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ABG College Football
Our Coverage of a Storied Southern Tradition

Curator & Coach - Week 8

10/23/2020

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Curator Sam Burnham
Game of the Week
Michigan @ Minnesota


Last season the Golden Gophers topped off an 11-2 season with a win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl. The Gophers are led by head coach P.J. Fleck who has worked hard to change the culture at Minnesota. He has employed a people-centered approach that has yielded promising results so far.

Michigan has continued to underwhelm under the leadership of Jim Harbaugh. Michigan has managed to win five straight over Minnesota but the Wolverines lost 14 starters off last year’s team.

Playing for The Little Brown Jug on opening day will give both teams extra incentive for a quick start.

The Wolverines need to execute on both sides of the ball and prove to Tim Tebow, and everyone else for that matter, that they are elite...in they in fact are. Harbaugh needs big wins to impress a fan base that is growing more and more impatient with his shortcomings.

Minnesota needs to focus on football. The off season has been filled with civil unrest and conversations about social issues and equality. Saturday is a good time to prove the team has been united rather than divided. If Minnesota has further coalesced, they will be a formidable force to be reckoned with. If they are distracted or divided, Michigan will make short work of the Gophers.
Coach’s segment will return next week.

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Curator & Coach - Week 7

10/16/2020

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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.
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Curator & Coach - Week 6

10/7/2020

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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.
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Curator & Coach - Week 5

10/2/2020

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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. 
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Curator & Coach

9/25/2020

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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. 


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Get On the Field

8/11/2020

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PictureAn Empty Stadium is a Sad Place
Sam Burnham, Curator

​So the Big 10...er...11...14...whatever...has cancelled their fall season. They say they’re looking at a possible spring season, you know, like the USFL or XFL. Shortly afterwards their hippie cousins in the PAC-12 made the same announcement.


No one who grew up before the BCS should be surprised. These two conferences used to be locked into the Rose Bowl and therefore could never play a power from another conference for a true national championship. If they could stay away from Oklahoma, Nebraska, Alabama, or Clemson, they could put together a strong season and claim a national championship. That’s the only way Southern Cal, Ohio State, or Michigan ever won one.

​So the SEC, ACC, and Big 12(10) are saying they are going to play. Notre Dame appears poised to participate in the ACC for a season. Most of the mid-majors have cancelled. Divisions II and III have been all but cancelled by the NCAA. There will be no FCS Playoffs. So there will only be big money ball this fall.

PictureJames Franklin's Statement
The intriguing turn has been from schools like Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan, and Iowa. Players are coming together to say they want to play. Penn State Head Coach James Franklin tweeted out a statement declaring his commitment to “exhaust all options” for his players who want to play.

So what options do they have? These are perennial powers. Iowa is seeing a resurgence of their program. It should be noted that Minnesota and Illinois really need to play. The Gophers and Illini had great seasons and a layoff and the transfer portal could destroy that momentum. Do you temporarily join another conference? Do you form a temporary conference of your own? Does Nebraska just wander home to the Big XII for good? There’s a small window of time to answer many questions.

Before the zealots come running out screaming about “science,” ACC medical expert Dr. Cameron Wolfe says the season can be played safely. Also consider that active players are constantly under the care of trained medical staff. Team doctors and athletic trainers are always evaluating the overall health of players. There is no medical plan on Earth that can compete with what is provided for NCAA athletes. Players will be safer in season than they could ever be with the season cancelled.

if you really care about equality, you want this to succeed. It’s unpopular but just proven reality that football pays all the bills for athletic departments nationwide. Without football, all the other sports, including women’s sports, are broke.

The season is closing in. It’s going to look very different than it has in the past. Fit the teams in who want to play and let’s make this happen. The players want it, the coaches want it, the fans want it, the science supports it, and the country needs it. If you’re scared, say you’re scared. If you’re not, play ball.

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The ABG Poll - 2019-20 Finale

1/14/2020

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We arrive at the end of the season and present our season finale of the ABG Poll. Our voters have unanimously chosen LSU as National Champions. We also received a consensus at #2 with Clemson reaching that position on all ballots. The voters appear to have been impressed with the bowl performances of Georgia and Oregon. Oklahoma? Not so much.

One item of note, we’d like to welcome Appalachian State to the Top 10 for the final poll. Congratulations on a great season, Mountaineers.

​In closing, thanks to all the poll voters who keep this evil, vindictive, crazy, wild and wonderful poll going each week.
1) LSU 50 (5)
2) Clemson 45
3) Georgia 36
4) Oregon 30
5) Ohio State 29
6) Alabama 17
7) Penn State 16
8) Florida 14
9) Appalachian State 10
10) Oklahoma 9


also receiving votes: Minnesota 6, Notre Dame 6, Cincinnati 3, Oklahoma State 1, UCF 1
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Curator & Coach - The National Championship 

1/12/2020

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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.
Coach Drew Burnham

​Months of training camp and games. Off season programs. Early morning weights. Conditioning. Sacrifice of family, personal and social time. Countless nights of wives making dinner for the kids, putting them to bed and going to sleep herself before coach dad makes it home. All of it HOPEFULLY one day leads to this night. This is the pinnacle of a lifetime of work and sacrifice.


For Clemson, it’s a quest for a 3rd title in 4 years. Back to back. Claims of all-time greatness on the line. And yet, with all of that on the line, they find themselves the under dogs. Undefeated defending National Champions don’t typically find themselves in this role but it’s one that the Orange Tigers relish. There is so much on the line for Dabo and his boys from a standpoint of historical greatness. Finding a way to get this done would firmly cement them in the history books and yet they can charge into this game knowing that ALL the pressure lies on the shoulders of the yellow tigers. They’re #1, they’ve dominated every proposed “test” for them this year, and they have drawn a National Title birth 30 minutes from campus. It’s a story book setting on the bayou.

Both teams have spoken in depth about their confidence and the high quality of their preparation. Neither is taking this opportunity for granted and there are 2 true juggernauts here. I don’t remember being this excited for a title game in a very long time. As much as I want to say LSU will find a way to get it done in front of 80,000 Cajuns, I suddenly become mildly nauseous at the thought of picking against Clemson in any scenario. It’s a blindfolded dart throw, but I’m going to go with the home team. LSU jumps out early, Clemson makes it a game and the Bayou Bengals find a way down the stretch. Slugfest. Instant classic. Geaux Tigas!


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When it Comes to the Playoff, Less is More

12/29/2019

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Curator Sam Burnham

​It’s time to have a serious discussion about the CFB Playoff. Through all the uproar and the protestations, and complaints about if the correct four teams were chosen or if the playoff needs expanding there’s one overarching absolutely true fact that everyone needs to come to grips with. That truth is this simple: the awful, rotten, flawed process we have right now is as good as it will ever be.

Sure we’ve had Chris Fowler, among others, wondering aloud, on air, what would have gone differently had Oregon been in instead of Oklahoma. The truth is that nothing would have been different. If you can’t beat Arizona State, you have no business playing LSU in the Playoff.

I kicked over a hornet’s nest full of butthurt Bama homers who were whining about “Bama fatigue” keeping them out of the Playoff. The truth is, Alabama had 0 quality wins this year and had no business is the playoff. The were eliminated. Period.

Had Georgia beaten South Carolina they could possibly have made the playoff but the truth is they didn’t beat South Carolina. While they’re probably the 4th best team in the nation they’re not a playoff team. Period.
​We have the playoff in place because the old bowl system could always manage to narrow the competitive field to three teams, but rarely just two. LSU having to share a national championship with an inferior Southern Cal team was a low point. An undefeated 2003 Auburn team who didn’t even get a shot at Oklahoma or Southern Cal would have beaten either easily. Southern Cal wound up vacating that championship for cheating. What was needed was a “plus 1” game that would help weed out two of those final three. The regular season and conference championship games have already eliminated the rest of the teams at that point.

The biggest truth opposing expansion is that no one should have to sit through a blowout just because more teams might theoretically have a chance to win. Oklahoma didn’t belong there this year (or any of the other years they’ve made the playoff) but the rules say four teams have to go. So we got a miserable bloodbath game that no one honestly enjoyed. It’s silly and unnecessary. Adding more teams to the playoff will water it down, create more blowouts and meaningless games. Expansion might create more pomp, more spectacle, more fireworks, but it will add no substance, no practicality, no real competition.

Football is not basketball and it is foolish to think we can recreate March Madness in December. It’s an apples and automobiles comparison. We don’t even need to try. Let’s make the most of the system that is in place, realize that the regular season eliminates teams every week, and be realistic about our fandoms. Yes, you love your team but if they aren’t LSU or Clemson, they’ve been duly eliminated. Period. Better luck next year.
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Curator & Coach - Bowl Week

12/27/2019

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For Bowl Week we pick one great bowl game to watch and also break down the semifinals.
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.
Coach Drew Burnham

​GEORGIA VS BAYLOR

At face value, this one seems like a gimmie. The Dawgs should roll with little to no issue if you simply look at the rosters. However, college football is great because there’s a lot more there than talented rosters when it comes to winning games. Baylor might just be the most under-rated team in the country. They lost twice this season, both to Oklahoma by a combined total of 10 points. That’s not too shabby. They allowed 30 points only twice this season playing in the high flying Big 12 where anybody can hang 40 on you and still lose any given week. Last but anything but least, they have one of the most outstanding team cultures in the country. “Culture” has become such a buzzword in college football in the last few years. EVERYONE claims to prioritize it because they do know for a fact that it is of upmost importance. However, in many circumstances, it’s just good board talk and x’s and o’s and winning at all costs often creep ahead of culture development on coaching staff’s to do list. In the volatile and insecure world of college football coaching, the pressure to win now often scares coaches away from playing the long game. The successful game. They feel like they don’t have time because they will surely be fired before a true, deep rooted, well built culture can take hold. They aren’t built over night. However, look at the teams that love each other. Look at the teams who are well-known for having a blast, playing for each other and working hard. PJ Fleck has now built a winner at…Minnesota? Yea, that’s right. Will Healy came in and took UNC-Charlotte to its first bowl game in school history and produced a winning season at a place who had never even had the thought in his first season. Matt Rhule came from Temple into one of the biggest dumpster fires in the history of the game. How did he fix it and get the Bears to the Sugar Bowl? He took his time. He didn’t cut corners. He didn’t mix up his priorities in fear of being fired before his process worked. Look at them now. I believe more than anything else in this world that culture wins. UGA doesn’t have culture. They have star power. They’re athletic. They’re highly touted recruits. They have all that going for them and they are certainly an elite program. But culture wins. Look for the Bears to find a way to get this one done. Don’t look for it to be pretty but look for it to get done.

OHIO ST VS CLEMSON
This section could be written in readers digest version by simply saying “see above section for details” but I don’t get paid all this money by ABG to cut corners. Dabo Swinney is a wizard. How in the world he manages to be the undefeated reigning National Champion and still talk his way into the entire country considering the Tigers an underdog is Oscar worthy. How does that happen? “Ah we’re just little ole Clemson. On the ROY bus. Alabama is the king. Stop looking at those trophies and rings! Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” It’s simply incredible. They must be the worst undefeated team in the history of college football. I get it. The ACC is down this year. That’s fine. The ACC wasn’t exactly a juggernaut last year and they won the national title like they were playing the class AA South Carolina High school State Runner-up. They lost a lot off that team but what do we think Dabo replaced them with? Some low end walk on’s who got turned down by Wake Forest? Come on. This Clemson team is loaded. Ohio State is good. They’re really good. I think they also have a great culture to match. BUT. This is Dabo – the inventor of culture. There are none better, despite plenty of high-quality impersonators. This has all the makings of a great game, I’m just amazed at how easily Dabo has been able to crush any hype from forming around this team all year. It’s been a masterful performance and I look forward to watching them limp and crawl their way to a win in this game.
​

LSU VS OKLAHOMA
Bad news boys and girls: no one is going to beat LSU this year. This section has nothing to do with Oklahoma. Nothing. There may have never been another coach to walk the face of the earth who was a better fit to lead LSU than Coach O. Les was certainly close. His personality fit but he was a yank. Ed is one of their own. It’s a fairytale. He is absolutely perfect. He has rebuilt and retooled this program into an eye-popping force. Their underdog, chip on the shoulder QB has found a perfect home to allow him to reveal his true potential to the world. I love Lincoln Riley. I love him as a coach and a man. I love his tiny call sheet. I love his coaching style in being unapologetically who he is and doing what he believes in. I love his unmistakable ability to develop and showcase QB’s that he didn’t recruit. There is an extremely short list of teams that I would not pick them to beat, but Coach O is playing a different game than everyone else right now. Geaux Tigers!

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
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