JDubb's Sideline Report

As a kid, I loved watching Bo Jackson play football in the Fall and Baseball in the Summer. Bo was a rare athlete, I mean he had an extra gear that could catapult him through defenders on the gridiron and throw someone out from center field on the diamond. He had a gift and it helped him gain legendary status. Another player I loved to watch switch sports was “Prime Time”, Deion Sanders. The flashy, showboat had lightning speed and could burn defenders and he had the burners to steal second before you could say who’s on first?(no pun attended).

Which brings me to the new blood- Kyler Murray. In his only season at Norman, the heisman winner threw for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns. He also lead the team to a Big XII title and a playoff berth. Now he has decided to enter the NFL Draft, something many people(myself included) speculated he would, knowing that he already had a offer from the Oakland Athletics to play baseball. Which brings us to this juncture: What will this young man ultimately decide to do? Will he play football? Will he play baseball? Or we he try to juggle both sports like the greats I mentioned earlier?

At 5’10, 195 lbs, it will be a tough order for him to see over some of those giants on the defensive line. Yea he can run, but he will have to do it on many occasions. On the flip side he is a special talent, but can you really put him in the same conversation as Bo Jackson  or Deion Sanders? Maybe it’s too soon to say, but if I was the one counseling this young man, I would say this- “Do what you love. You have been given a special opportunity to play in a sport that only a select few can play. If it doesn’t work out, try baseball. You have those options available. ”

In hindsight, only Kyler Murray can answer these questions. Both sports have pros and cons and career wise each has it’s own lifespan. But with his skill set and talents, why not try both? Who knows, maybe Murray ends up a two-sport athlete and goes down as a legend. I’m just glad we all get to see it transpire.

The remnants of the 2018 season have all but disappeared, leaving us with confetti and tears. The promise of a trophy and a Cinderella story were wiped away due to a bigger stage and an all-star cast.  The hard work put in during the Spring and Summer brought some programs pain and others glory. While some teams earned a major win, others earned a huge reality check.  Four teams did earn a right to play for the ultimate prize, only one was left standing- The Clemson Tigers.

Now that the season is over, what awaits us on the horizon? Here are some questions I have about some teams and coaches for 2019:

Will the playoff committee investigate expansion? 

How does Nick Saban and Alabama respond to their huge defeat to Clemson in the National Title game?

Is Texas ready to get back in the spotlight?

What does Clemson do for an encore?

Can Chip Kelly make UCLA a contender?

Is Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies ready to make the next leap?

How does Kirby Smart replace his offensive weapons he lost to the draft?

How hard will the transition from an option offense to a more modern offense be for Georgia Tech?

With Gus calling plays again, can he get Auburn back to the SEC championship?

Will  coach Harbaugh and the Wolverines finally beat Ohio St?

Can Willie Taggart get the Noles back to playing big boy football?

Can Notre Dame repeat the success they had last season?

What is the next step for Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols?

Who is the next great back at Stanford?

Is UCF ready for another historic run?

Can Dan Mullen find a quarterback to take the gators to the SEC championship?

Is Manny Diaz the one to get Miami back to being the Miami of old?

The 2019 season kicks off on August 31!

 

On a night where two quarterbacks were supposed to steal the show, it was a certain defense that put on a clinic. This was not merely an upset, this was an Old-Testament tail kicking. The Clemson Tigers took it to the Alabama Crimson Tide last night, in what has to be and I quote “Largest deficit ever under Nick Saban”. Wow! Who saw that coming? Not this guy. Don’t get me wrong, we all knew Clemson was a good football team. The shocker is how they dominated Alabama in all facets of the game.

A few things that made Clemson successful last night:

1. They dominated the line of scrimmage.
2. They established the ground game.
3. Trevor Lawrence was on his A game.
4. Playmakers stepped up.

On the flip side, Alabama’s young star quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa was off last night. That’s probably an understatement. On Bama’s first possession, Tua threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. You knew after that pick six that something was not right. Maybe he was still playing hurt, who knows? But you can’t put all the blame on Tua, the defense couldn’t get off the field. Clemson moved the ball when it mattered and the Tide had no answer.

For the game, Trevor Lawrence was 20/32, throwing 347 yards passing , including three touchdowns. And don’t forget about Justyn Ross and Tee Higgins with their acrobatic catches and clutch plays. Lastly, Travis Etienne ran for 86 yards and two touchdowns last night. It was a complete team effort from Clemson and they stepped up. Now they are National Champions, their third for the program.

So what’s next for Clemson? If you ask Dabo, just more of the same- winning championships. It’s all about family at Clemson. Coach Swinney has developed a culture of brotherhood and winning. And he recruits at a high level. Clemson is going to be doing this for a while, college football is just going to have to get used to it.

They say sequels usually don’t have the same value as the original. These people must not pay attention to college football, especially the last four years. Alabama/Clemson has been anything but dull the last three times they have played. OK, last years game didn’t live up to the hype but this has been a great series. Let’s take a look at the past three games between these two powerhouses.

2015 : Alabama 45, Clemson 40 – The tide met their match against a young Clemson team who matched Bama on every possession. But it was the head coach himself who made the call of the game with his infamous “pop kick”. With 10:34 left in the game, Bama kicks an onside kick to gain back momentum and eventually take the lead and win the game.

2016 : Clemson 35, Alabama 31 – A game that literally came down to 1 second left on the clock, junior quarterback Deshaun Watson found Hunter Renfrow in the endzone to secure Clemson’s second National Title in school history and dethroning the Crimson Tide as the nations best team. This is the game that showed the world that Dabo and Clemson are just getting started.

2017 : Alabama 26, Clemson 6 – The crimson tide were looking for revenge after losing the national title in the pervious year. Alabama put on a defensive performance that smothered Clemson’s high potent offense. Tiger quarterback Kelly Bryant threw two interceptions, one for a return touchdown. With only 188 yards on offense, the Tigers looked inept against the fast and tenacious tide defense. This game sent Saban and company back to the national title game which they eventually won.

 

What does the 2018 edition have in store?

This years game should be really good and really close. There isn’t much separation between the tide and tigers. In total offense , Clemson ranks third in the nation with 7426 yards and 530.4 yards per game. Alabama ranks fourth with 7387 yards 527.6 yards per game.

On defense, Clemson ranks second in the nation, allowing a total of 3845 yards for the season and 274.6 yards per game. While Alabama ranks 13 in the nation, allowing a total of 4311 yards for the season and 307.9 yards per game.

Both teams have quarterbacks that can stretch the field and burn you with their arm. On the season, Trevor Lawrence has thrown for 2606 yards and 24 touchdowns. Tua Tagovailoa has thrown for 3353 and 37 touchdowns. The issue here is that both teams have a great pass rush, so you know both quarterbacks are going to have to get rid of the ball quick at times in this game. What has to happen is a solid ground game established. The question is which team does it the best? It’s going to be interesting to see.

We saved the best for last. Grab some wings, get comfy and enjoy the game. I’ll report back with a recap and a look at the 2019 season later this week.

It begins with an idea, an idea to resurrect a once proud program back to significance and to make it the standard in college football.  Nick Saban’s PROCESS, the term he uses for the psychological approach to motivate his team and coaches, has made him and every team he’s ever coached a success. That’s exactly what coach Saban has done in the twelve seasons he has been with Alabama.

Let’s look at Alabama’s win/loss record since 2007:

(2007) 7-6

(2008) 12-2

(2009) 14-0 National Champions

(2010) 10-3

(2011) 12-1 National Champions

(2012) 13-1 National Champions

(2013) 11-2

(2014) 12-2

(2015) 14-1 National Champions

(2016)  14-1

(2017) 13-1 National Champions

Do you see a pattern here? I sure do. It’s called excellence. Even in the years the tide don’t win the national title, besides 2007, they are either playing for it all or going to a new years six bowl. Most teams would love to have that kind of record. Of course, most teams would love to have Nick Saban as well.

This Saturday, the tide are playing a very good Oklahoma team, and if they can win, they get another shot to play for the National Title. To do that, they will need to contain Heisman winner Kyler Murray and the high potent sooner offense. The Sooners can stretch the field, and with the #1 offense in the nation, they can score. What the tide has to do is DO what they do best, which is closing gaps and getting to the quarterback. If they can consistently get pressure on Murray, then I like Alabama’s chances.

Whether Tua or Jalen start, I don’t think it will be much of an issue for the tide to score. The sooners have struggled all season to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. What you don’t want to happen is to have both Jalen and Tua have a lapse since it’s been over three weeks since they have played. I don’t forsee that to be an issue, Nick Saban isn’t one to let his teams play lackadaisical.

Will Alabama once again reach the National Championship? Tune into the Orange Bowl this Saturday at 8 PM on ESPN to find out.

Since the inception of the college football playoff (2014), Clemson will have been in four out of the five times, winning it all in 2016. This Saturday, the Tigers will once again try to advance to win it all for the big prize- The National Championship.

In 2016, Clemson was lead by Deshaun Watson, and accompained by Wayne Gallman and Mike Williams, this three-headed monster tore through a very good Alabama defense to win the National Championship. It was the offense that helped Clemson win their first title since 1981. Watson was dangerous in a sense that his speed was deceptive but his arm was what was impressive. The following season (2017), Kelly Bryant was behind center and helped Clemson get to the playoff, but Bryant had issues stretching the field like Watson could. It limited Clemson in play calling and cost them to lose against Alabama in last years Sugar Bowl.

For Clemson to contend for the playoff, they had to find a signal caller that could not only replicate Deshawn Watson, but could take Clemson back to the promise land. Enter true freshman, Trevor Lawrence. The 6’6 young QB from Cartersville, GA has lived up to his hometown hype. For the season, Lawrence has thrown for over 2606 yards, 24 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. That is impressive for a true freshman. Lawrence’s arm strength was good enough to beat out senior Kelly Bryant for the starting position, and it was good enough to get the Tigers in the college football playoff.

Another area of strength for the Tigers has been their defensive line- Dexter Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell, and Christian Wilkins have wreaked havoc on opposing teams this season. They all three have totaled for 17 sacks and 43 tackles, including 9 interceptions and 14 fumbles. Sadly, the Tigers will be without Lawrence due to failing a recent drug test. But regardless of this issue, Clemson has a top 5 defense and it will give Notre Dame all it can handle.

Dabo and his team hungry. They came up short last season and have been living with it ever since. But this team is different; they have a Quarterback that can stretch the field and a defense that can get after it. Will it be good enough to beat a good Notre Dame team? Tune into the Cotton Bowl this Saturday at 4 PM on ESPN to find out.

Here’s a team I counted out when they lost to Texas earlier in the season. It wasn’t just me, mind you. Even the playoff committee didn’t see this coming. But don’t tell Lincoln Riley that.  After winning the Big XII title, he mentioned this about his team, “When the rest of the world didn’t believe in them, they believed in themselves, and that’s why we’re sitting here with this trophy right down here.” Now the Sooners how found their way into the College Football Playoff.

I honestly didn’t think the Sooners had it in them. My lack of faith comes from their atrocious defense; it’s been their Achilles’ heel for the majority of the season. But I did see flashes of hope in the championship game against Texas. They got pressure on Sam Ehlinger and made stops when they needed to. I even saw 3 and out’s! They will need more of that in the Orange Bowl against Alabama. But enough about their lousy defense, what the Sooners do good is Offense. And can I just say, it’s one of the best in the nation.

Oklahoma fields the number one offense in the country, averaging 583.3 yards per game. On top of that, they have arguably the best player in the country behind center- Kyler Murray. The Heisman winner for the year has compiled a 70.9 CMP%, thrown for 4053 passing yards, and 40 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions. The system Oklahoma runs really fits Murray’s style which is a contribution to his and the teams success this season. The dual-threat QB can make you pay with his arm and his legs, which makes him very dangerous. To defeat a great team like Alabama, Murray and the Sooners will need to find a way to exploit areas on the the tide’s defense which will be a tough task.

Can Oklahoma, a team with a Heisman QB and the nation’s number 1 offense contend with the nation’s best defense? Tune into to the Orange Bowl on Dec 29 at 8 PM.

Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian, and Lou Holtz– these coaches won national titles at the University of Notre Dame. A school with tremendous history and a proud tradition, Notre Dame looks to once again add another title to their historic program. This time, it’s with head coach Brian Kelly. Kelly actually has been at South Bend for a while now (2010) and has seen his share of good seasons, but usually coming up just short to make it to the big dance. He did manage to get his team their once, in 2012. However, they got pounded by a very good Alabama football team coached by Nick Saban.

The Irish pull no punches with their football schedule, they will play anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Being an Independent gives them that advantage. However, they recently inked a deal with the ACC to play some teams from the conference during the season. The reason behind this was the college football playoff. The Irish knew if they ever wanted to get in, they would need their team to look good not just on the field, but also on paper. I’m not saying playing teams from the B1G and USC every year is not attractive, but to really secure a spot, they need to play everyone. And now they have gone perfect through the regular season, bringing them into the 4-team college football playoff. But it will not be easy, they have to play a very talented Clemson team.

Notre Dame has played four teams in the top 25 this season: Michigan, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and Stanford. They won convincingly in all four games. Clemson is a totally different animal that the Irish will face. The Tigers have the best defensive line in the country and have a true freshman at Quarterback that plays like a senior. But the Irish aren’t pushovers. They got a guy by the name of Ian Book who has thrown for 2468 passing yards, a long with 19 touchdowns. He has a 70.4 CMP%. That’s pretty good if you ask me. Then there is Dexter Williams who is just a shy under 1000 yards rushing with 12 touchdowns. They have some good receivers too.  But make no mistake, this will be their biggest test of the year.

Can Notre Dame hang with Clemson? We will find out on December 29, 4:00 PM in Dallas, Texas.

Passion. Discipline. Patriotism. Tradition. Those are some of the terms that come to mind when I think of the Army/Navy game. For the 119th time, the cadets from West Point and the midshipmen from Annapolis will suit up this Saturday for America’s game. The hero’s of this games past, come from the likes of Staubach, Davis,  Sprinkle, and Coulter. And today’s new blood of this historic rivalry looks to etch their names in the history books.

Since 2002, Navy has won 14 out of 16 games. However, the last two years have belong to the black knights. What’s been the difference the last two years then? Well I think it’s a couple of things:

1. Jeff Monken– The Army head coach is as good as they come when it comes to the triple option. And why wouldn’t he be? He’s a disciple of future Hall of Famer in Paul Johnson. And Monken has  a lot of the same qualities that Johnson does; he’s gritty, gutsy, and a motivator. Before Monken came to West Point, the cadets were struggling to win three games. Now they are a force to be reckon with. Just ask Oklahoma!
2. Navy seems to be having a hard time adjusting to conference play. Unlike Army, Navy actually plays in a conference. The AAC is not the SEC, but Navy isn’t exactly playing sisters of the poor anymore. The competition is tougher, to a degree. Coach Ken Niumatalolo is a heck of a coach, and he’s another one of Paul Johnson’s disciples, which means he runs the option. However, I feel that if Navy is going to have long-term success in the AAC, he might want to throw some new wrinkles in his offense.
3. Quarterback play – This has usually been an area of strength for Navy, but due injuries and graduation, the mid’s have struggled to find consistent QB play, as where Army has had solid performances lately.

Who will sing second in 2018? Army almost beat Oklahoma this season. Navy lost 42-0 to Cincinnati this season. One team seems to be on the upward, while the other seems to be trending downward. So, I like Army in this game. I think they move the ball with no issues and make the proper stops to beat Navy for a third straight year.

On that note, I hope you get to enjoy the game this weekend.  Soldiers on the field and off, Army-Navy brings an entirely different perspective to the gridiron, and for good reason. These men, who put on a show for three hours every Saturday in the Fall, go through hours each day of tough, physical and mental training. They’re preparing for something bigger than football and themselves, and we should all take the time to salute them.

Now that we have made it through the regular season, it’s time to separate the have’s and have nots. No more playing around. This Saturday, teams will be playing for their respective conference titles, and even more, a chance to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. I’m looking at you- Georgia, Oklahoma, and Ohio St. All three of these teams I just mentioned could be playing for something more, if they win. For Georgia, they can lose on Saturday to Alabama and still win. Wait, how is that you ask? The cards are stacked against Georgia no doubt, but if they make a game of it( and I believe they will), the bulldogs could still squeak in, giving their record and strength of schedule.

Now how about Oklahoma? Here’s a team that barely beat West Virginia this past Saturday and their only loss is to Texas, who they’re playing again in the Big XII Championship. The first time they played, it was one for the ages. I expect a repeat in the Jerry Dome on Saturday. If Oklahoma can take care of Texas, it helps their chances. But if they struggle with the Longhorns or lose, they can forget about the playoff. The Sooners can score with no problem, but they can’t stop anyone. If they want to contend this Saturday and beyond, they better start playing defense.

And then there’s the Ohio St. Buckeyes, who are coming off a HUGE win over Michigan, have  a shot to make a statement this weekend in the B1G Championship. This team has been hard to read at times this season: get blown out by Purdue, barely get by Maryland, and then blowout the #4 team in the nation at home. I don’t get the buckeyes, but there is no denying that they’re very talented. Can they put it all together down the stretch? We’re about to find out.

These three games to me are the important ones because they have the most at stake this weekend. Alabama, Clemson, and Notre Dame are set (I don’t for see Clemson losing to Pitt). Alabama is in regardless if they lose. There is NO WAY the playoff committee leaves them out. And Notre Dame has been perfect this season so they are in as well. What we all are watching is who will be #4? I have a suggestion for all of you: Stay home, put on some comfy clothes, grab some wings, and enjoy the show. It’s going to be a fun, wild Saturday.