence and all Jaguar fans saw the struggle in Lawrence’s rookie season.
Houston has hired a new head coach and drafted C.J. Stroud at QB from Ohio State with the second overall pick.
They addressed the pass rush in trading back up into the top five and taking Will Anderson from Alabama.
This roster still needs a lot of work. Houston is still a couple of years away from competing for an AFC South Championship.
Indianapolis drafted the athletic ability of Anthony Richardson out of Florida as their future QB with the fourth overall selection in the first round.
Can Richardson’s gifted skill set be more effective in the NFL? He could wow you with great plays at Florida but that did not translate into winning big games or games in general.
With all three teams in your division drafting quarterbacks for the future then Jacksonville should be a heavy favorite in the AFC South, correct?
In the April draft Jacksonville was very active in the draft in trading down for additional picks. Most NFL draft experts graded Jacksonville in the B range overall, so the roster has improved. Look at the first four picks Jacksonville made all at position of need on their roster:
Round 1, Pick 27 (From BUF)
Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma: The Jaguars went into protect the franchise mode and drafted Harrison. Offensive line is a position of need for the team, and it got addressed in the first round.
Round 2, Pick 61 (From CHI via SF via CAR)
Brenton Strange, TE, Penn State: TE is also a position of need for the team that got addressed in the early rounds.
Round 3, Pick 88
Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn: I think Bigsby is one of the steals of this draft. Tank played on some bad Auburn teams in his three years on The Plains but was the SEC Freshman of the year in 2020. Now paired with Travis Etienne in the Jaguars backfield gives the offense another weapon.
Round 4, Pick 121 (From TB)
Ventrell Miller, LB, Florida: Miller was a bright spot on a bad defense at UF. This kid is productive and fills a need at the position.
If you look at the Jaguars offense you see:
QB: Trevor Lawrence: Lawrence is a top ten QB in the NFL and will continue to rise in those rankings.
WR: Calvin Ridley joins a dynamic group of WR’s.
RB: Etienne and Bigsby. This will be a dynamic pair of backs.
OL: Addressed in 2023 draft.
On defense the team has built this unit through the draft, and it can be a championship caliber unit.
Doug Pederson is an elite head coach roaming the sidelines in Jacksonville. He has this team in position to compete for a championship.
The schedule is tough. Two back-to-back games in London with the Falcons and Bills.
The home schedule is the best in years with Kansas City, Cincinnati, San Francisco, and Baltimore all coming to the River City.
I see this team winning 12-13 games in 2023. Get your season tickets Jaguar fans this will be a fun season. The Jacksonville Jaguars are AFC title contenders in 2023.
Put it On The Calendar
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
One of the most anticipated days in recent memory in SEC football history happened this month with the 2024 SEC football schedule release.
Oklahoma and Texas officially join the SEC on July 1, 2024. Now we know who everyone will play in the 2024 campaign. The 8-game conference slate has some great matchups for 2024. Let us look at the UGA 2024 football schedule:
Non-Conference Matchups:
Clemson: Georgia will open the 2024 season with Clemson in Atlanta for a neutral site game. These two schools are about ninety miles apart and Clemson recruits the state of Georgia hard. This will be a great contest with two elite programs meeting in Atlanta. It is quite possible that UGA will come into this contest with a new QB making his first collegiate start.
Georgia Tech: Clean Old-Fashioned Hate. I do not need to say anything else about this rivalry.
2- Cupcakes whose names are not important. They will receive their check and move on.
SEC Road Games:
Texas: Welcome to the SEC Texas. You get rewarded by playing the Georgia Bulldogs.
This will be a highly anticipated match-up. We do not know where this one will fall on the schedule, but I think it will be an early season game in mid-September.
Arch Manning, who chose Texas over UGA in the recruiting process could be the starter for Texas in 2024.
For UGA fans, a road trip to Austin, Texas is a bucket list trip. This writer really wants to make that road trip.
The 2024 UGA team could be rolling into Austin with a new QB and 3-4 new OL making a road start at DKR. Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. I am looking forward to this contest.
Alabama: The Dawgs travel to Tuscaloosa for a national spotlight game. A regular season contest of the elite programs in the conference currently and a contest that has been the National title game twice in the past five years. Must watch TV.
Kentucky: Kentucky has not beaten UGA since 2009. Winning in Lexington has never been an issue for the Georgia Bulldogs. I will give Kentucky this, they play a physical brand of football. This could end up being a 23-14 type of game.
Ole Miss: Georgia’s last trip to Oxford was in 2016 where they were hammered by the Rebels 45-14. UGA and Ole Miss were annual opponents until SEC changed its scheduling model back after the 2002 season.
From 1966 through 2002 UGA and Ole Miss played every season. UGA leads the series 32-12-1. A trip to The Grove is a must in the SEC. Good to see Ole Miss back on the schedule.
Neutral Site:
Florida in Jacksonville: Under contract in Jacksonville through 2025 this is Georgia’s biggest SEC rival. I would pull for Iran over Florida in a sporting event.
SEC Home Games:
Auburn: I thought this rivalry would be a casualty of the 8-game SEC slate. Thank you, SEC, for keeping the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry intact.
Tennessee: Thank you SEC for keeping the Vols on the schedule. This has become a nasty rivalry since 1992 when the SEC was split into divisions.
Mississippi State: UGA drilled State in Starkville last fall and will drill State in Athens in 2024. Some things never change in the SEC.
Thoughts:
This is one of the toughest schedules in the country in 2024. I do not like losing the South Carolina game. Georgia is Carolina’s biggest SEC rival. I guess with expansion you knew some of these types of games were in jeopardy.
Georgia picks up Alabama, Ole Miss, and Texas and loses South Carolina, Missouri, and Vanderbilt in 2024. Seems about right does it not UGA fans?
The New SEC Schedule Model
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The SEC Spring meetings are taking place in Destin, Florida.
The big topic on the agenda was adopting a scheduling model for the conference.
Oklahoma and Texas formally join the SEC in July of 2024, but were allowed to be a part of the meetings in Destin.
It appears that the SEC will adopt an 8-game conference scheduling format for 2024 where each team will play one permanent opponent annually and play a 7-game rotation with the remaining teams. This format after 2024 has yet to be determined according to commissioner Greg Sankey.
Football matchups for the 2024 season will be released on June 14 on the SEC Network, without exact dates.
Other topics were discussed as well, like tampering, NIL future, etc. but let us not kid ourselves, the thing fans are interested in is the proposed scheduling model.
Some schools wanted a 9-game model, but it appears that the 8-game advocates won out during this round of discussions. Based on the projected model here are my predictions on permanent opponents:
Alabama: Auburn. The Iron Bowl will not be touched. The Third Saturday of October annually with Tennessee is a casualty of this model. Thanks Nick!
Arkansas: Missouri. I’m guessing the Razorbacks were for the 9-game format with 3 permanents so they could renew the Texas rivalry, but that did not come to pass.
Auburn: Alabama. Iron Bowl is the best rivalry game in College Football. Under this format the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry game with Georgia is a casualty of this model. What a damn shame!
Florida: Georgia. The Cocktail Party will continue annually, but where after 2025?
Georgia: Florida. The Dawgs wanted the 9-game model.
Kentucky: South Carolina. Must watch TV, right? NOT!
LSU: Texas A&M. The Florida and Alabama games annually are victims of this model.
Mississippi State: Ole Miss. The Egg Bowl lives on
Missouri: Arkansas. This manufactured rivalry game has no appeal.
Ole Miss: MSU. The Egg Bowl is intense, but the long-standing LSU game is gone.
Oklahoma: Texas. Red River Shootout in Dallas comes to the SEC.
South Carolina: Kentucky. The Gamecocks lose their biggest SEC rival in UGA.
Tennessee: Vanderbilt. Vols are jumping for joy with this automatic W but lose Alabama annually.
Texas: Oklahoma. Welcome to the SEC Horns!
Texas A&M: LSU. I’m thinking the Aggies wanted Texas and the 9-game model.
Vanderbilt: Tennessee: In-state rival.
Gone are the two divisions and teams with the two best conference records play for the SEC Tile in 2024.
All the other major conferences play a 9-game schedule. The SEC is going to take a lot of criticism in the press with the scheduling model, but as the commissioner said 65-7 in the latest national championship game tells you where the balance of power is in college football.
Let the debates begin on who the permanent opponent will be. Texas or Oklahoma coming to Athens would be a treat for Dawg fans. A road trip to Austin would be next level also.
A New Home?
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It was announced this week that the Georgia/Florida football game will remain in Jacksonville through the 2025 football season.
The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party has been held in Jacksonville since 1933. The 1994 and 1995 contests were held in Gainesville and Athens due to Jacksonville being granted the Jaguars by the NFL in expansion. The old Gator Bowl was turned into what we now know as TIAA Bank Field.
Both universities released statements below regarding the agreement:
“We are pleased with the decision to exercise the option that will keep the game in Jacksonville for 2024 and 2025,” said UGA J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks, via a release from Georgia.
“We look forward to discussions that I’m sure will continue over the next couple years exploring all the options for 2026 and beyond. We continue to be appreciative of the working relationship we have with the University of Florida and the City of Jacksonville.”
“The City of Jacksonville has been a historic host for one of the greatest rivalry games in all of college football,” Florida Athletics Director Scott Stricklin said. “We are excited to have the game in Jacksonville for another two seasons.”
Where the game will be played beyond 2025 is still unknown. The City of Jacksonville recently announced that TIAA Bank Field will undergo major renovations in 2026 and 2027, which means the Jaguars will play their home games in another venue for those two seasons.
Do not panic Jaguars fans. You are not relocating to London.
Based on that the future beyond 2025 is up in the air. Florida is the designated home team in odd numbered years and will be the home team this season.
With this announcement we know officially that Georgia and Florida will be permanent opponents when the SEC expands in 2024 with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas.
It has pretty much been documented that that would be the case, but the new agreement cements that.
I’m a proponent of always keeping the UGA/UF game in Jacksonville. It is part of SEC tradition. There is a growing movement within the UGA fan base to move the game to a ‘home and home’.
I personally think it is driven by Atlanta metro area Dawg fans that don’t feel as strongly about the game staying in Jacksonville.
You see UGA fans in the Atlanta area can travel to Athens in usually under an hour on gameday, then go back home and sleep in their own beds at night after the contest.
You hear many in the Atlanta area say if not home and home then rotate between Jacksonville and Atlanta and let some of the revenue the game generates benefit the state of Georgia.
Well, the current location in Jacksonville benefits the Golden Isles of Georgia to the tune of $6-$8 million dollars annually for a 3-day weekend in late October. Atlanta already has the SEC Championship game.
South Georgia Dawg fans basically make a weekend of it in Athens for every home UGA game due to travel distance.
And many fans south of Macon are season ticket holders. Think about that for a second.
Economically the game in Jacksonville is a financial windfall for both schools. Playing the series home-and-home would net Florida and Georgia just $1.5 million annually according to The Gainesville Sun, a $3 million shortfall compared to playing in Jacksonville.
Each school would make about $3 million playing games at their respective stadiums, but that revenue would have to extend over a two-year period. Each school receives about $2.9 million dollars each annually by playing in Jacksonville.
Keep the game in Jacksonville. Kirby Smart is the king of college football currently. Recruiting rules can change if the king pushes that narrative so UGA can host recruits in Jacksonville.
There is no experience like the Cocktail Party in Jacksonville on the last weekend in October.
Due to stadium renovations, you could see the Gators in Athens in 2026.
Brunswick High Pirates Spring Preview 2023
Rivalries
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
With Texas and Oklahoma entering the SEC in 2024 the conference will move to a 9-game SEC football slate.
Most are speculating that the SEC could adopt a 3+6 scheduling model. Under that model you would have three permanent opponents that you would play annually and six other conference opponents.
Also, under that model every team in the SEC would play each other every two years and play home and home with every non-permanent opponent every four years.
The current SEC scheduling format has some flaws. Example Georgia has only played Texas A&M once since they joined the conference in 2012. The Dawgs have yet to make a trip to College Station to play the Aggies. A 3+6 model will eliminate that.
There are rivalry games in the SEC that need to be protected at all costs under any new scheduling format. Here are my top six annual rivalry games that need to be protected by the expanding SEC.
Alabama vs Auburn: The Iron Bowl is the most iconic rivalry game in all of college football. To tinker with this one is a sign of the pending Rapture.
The Iron Bowl has given us some of the greatest moments in college football history.
Georgia vs Florida: The best border war in all of college football. The “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” currently resides in Jacksonville.
I would like to see it stay there forever. It could end up going to a home and home series, but frankly I would hate it. The game is not going anywhere however and is an SEC staple.
Auburn vs Georgia: The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry has lost some of its luster lately with UGA winning fifteen of the last eighteen games, but there is too much history in place to discontinue playing this contest on an annual basis.
Alabama vs Tennessee: The Third Saturday in October is a classic SEC Rivalry game that needs to stay in place.
The 2022 game in Knoxville was a classic with Tennessee breaking a 15-year losing streak to Alabama. You saw the passion for the contest in the Tennessee postgame celebration.
Oklahoma vs Texas: There is no conceivable way the SEC does not keep The Red River Shootout in place once these two teams join next year.
A huge game played in Dallas every year during the Texas State Fair in the Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Mississippi State vs Ole Miss: The Egg Bowl is very intense and usually played on Thanksgiving Night.
The intensity and passion this game displays must not be touched.
These six games mentioned above are the fabric of the historic SEC and the newly expanded SEC.
The SEC must decide everyone’s three permanent opponents. Other big games that we could see annually depending in the SEC:
Florida vs Tennessee: This was the SEC in the 1990’s. It has lost some luster lately but is still a huge game.
Alabama vs LSU: This has become the matchup that determines the SEC West Champion often.
Texas vs Texas A&M: What a shame this game ended when A&M joined the SEC. I suspect it will get back on track.
Georgia vs South Carolina: Georgia is South Carolina’s biggest SEC rival.
Kentucky vs Tennessee: Kentucky will want Tennessee as one of its permanent opponents and Tennessee will jump for joy.
Tennessee vs Vanderbilt: See Kentucky vs Tennessee above.
Florida vs LSU: This is an underrated rivalry game.
Auburn vs Florida: This was a classic rivalry game that got lost in the shuffle when the SEC reshuffled permanent opponents after the 2002 season. These teams have played 84 times, but only 4 times since 2002.
Arkansas vs Texas: Old Southwest Conference rivals could reunite annually.
You never know how it will all shake out. Some folks will be happy, and some will not. We shall see.
G-Day
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Georgia Bulldogs played their annual G-day Spring Game earlier in the month.
The Red team beat the Black team by a score of 31-26. Arian Smith scored two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Carson Beck got the start at quarterback and certainly looked like a starting quarterback as he finished 13-18 for 211 yards and a touchdown on the day.
Great weather was on hand. “Boom” was introduced as the new mascot. One side of the stadium was filled. The home side was closed due to off season upgrades to Sanford Stadium that are under construction.
The 2022 National Champions got their rings. Overall, it was just an enjoyable day for football in Athens, Georgia.
G-Day Thoughts:
1.This is Carson Beck’s team in 2023. He is going to be the man and showed off a rocket arm and carried himself like a seasoned QB.
His body language is confident. This guy has waited his turn and has won the starting QB job for the University of Georgia.
2.Gunner Stockton looked better than Brock Vandagriff. This will be an interesting battle to follow in the fall camp if one does not transfer out before April 30th when the portal closes.
3.The Tight End group is phenomenal. Brock Bowers is picking up right where he left off.
Oscar Delp and Lawson Luckie make this the top group in the country at their position.
Could a TE win the Heisman?
4.Roderick Robinson is going to be a beast at RB. Another in the extensive line of great running backs at UGA. He is big at 235 pounds and is fast.
5.The WR group is deep and talented. No Rara Thomas but he is serving some internal discipline, if you read between the lines and will be ready this fall.
6.The offensive line will compete against anyone at anytime and will dominate. Starting unit could be the best in the country.
7.Special teams looked ok. Count me as officially worried about the FG kicker position.
8.Fifty-seven total points combined in a spring game tells me the offense will be purring under Mike Bobo.
Bobo was never a problem at UGA before. His offenses always produce. In those days UGA could not stop a dripping faucet on defense. Kirby has cured that.
9.The first-year defenders are as talented of a group that UGA has ever recruited in one class. The UGA defense will be dominant this fall once again.
10.The schedule suits Carson Beck perfectly this fall. Four straight home games before a road trip against Auburn on September 23rd.
11.Bear Alexander hit the portal. This may hurt on the defensive line. Christen Miller, Jordan Hall, and Jamaal Jarrett looked good on the defensive line which explains some of the rumors on why Bear was looking elsewhere.
12.Kirby stated before the game that he wanted to sling the football all over the field to see where the QB’s were in their development.
UGA has a couple of RB’s injured and they know they can run the football behind that offensive line. Their plan was to work on the passing game and that is what went down.
13.Bullet point thirteen is in honor of Stetson Bennett, who will be the only QB drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft who was a starting QB for a national championship football team.
In fact, he did it on back-to-back occasions. No other QB in the upcoming draft brings those intangibles to the table.
UGA should compete for a third straight national title this fall. Times are good in the Classic City!
From Where I’m Sitting
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I pretty much think about football year-round these days.
Yes, it is early in the 2023 baseball season, and basketball playoffs are starting our greatest game in this country is football, and in this part of the world it is SEC Football in the greatest conference ever created.
I have been to many SEC football stadiums over the years and here are my rankings from 14 to1 in the most intimidating scale.
14.Vanderbilt: FirstBank Stadium is the only stadium in the SEC where the visiting team is the home team on Saturdays in the fall.
It is formerly known as Dudley Field. Vandy has struggled in football for so long that I don’t know when the trend will change. Vandy fans just don’t turn out for home games.
13.Kroger Field/Kentucky: My saying is that in college football if you have a stadium named after a corporation then you don’t have much of a home field advantage. The Wildcats home field is named after a grocery store. Go figure.
12.Faurot Field/Missouri: Can someone explain to me again why Missouri is in the SEC?
Can have some juice at times for night games but not a hard place to win at.
11.Davis-Wade Stadium/Mississippi State: Without the cowbells this place is just above Vanderbilt.
MSU is a historic bottom-feeder in the conference with a stadium that seats around 60k.
10.Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium/Arkansas: I can only remember the place being loud only once and that is when Texas played there in 2021. Other than that, it always looks half full on the TV most of the time.
9.Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Ole Miss: Ole Miss is a tough place to visit these days with Lane Kiffin running the show.
It is one of the smaller stadiums in the conference capacity wise, but holds its own on big game days.
8.Williams-Brice Stadium/South Carolina: When the Chickens are good this place rocks, just ask Tennessee last fall when their playoff hopes were crushed at South Carolina.
They have a loyal loud fanbase, but when things go bad at home, they will find their car keys and get gone as quick as anyone.
7.Kyle Field/Texas A&M: Bigger is not always better. Yes, Kyle Field holds over 100K, and it has its moments. It is the least intimidating big stadium in the country.
6.Neyland Stadium/Tennessee: Neyland has its moments… like Alabama in 2022, but over the past decade it just hasn’t had much bite at all. Another historic 100K venue that was built in 1921. Could start rising again on this list soon.
5.Sanford Stadium/Georgia: I had season tickets in the 1990’s.
Sanford has its moments like Auburn 2007, LSU 2013, and Tennessee in 2022. It has become more intimidating during the Kirby tenure but still has too many wine and cheese fans that attend for the social aspects of posting a social media picture, etc. rather than being hard core college football fans.
4.Ben Hill Griffin Stadium/Florida: When the Gators are good The Swamp is a hostile environment that is very intimidating.
All of you Georgia fans that say move the game UGA/UF out of Jacksonville to home and home better be careful on what you wish for. You have been warned.
3.Bryant-Denny Stadium/Alabama: Alabama is always going to be a tough place to play. Always has been and always will be. History, national titles, and a 100K seat stadium make it so.
2.Tiger Stadium/LSU: You do not want to roll in here at night. Period end of story. Well documented on how tough this environment is.
1.Jordan-Hare Stadium/Auburn: Ask Nick Saban if he likes playing at Auburn?
Ask any coach in the SEC if they like playing at Jordan-Hare, even if Auburn is bad?
When Auburn is rolling this is the most intimidating place in the SEC to play. Jordan-Hare is loud and the fans are loyal and show up to yell rather than sip wine and take photos.
Hugh Freeze is about to remind us on how intimidating Jordan-Hare is over the next decade.
On The Clock
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Everyone these days produces their own version of an NFL Mock draft.
You do not have to be correct because most of these so-called experts are not. It is something fun to project. Keep that in mind. Here is my 2023 mock draft for the top ten picks with trades factored in.
Carolina Panthers: With the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft the Panthers select Bryce Young QB from Alabama.
I do not care how tall he is or what he weighs. The guy checks every box as a QB. He is accurate with a strong arm. He is mobile and played at a high level in the NFL equivalent of AAA Baseball the Southeastern Conference. Young steps in and has Carolina in contention in the weak NFC South.
Houston Texans: C. J. Stroud QB/Ohio State: Stroud showed me something in the Peach Bowl. Great pocket presence and show us some wheels when the pocket broke down.
Houston has twelve picks in this draft and can get respectable quickly in the weak AFC South.
Arizona Cardinals: Will Anderson DE/Alabama: Anderson fills a need for Arizona.
Alabama has two of the top three picks in my mock draft and they did not make the college football playoffs in 2022. Head scratcher.
Baltimore Ravens: Anthony Richardson QB/Florida: The Ravens trade Lamar Jackson to the Colts and get Richardson who wowed at the combine and who is bigger, stronger, and faster than Jackson.
Seattle Seahawks: Jalen Carter DL/Georgia: Carter is the best prospect in this draft who Seattle loves.
I do not believe the smokescreen of Carter falling out of the top ten. This kid is too good to drop that far. Yes, he needs to make better decisions.
Pete Carroll will develop Carter into the best DL in the league before his rookie contract expires.
Tennessee: Will Levis QB/Kentucky: With Carter gone off the board the Lions trade out this spot with Tennessee and the Titans draft Levis.
Levis has the potential to end up being the best QB in the draft in 4-5 years. Tennessee is in desperate need of a QB.
Los Vegas Raiders: Christian Gonzalez CB/Oregon: Las Vegas needs help in the secondary.
Gonzalez is the highest rated corner on my board. In a division with great QB’s the Raiders must improve on the backend of their defense.
Atlanta Falcons: Tyree Wilson Edge/Texas Tech: With the QB’s gone the Falcons address a huge need, which is pass rush. Wilson can get to the QB. The Falcons need a lot of help on defense.
Chicago Bears: Peter Skoronski OT/Northwestern: The Bears after trading the number one pick to Carolina get must needed help along the line of scrimmage.
Philadelphia Eagles: Nolan Smith Edge/Georgia: The Eagles take Smith here to bring heat off the edge.
Philly is already strong on defense, so the rich get richer by taking Smith who stole the show at the NFL Combine by running a 4.38 forty. Insane speed off the edge.
Local Picks in the NFL Draft:
Round 4 Pick 125: The Los Angeles Chargers select Warren McClendon OL/Georgia: The former BHS Pirate McClendon is selected by the Chargers who need help protecting Justin Herbert in LA. McClendon will be versatile in the NFL and will be able to play both the guard and tackle positions.
Round 6 Pick 180: The Arizona Cardinals select Stetson Bennett QB/Georgia: This could be the perfect opportunity for Stet to come in and compete right away for a back-up job.
Kyler Murray is rehabbing a knee injury. Colt McCoy is an aging 36-year-old career back-up.
Bennett has all the intangibles you want in a QB. The biggest one is that he is a winner and has the physical tools to go with it now with his showings at the combine and Georgia’s pro day.
Arizona is a spot where Bennett could eventually be an NFL starter. The jury is still out on Kyler Murray in Arizona.
Amen!
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Spring is in the air as the best in the world head to the Augusta National Golf Club for the 87th playing of the Masters Tournament.
Blooming dogwoods, azaleas, and the beautiful golf sanctuary of Augusta National tell you that Spring has officially arrived on the calendar.
Patrons will choose between two Masters favorites on the low priced food menu, the Pimento Cheese or Egg Salad Sandwich. No cell phones are allowed, limited commercials if you happen to watch on TV, and finally my favorite, tradition, the rough is referred to as the “second cut.”
Up until 1983 players had to use local caddies provided by Augusta National. Players are allowed to use their own caddies now, but they have to wear the Augusta uniform, which is a green hat and white jumpsuit.
The Masters has always been the crown jewel of Georgia based sporting events, and in 2023 the event will be completed on Easter Sunday.
2023 Masters odds:
Jon Rahm 15-2: Rahm is the betting favorite coming into the 2023. Rahm has never won the Masters but always seems to be near the top of leaderboards during the big events.
This guy is mentally tough and has every shot in his arsenal to win multiple Masters over his career.
He is the 21 US Open winner, and has top 5 finishes in the other 3 majors.
Scottie Scheffler 8-1: The defending champion is the best player in the world currently.
Scheffler is coming off a win at the Players Championship, and he has won a lot of golf tournaments (6) since the start of 2022. A win in 2023 puts him in the club of repeat winners that includes Nicklaus, Woods, and Faldo.
Rory McIlroy 17-2: Rory shot a final round 64 in 2022 to finish second three shots behind Scheffler.
He is only 32 years old so there is still plenty of time. He has six top-10 finishes to his name at The Masters and has only missed the cut twice. From 2014 to 2020 he finished outside the top-10 only once. Rory plays well at Augusta. The career Grand Slam is in his sights.
Cameron Smith 12-1: Smith can putt. He is the current holder of the Open Championship. He currently plays on the LIV Golf League. With all the drama going on between LIV and the PGA tour will this be a distraction for Smith?
Jordan Spieth 15-1: Can Spieth get back to the status of a few years ago? I think he is close to another breakthrough win.
Justin Thomas 16-1: Thomas has that ‘it’ factor now. Multiple major winner that can compete at every major moving forward.
Xander Schauffele 18-1: Talent is there. Zander just needs a break to go his way at Augusta.
Tony Finau 20-1: Tony has it all. Some tag him as the best player to never win a major. I dislike that tag. Finau’s time will come.
Will Zalatoris 20-1: Will has been very close at majors. Lost in a playoff to Justin Thomas at Southern Hills for the 2022 PGA Championship. Another player who seems to play his best in the majors.
Collin Morikawa 22-1: Two time major winner has the game to win at Augusta. Can win on any type of golf course. Solid all around player.
Will Tiger be in the field? If he is then I will watch every shot from Thursday to Sunday and make the wife upset.
Hopefully she understands by now that if Tiger is on the tube then count Kipp Branch out of everything. Tiger brings massive TV ratings.
Winner Prediction: Rory gets it done and completes the career grand slam and cements his place as one of the all-time greats.
Winner Score: 276 (-12)
