Southern Sports Edition
Who Will Be in the College Football Playoffs?
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We’re reaching the home stretch of the college football season. We had one of the most chaotic Saturday’s in recent memory. It was the first time Nos. 2,3 and 4 lost in the AP Poll since 1985. Now the rankings are shaken up. I’ll examine the teams most likely to make the playoffs.
Alabama (10-0) has been the most dominant team this season and their still undefeated.
Their final two regular season games are at home against FCS Chattanooga and No. 16 Auburn. The SEC Championship game opponent is not set yet. Right now they would face Florida.
The East is so bad it doesn’t matter who the opponent is. The Crimson Tide are basically a lock to finish the season undefeated and remain No. 1.
With all of the upsets Ohio State (9-1) benefitted the most moving up to No. 2. Their last games are at Michigan State and at home against No. 4 Michigan. The Spartans (3-7) are having a subpar year so this should be an easy win.
The rivalry game against Michigan (9-1) will be tough. The Wolverines lost their starting quarterback Wilton Speight with a broken collarbone. That should increase OSU’s chances of winning.
The odd thing is even after winning their last two games they aren’t expected to play in the Big Ten Championship game. Penn State beat the Buckeyes so if they win their last two games they’ll represent the East in the championship game. Now we have to wonder if the committee will hold that against them.
No. 3 Louisville (9-1) is in the same situation as Ohio State. The Cardinals lost to Clemson so the tiebreaker belongs to the Tigers. Clemson will represent the Atlantic division in the conference championship game if they win their final conference game.
The one advantage Louisville has is they have the best player in the country, quarterback Lamar Jackson. He’s the clear cut favorite to win the Heisman. The playoff selection committee might choose the Cardinals to represent the ACC despite not winning the conference.
Michigan’s last two opponents are Indiana and Ohio State. If they can pull the upset on the road against OSU they’ll play in the conference championship game. Winning that will guarantee them a spot in the playoffs. I don’t like that the Wolverines have lost their starting QB but winning is still possible. We saw Ohio State win the 2014 national championship with a 3rd string quarterback.
No. 5 Clemson (9-1) should have easy wins to finish the season. They play Wake Forest and South Carolina. Their opponent in the ACC Championship will be Virginia Tech or North Carolina.
Washington dropped from No. 4 to No. 7 after losing to USC. The Huskies play Arizona State and at No. 20 Washington State. The Apple Cup game against the Cougars will be tough.
I’m not sure if they’ll win but if they do they will represent the Pac 12 North in the championship game. Currently they would play Colorado but that can change.
The last two weeks should be very exciting to watch. Alabama is guaranteed to finish and stay No. 1.
Ohio State and Clemson will also make the playoffs. The final spot is tricky. If Washington wins out they will be in but if they lose I’m not sure who the fourth team will be.
Carolina Panthers Blow Playoff Chances
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
At this point in the NFL season you pretty much have an idea where every team stands.
Sure, there may be an anomaly like the Kansas City Chiefs last year, who started out 1-5 and then went on the win their final 10 games, but for the most part there aren’t too many big surprises.
In the case of the Carolina Panthers, they are basically the NFL’s version of HBO’s “Vinyl”. There are high expectations at the beginning of the season due to the person who gets top billing, his supporting cast, and the people behind the scenes who put everything together.
Only it turns out halfway through the season you realize you now spend your Sundays not only wishing for it all to be over, but you’re watching episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm instead because you need a good laugh.
Needless to say, the 2016 campaign that started out with hopes of another possible Super Bowl appearance more or less came to an end when Carolina lost to those aforementioned Chiefs, 17-20 this past weekend.
Sure, they’re not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs as of yet, but at 3-6 they might as well be.
The Kansas City loss was actually fairly apropos when you look at the Panthers season as a whole. Much like those lofty expectations to start the year, the Panthers had a lot going for them coming into the weekend.
After a two game winning streak, where it looked like the Panthers Defense was starting to come around and Jonathan Stewart returned to the backfield, things were starting to go their way.
Even though they entered the game 3-5 a win, coupled with what ended up being an Atlanta loss, would put Carolina in better position than you would normally expect for a sub .500 team. Well, obviously, that didn’t happen.
Carolina played like the better team for most of the game, but like in a number of losses they’ve had this year, they just couldn’t close it out in the end. I can almost count on the missed opportunities and mental mistakes taking place about as often as Bobby Cannavale’s character doing lines of coke, which was just about every week.
Even if Carolina were to avenge all three of their NFC South losses from earlier this year, which is a huge “if”, they still play both the Raiders and Seattle on the road, in back to back weeks, followed by a much improved San Diego Chargers team in Charlotte.
Throw in the Washington game and 8-8 is about the best any Panthers fan can realistically hope for. Even a record of 9-7 probably wouldn’t be enough for a playoff appearance.
Over the next two months there will be a lot of talk about “showing what they’re made of” and “getting a jumpstart on next year” which I’ve always thought was a load of crap. The Jaguars finished last season on a tear and was a popular pick to win the AFC South. How is that whole “jumpstart on next year” thing working out for them?
And putting forth a courageous effort? How is playing hard the remainder of this season going to have any impact on next year?
Atlanta Braves Sign Dickey and Colon
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I get the Bartolo Colon and R.A. Dickey signings. Well, I guess I can say more specifically that I would have more than likely been happy to sign one of them, but I can understand the signing of both, even though it’s not a dream scenario.
Colon is 43 years old, and Dickey is 42. They’re both well past their primes, but adding them to a rotation that was rife with youth and trouble in 2016 takes the Braves a step closer to respectability, if not actual contention.
John Hart is no stranger to these kinds of signings, inking Orel Hershiser and Dennis Martinez in the twilight of their careers to pitch for his up and coming Indians team in the mid-90s, a team that reached the World Series in 1995 and 1997.
The Braves aren’t the Indians of the mid-’90s, but they led the major leagues in runs scored for the final month of the season. They have an established star in Freddie Freeman and a star on the rise in shortstop Dansby Swanson.
The rebuilding program begun by Hart and general manager John Coppolella looks promising, much more than it did a year ago at this time. The Braves move into their new ballpark in April, and even if it turns out they’re not ready to compete with the Mets and Washington Nationals at the top of the National League East, they should at least be fun to watch.
Colon, of course, became one of the game’s best characters during his three seasons with the Mets. He pitched, fielded and even hit, with a memorable home run last May in San Diego.
The Braves would settle for seeing him make the 33 starts and pitch the 191.2 innings he did for the Mets in 2016. They’d hope for close to the same from Dickey, who won a Cy Young Award with the Mets in 2012 and spent the last four seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Dickey’s 195 starts over the last six years are tied for the sixth-most in the major leagues, while Colon’s 175 starts over that span rank 19th.
That’s huge for the Braves, who spent most of the season struggling to find guys to make starts. There were plenty of warm bodies, just very few who were ready to make the leap to the big leagues and stay. The consistency that these two older gentlemen will likely bring to the rotation will be a huge feather in the cap of Brian Snitker.
The Braves hope to take a big step forward in 2017, and they figure to be significantly better in 2018 and beyond, with Swanson set to be joined by Ozzie Albies in the middle of the infield and with young pitching on the way.
Five of the six Braves who made 10 or more starts in 2016 are 25 or younger. Eight of the top 12 Braves minor league prospects, as ranked by MLB.com, are pitchers.
The issue Hart and Coppolella faced was too many of those guys who started games this past year weren’t ready, and too many of those top prospects aren’t yet ready to advance.
Short-term deals were important, because the Braves believe some of those prospects will be ready to contribute soon. Eating innings was important, because the Braves had 42 games in 2016 where their starter didn’t finish the fifth.
Realistically, Colon and Dickey are place-holders, two aging pitchers who make the Braves more presentable while a young team gets better around them.
But if one or both can pitch at least decently well, the Braves should expect to see a lot more checks in the win column next season.
AFC South Down the Stretch
By: Drayton Hogarth
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As we come to the stretch run of the NFL season, as expected the AFC South is still wide open for any of the teams to get on a hot streak and take over the division.
The Texans are leading the way, followed by the Colts and Titans tied for second, and the Jaguars still alive in fourth. How will the division finish up? Let’s take a look and see.
The team that has been ready to play from the beginning is the Houston Texans. The Texans are sitting atop the division with a 5-3 record including 2-0 against division opponents so far.
Despite losing perennial MVP candidate, JJ Watt, the Texans have been able to be successful under head coach Bill O’Brien. In fact, former South Carolina Gamecock and number one pick in the NFL Draft, Jadeveon Clowney, has stepped up his game enough to possibly shed the label of being one of the biggest draft busts in the NFL history.
Offensively, the Texans must get better production out of huge free agent quarterback Brock Osweiler. Osweiler has been wildly inconsistent so far this season. The Texans look to have the easiest remaining schedule of the four teams, with only one team currently with a winning record, and the Jaguars twice.
If there was a team in the AFC South that looks as though they may be starting to hit their stride, it would be the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are one game back of the Texans but still have a game left with Houston at home.
Quarterback Andrew Luck is always a threat to take over any game. The Colts have won three straight and are coming off of their toughest remaining game, a victory at Lambeau Field over the Packers. A late season trip out to Oakland could make the difference in the Colts’ season.
The surprise team in the AFC South has been the Tennessee Titans. Quarterback Marcus Mariota has seemingly come into his own on the field as both a playmaker and a team leader.
Running back DeMarco Murray has established a true running attack to balance Mariota at quarterback. Unfortunately for the Titans, they appear to have the toughest schedule down the stretch as the Packers, Colts, Broncos, Chiefs, and Texans all still remain on the docket.
Tennessee must play better in their division, as they have lost each matchup with their AFC South counterparts.
In Jacksonville, the Jaguars are sitting in last place, and while competitive, have not been able to win enough ballgames to satisfy anyone involved.
Coach Gus Bradley is fighting for his job. Intended franchise quarterback, Blake Bortles, has seemingly regressed in his play. Bradley’s forte was for tough hard-nosed defense that led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl win, but to date, the Jaguars defense has been inconsistent at best.
They have not been helped out by the offense, but the dominance that was expected has not shown itself to date. The schedule eases up for the Jaguars in the second half somewhat, but they still have a pair of games against the Texans, a trip to Buffalo, and the Broncos will come to town as well. The Jags must show improvement down the stretch, or owner Shad Khan will be looking for a new head coach during the offseason.
While the AFC South gets overlooked by most of the NFL pundits, it is and has been one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL, and this season will be no different.
Look for the Jaguars to actually play the role of spoiler in determining the eventual division winner as they close the season with a road trip to Houston, at home against Tennessee, and on the road to close the season in Indianapolis.
However, when it is all said and done, look for the Colts to beat out the Texans for the division title.
BHS Show October 30
Glynn Academy Wins Region
By: Garrison Ryfun
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
This October was all about region play and the Glynn Academy Red Terrors are now 8-1 with a game left in the regular season.
This month the Terrors have took on Wayne County, Brunswick High, Richmond Hill, and Effingham. They won all those games and are now Region Champs.
The first game of the month took place on September 30th against Wayne County.
The Yellow Jackets came into this game winless and with an offense that was occasionally productive.
Deejay Dallas and Kendall Cross again put on a show in the matchup against Wayne. The squad for Jesup was never able to get in the End zone against the Terrors stout defense and Glynn won in a Shutout 34-0.
Up next was the Effingham game but due to Hurricane Matthew and the mandatory evacuation, the game was postponed until October 25th.
That start of region pay became the City Championship and it had to be moved a day because of the hurricane. So, we got to witness Saturday Night Lights in Glynn County Stadium against the Brunswick High Pirates.
Brunswick High and Glynn Academy has always been a great rivalry. This night was no different as Shawn Smith took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown.
Glynn was without their starting kicker but the depth behind him shined in a lot of places.
John Henry Butler became the PAT kicker and didn’t miss a kick. Andrew Delaney, the starting Tight End, also had a 45-yard punt that pinned BHS inside the 5.
The defense gave up a lot of points to a talented BHS squad but this high-powered Glynn Academy offense has been hard to stop. Glynn won in a close one 35-28.
Up next Glynn had to face an Undefeated Richmond Hill squad at Richmond Hill. Now I must say this game worried me a little bit. Before this game, 17 points was the most anyone had scored on Richmond hill.
Glynn ended up winning the game 57-27. The most points scored under Rocky Hidalgo and almost the first time that we have had three 100 yard rushers.
Glynn, as a team, rushed for 517 yards and passed for 166 yards. That’s 683 total yards, believed to be a school record.
The final game of the month was against Effingham. The hurricane-rescheduled football game took place on a Tuesday night.
It almost felt weird doing a game on Tuesday night at Glynn County Stadium. This Glynn team didn’t seem to mind though. The Terrors picked up where they had left off!
After a 4-day turnaround, the Terrors still looked fresh and dominated this game from the first snap. Glynn again almost had 3 100-yard rushers. We even got to see Randon Jernigan at quarterback.
The Terrors shut out another team this month with the 48-0 win over Effingham.
This Glynn Academy Red Terrors team somehow keeps improving every week and looks to be a state title contender in 6A football.
The option offense has become so deadly and consistent for Glynn Academy and the defense has played their hearts out all season long.
They have one regular season game left against Bradwell. After that game starts the playoffs and what looks to be a deep playoff run for the Terrors.
The Terrors have wrapped up their second region title in a row.
Pirate Ship Still Afloat
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
With so much uncertainty surrounding the Brunswick High Pirate football program this week coming off two straight region losses to inferior teams the Pirates kept their playoff hopes alive with a 24-10 win over a favored Richmond Hill.
It was senior night at the stadium and Coach Larry Harold had his team chomping at the bit to play and the Pirates played inspired football.
SSE Minute October 27
Atlanta Hawks To Fly Over Hump?
By: Drayton Hogarth
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Although we are smack dab in the middle of the football season, the NBA has tipped off its 2016-2017 season, and the Atlanta Hawks will do the same with a totally new look with the free agent signings of Dwight Howard and Kent Bazemore.
Terrors Eyeing Playoffs
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Glynn Academy Red Terrors took another huge step in claiming their second region title in two years; knocking off the Effingham Rebels 48-0 last night at Glynn County Stadium.
The game was a make-up due to Hurricane Matthew and is the Terror’s 2nd game in 4 days. The other being a 57-27 win over Richmond Hill on Friday.
The Terrors came out and handled business. They jumped out to an early lead and lead 21-0 at the end of the 1st quarter and 34-0 lead at the half. The Rebels ended up on a running clock in the 4th quarter and could have been on a running clock in the 3rd but Coach Buddy Holder refused the option for Effingham.
Glynn is now 8-1 on the season and 3-0 in the region.
The Terrors will now head into an off week and recoup from the craziness of Hurricane Matthew.
Glynn Academy will wrap up the regular season on the fourth of November against Bradwell Institute. There is a chance that by the time that game is played the region will already be wrapped in a nice bow for the Red Terrors.
If Bradwell Institute falls to Effingham on Friday night Glynn Academy would clinch the region title before they ever took the field against Bradwell.
If the Terrors claim the number 1 seed in region 2-6A they would take on the #4 seed from region from 4-6A. A lot is still to be determined in that region, but the Terrors would draw either Drew, Jonesboro or Mt. Zion in the first round.
Glynn is going to make another deep playoff run. This is a playoff tested team who has been through the gauntlet before and did it last year mostly on the road. This year the Terrors’ run will mostly take place at Glynn County Stadium. That will be a huge advantage.
The version of the 2016 Red Terrors is actually a little different than the 2015 version. The 2015 Terrors hung their hat on defense and that is how they won most of their games. The 2016 version is still armed with a really good defense but also has the ability to score with anyone in the state if necessary.
So, are the Glynn Academy Red Terrors good enough to get back to the State Title game in the Georgia Dome? Not only are they good enough to get back, but they should be considered the favorite to win it.
Buckle in Red Terror fans, it is going to be a fun ride.
