Curator Sam Burnham
Game of the Week:
Georgia @ Alabama

Like the Bernie Sanders meme: “I am coming to you once again to write about Georgia Bulldog Football.”

​For the third week in a row UGA is playing a potential top tier SEC program. But this is the big one. This is the monkey on their backs. A win this week is bigger than just a Saban disciple beating the master for the first time.

The keys to this game will be similar to last week’s. Georgia’s defense, Bama’s legacy, and Stetson Bennett IV.

​Georgia’s defense will be tasked with stopping Mac Jones and an offense that is averaging 45 points a game. Jones has completed 35 of 51 passes for 684 yards with 6 touchdowns and only one interception. He will be counting on RB Najee Harris to keep the Dawgs honest while they try to shut down Jaylen Waddle, John Metchie III, and DeVonta Smith. This offense survived a shootout against lane Kiffin’s flying circus last week. The Dawgs can’t let that happen.

​Don’t think for a second that the Dawgs aren’t up to the task. Georgia is only giving up 248 yards and 8 points a game. They will need to shut down Jones, Harris, and the Tide. The defense needs to give Bennett time and opportunities to deliver. The benefit in this scenario is that Bennett doesn’t realize he’s supposed to be nervous or afraid going into this game. If “The Mailman” goes to work as he has so far, he’s gonna make a boom in Tuscaloosa tomorrow. He has the potential to make a lot of Dawg fans very happy.

Regardless of how this one turns out, there’s a high probability of a rematch in Atlanta at season’s end.

Coach Drew Burnham
​Game of the Week
​Texas A&M @ Mississippi State

​I dug, searched, thought creatively, turned over rocks and looked in all nooks and crannies to try to keep from writing up these 2 again. Outside of UGA and Bama (already claimed in the name of the Curator) there just isn’t much excitement this week.

The Pirates, I mean Bulldogs, have had a tough couple weeks following their impressive opening day showing. LSU has proved since to not be QUITE what they were a season ago, though that offensive performance is still impressive. It showed that despite what we’ve seen from the offense in Starkville, the potential for explosiveness is there and could be summoned at any moment. What’s been the difference between the fully engulfed week 1 and the other 2 outings? Turnovers. Plain and simple. Ball security is of the utmost importance in any system, but is at an added premium any time the goal is to put the ball in the air 50+ times a week. In the last 2 weeks, MSU has had 9 interceptions. I don’t care what your system is, who your coach is, how rejuvenated you feel or who you’re playing...4-5 turnovers will get you beat every day of the week. The potential is still there. This offense is a firework that is trying to be ignited by a lighter in the wind. If they can take care of the ball this one should be a rout.

On the other sideline, you may be saying “Coach, are you ready to take back all those mean things you said about Jimbo now that they beat Florida?” I could go into great pain staking detail about my answer but I believe a simple “nope” will suffice. The facts are the Florida went to sleep with a lead and choked. It happens. In my career I have been the one who falls asleep as well as the one who sneaks in the backdoor and steals a win while the better team snoozes. W’s and L’s are the only things shown on the record, so good for the Aggies, but I still hold strong to my position. Jimbo is overpaid and overhyped, Kellen Mond is ho hum, and A&M is not as good as anyone (including myself) had hoped this year.

I think this one has beat down written all over it. Leech gets the raid kick started this week and despite scoring 30+ the Aggies lose by 3 touchdowns.

Curator Sam Burnham
​Game of the Week
​Tennessee @ Georgia

At the risk of sounding like a homer I’m going with a Georgia game this week. I’m picking this match up because of three factors: 1) Georgia’s outstanding defense 2) Tennessee’s opportunity to prove they are indeed “back” 3) The Prince of Pierce, Stetson Bennett IV.

​Georgia’s defense is giving up 8 points per game while posting 5 sacks and 4 interceptions. They’re giving up only 58 rushing yards per game. The effort on the defensive side of the ball has allowed the Dawgs to out-gain their opponents almost 2-1. This defense kept them in the game at Arkansas until the correct call was made to put Bennett in at quarterback. More on that later.

Tennessee has had several rough years with include Derek Dooley’s orange pants, Lane Kiffin daydreaming about singing Rocky Top, and a bizarre trash can ritual. Jeremy Pruitt is working on a renaissance in Knoxville. They ride the nation’s longest win streak into Athens this week. But they aren’t playing Missouri or South Carolina. If they are to prove themselves, beating Georgia would be a way to make a statement.

Stetson Bennett IV trotted into the field in Fayetteville and took over the UGA offense. This guy is a man of the people. Straight out of Blackshear he laid a thumping on rival Auburn and then may or may not have enjoyed a bit of Red Man to celebrate the win. Listed at 5-11, 190, Bennett is too short, too small, and not athletic enough to play quarterback at Georgia. But the former walk-on is doing it anyway how could I not pick that this week?

Coach Drew Burnham
​Game of the Week
Alabama @ Ole Miss

​I bet y’all thought I was going to go with the flash of the top team in the Nation against a rejuvenated and trending Miami squad. Or maybe you thought I’d lean towards the Battle of the Saban assistants between the Dawgs and Vols? Those are the obvious candidates, but they’re not why I love college football with every ounce of my being. My infatuation with this beautiful level of the greatest sport in the world is much more personal than that. It’s about relationships, people, connections and passion. That’s why I love it and, trust me, nowhere...and I mean nowhere in the country will you find a more quirky relationship between two more opposite people with a connection loathed by one and so dearly loved by the other than in Oxford on Saturday.

Nick Saban wakes up every morning and sips his coffee on the deck of the lake house in Tuscaloosa. Then he spills a little down his front to punish himself for another day of secretly loving Lane Kiffin. I believe he genuinely hates how much he loves the guy. He goes against everything Saban stands for. Their styles could not be more different. As Saban hits the pants with a Tide pen, less than 3 hours up the road Kiffin is scheming a solid tweet to poke fun at the man who took him in when many others had written him off as a troubled genius. I love this relationship more than any other in the country right now, and you should too.

However, much to Kiffin's dismay, those two will not be the ones going toe to toe between the lines on Saturday. On paper, there shouldn’t be much to this one. Alabama is the far superior team. Saban is 20-0 against former assistants in his career, averaging a 42-15 score in those games. This one should be same ole same ole for the Tide….BUT, the Rebs can SCORE. Kiffin has never found trouble collecting points. As quirky as he may be, he’s a certified mastermind. Nowhere in the sport, on any level, will you find a play caller more versed in moving his stars into position to create mismatches against defenders and capitalizing on them. WR Elijah Moore will line up all over the field and will undoubtedly cause some problems for the Bama defense. I think the Tide wins, but they may have to score 50 to do it.

Curator Sam Burnham
​Game of the Week - Auburn @ Georgia

The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. The schedule says "Week 5" and both teams are coming into the game undefeated - 1-0.

Weird.

​This one is usually late in the season and the game usually means something even beyond the rivalry. In this shortened and rearranged season, it all matters more. A loss could prove to doom a season, even this early on.

Auburn’s Bo Nix had a pretty strong game last week against Kentucky. He’ll need a strong showing in Athens when he faces a strong defense in red and black. The Tigers need to perform on offense and the sooner, the better.

Georgia will need to get moving earlier than they did last week at Arkansas. Kirby Smart has expressed a desire to develop all of his quarterbacks. That’s a great idea but this Saturday is not a time for personnel experiments. Blackshear’s Stetson Bennett came in for freshman D’Wan Mathis who struggled to get the offense moving. Transfer J.T. Daniels will also be available but if Georgia gets indecisive in a QB controversy, they’re bound to have a bad day.

If this is Georgia’s year, they need to prove it against Auburn. Faltering this week will have the Dawgs looking forward to next year...yet again.

Coach Drew Burnham
​Game of the week - Texas A&M @ Alabama

After picking a winner last week, lets try to ID another one in the opposite direction. 

If you're looking for face value "should be a good game" matchups, your attention may be drawn to Tuscaloosa Saturday. On paper, it should be one of the most exciting games of the week. it is one of only two matchups between 2 ranked teams. It showcases 2 traditional names and 2 of the highest funded programs in the country. While I believe that Alabama may be keep status quo this year, I just cant help but be unimpressed with Texas A&M. 

Jimbo got his ring and escaped the ensuing flames in Talahassee only to have that disaster blamed on Willie Taggert. Meanwhile he has been hauling in $20,000 a day in College Station (no that's not a typo) to do, well, extremely average things. ​QB Kellen Mond looked extraordinarily lackluster last week in a squeaker against mighty Vandy. The offense sputtered and again failed to live up to the Jimbo hype. 

620 Miles east of the Aggies, the Tide sit prepped to make yet another CFP run with an experienced QB and a talent rich defense. They say "Stars fell on Alabama" and they did....5 of them...5 stars everywhere. I picked this game not because I believe it will be a great game to watch, but because I dont want to hear any "Alabama should be in the NFL" cries after they beat A&M like a drum. Tide by 28. 

Curator Sam Burnham
Game of the Week: Kentucky @ Auburn

A few of football’s talking heads have come under fire for suggesting this will be a big upset to start the season. Kentucky is 6-26-1 all-time vs Auburn and 2-12 when playing down on The Plains. History has not been kind to the Wildcats is this matchup.

The Tigers will be led by QB Bo Nix who should be working with the brainstorms of an offensive mastermind. When Gus Malzahn is on his game, he’s one of the best anywhere. But he has a tendency to slip in games he should easily win. He needs to lead Auburn strong out of the gate this year.

​Mark Stoops has had much more success at Kentucky than most of his predecessors. He is a brilliant coach in his own right. With senior QB Terry Wilson back on the field after missing the last 11 games of 2019 with a torn patellar tendon, the Wildcats will have some experience leading them on the field.

The best part of this game will be the coaching duel. Stoops and Malzahn both have a style that is fun to watch. What will they try to do? What will be their plan?

The great equalizer will be 2020. COVID has disrupted anything that looks like conventional preparation for the season. With these two coaches...it could elevate the crazy factor.

I expect some big plays. That might be due to blown assignments and busted coverages. This could be a messy week. 

But glory, hallelujah, football is back.

Coach Drew Burnham
Game of the Week - Mississippi St. @ LSU

Good gosh almighty! It's here. After the wildest year I have experienced in my near 30 trips around the Sun, deep south major college football is here! 

This game is a personification of 2020. I have no idea what is going to happen next, but I guarantee you it will be unexpected and outrageous. 

The Pirate has officially planted his flag in Starkville and the Air Raid has taken hold of the bulldogs. The Air Raid isn't just a collection of offensive plays. The Air Raid is a lifestyle that engulfs your entire team. It's a culture. It's a mindset. The illusion of complexity is key and Mike Leach is the master magician controlling the smoke and mirrors. I have no idea What the Bulldogs are going to look like but I guarantee you that it will be fun to watch. 

On the other sideline awaits a team who is fresh off one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory. While they did go on a memorable run last year, they really do not return many experienced play makers. I have no doubt that Coach O has some new faces lined up that are more than capable of carrying the load, I just can't tell you who they are.

Coach O took home the trophy last year and rode off into the Bayou Sunset on a fan boat with Farmer Fran. Let's just see if he can be high flying enough on offense again to keep up with the Pirate. 

Come one, Come all, let the spectacle begin. 

Curator Sam Burnham

​And just like that...we’re at the end of the season. After a ridiculous layoff we’re finally at the National Championship Game.

And what a game this one promises to be. Clemson is back to defend their title from last year. LSU is here to try to knock them off. Look at what they have in common: both mascots are tigers, both teams affectionately refer to their stadium as “Death Valley,” both have quarterbacks that can hurt you with their arms or their legs, both have fantastic running backs.

LSU has absolutely plowed through their schedule. They haven’t even hit a speed bump. Alabama fans think they came close. I saw the game. They didn’t. LSU has also been through Georgia, Florida, Auburn, A&M, Texas, Oklahoma, you name it. They completely shut down Jalen Hurts and the Sooners’ high powered offense. They’ve won with offense, they’ve won with defense. Nothing anyone has tried has worked.

Joe Burrow is that once in a lifetime experience. He’s not only the best player in the country, his effort and leadership bring out the best in everyone around him.

I don't want to sell Clemson short. Trevor Lawrence does amazing things on the football field. Just the Fiesta Bowl gave many examples. Buckeye fans are still wringing their hands about an incomplete pass but completely ignore giving up a 67 yard TD run by Lawrence. They followed that up by unsuccessfully chasing Travis Etienne for 53 yards. Clemson spotted the Buckeyes 4 scores: 16 points in the first 23 minutes of play. They only gave up one score the rest of the night. They used big plays to shift momentum and then used big defense to keep it.

My assessment is this: if anyone was going to beat LSU, it would be Clemson. If any coach was going to formulate a plan to stop that juggernaut, it would be Dabo Swinney. If any field general was going to get past that defense, it would be Trevor Lawrence.

I just dont think its going to happen. LSU is just too good, they have too many weapons, too much momentum, they play too well together, they’re too well coached. They’re not going to lose. LSU Tigers pull this one out.

Curator Sam Burnham

Cotton Bowl - Memphis vs Penn State
This may be the most under appreciated game if the bowl season. Penn State comes in as the favorite and perhaps a bit disappointed at how the season played out after an 8-0 start. You gotta still respect this team as those two losses came to Ohio State and Minnesota, not too shabby. Penn State is a good football team but how could anyone outside the Keystone State not pull for Memphis? A 12-1 season, their first outright conference title in 50 years, and a big boy bowl bid. They’ve been in a bowl for the last six seasons but this is their first foray into the big time. They’ve accomplished a lot this season and they’re still being dismissed.

But there’s more. Their head coach has left for Tallahassee, a move few could blame him for. But his team now looks to a former assistant. This is one of the best bowl season story formulas out there. You can make blockbuster movies with this formula. The team rallies around the interim, they play an unsuspecting giant who’d rather be in the playoff, or at least Pasadena, and everything falls into place. The underdog plays their best game of the year while the favorite plays flat and sloppy. The underdog shocks the world. Don’t shoot me, I’m just the messenger. Tigers over Lions.

Fiesta Bowl - Ohio State vs Clemson

This is the game everyone expects to be good...but it won’t be. Clemson has been the stepkid in the polls this year. We’re talking about the team that completely dismantled Alabama in last year’s championship game and still haven’t lost a game. This is a very good football team that gets no respect. They’ve taken a good ribbing for their schedule but they’ve also won every game this season. In fact, Clemson hasn’t lost a football game since the Obama administration.

Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne are going to put on a clinic for the Buckeye defense. This is a pair made in heaven. If you fall back to stop Lawrence, Etienne is going to have a full head of steam before you get to him. If you bunch up to stop Etienne, Lawrence will go deep and pick you apart.

Across the ball from the Tigers, Ohio State has gotten a lot of press, respect, and attention. They had two Heisman finalists, high rankings in the polls...but have they really played anyone? Georgia fans are up in arms about Justin Fields and the season he has had in Columbus. But it’s easy for a decent quarterback to get big numbers against Maryland and Rutgers. So now we have a day of reckoning. The Buckeyes aren’t playing Miami (OH) this time. How many times have we seen the Buckeyes waltz through their schedule before getting blasted by a Southern team in bowl season? However many it was, go ahead and add another one. Dabo is taking the kids to the Big Easy.

Peach Bowl - Oklahoma vs LSU

I’m not sure what else can be said about this one. LSU’s defense has been suspect at times this year but they still might be the toughest D the Sooners have seen. And I can’t imagine anything Oklahoma could do to stop Joe Burrow. His performance in the SEC Championship Game was exemplary. Georgia has one of the best defenses in school history and Joe did what he wanted. He comes into this game with plenty of weapons at his disposal. The running game is solid, receivers are plenty, the offensive line is mighty. Burrow is that quarterback that makes everyone around him better. He leads by example and the guys want to play harder.

I dont want to take anything away from Sooners quarterback Jalen Hurts. He’s a magnificent ball player but I’ve been far more impressed by how he has handled himself throughout his transfer and experience with his new team. That’s indicative of character and a leader with character is a winner. He won in Tuscaloosa and now in Norman. His team counts on him because they know they can. He has a knack for making things happen on the football field. I think he’ll keep the Sooners in the game for a while but LSU is just too much.

Curator’s Picks
​MEMPHIS over PENN ST
FLORIDA over VIRGINIA
CLEMSON over OHIO ST
LSU over OKLAHOMA
GEORGIA over BAYLOR
WISCONSIN over OREGON
MICHIGAN over ALABAMA
AUBURN over MINNESOTA

Coach’s Picks
​PENN ST over MEMPHIS
FLORIDA over VIRGINIA
CLEMSON over OHIO ST
LSU over OKLAHOMA
BAYLOR over GEORGIA
WISCONSIN over OREGON
ALABAMA over MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA over AUBURN