About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2018)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com Saturday, December 1,2018 3B SEC CHAMPIONSHIP Alabama loss would throw playoff picture into chaos If Alabama wins the Southeastern Conference championship game, there’s little suspense. Nick Saban’s dynasty — probably the greatest in college football history — heads back to the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed and an overwhelming favorite for its sixth national title in the past decade. But what happens if the Crimson Tide loses to No. 4 Georgia ? That’s where things could get very, very interesting. Alabama has clearly been the nation’s best team since the first week of the season, a juggernaut on both sides of the line with Heis- man Trophy winner-to-be Tua Tagovailoa guiding a dynamic offense to go along with another of those typi cally stout Saban defenses. The Crimson Tide’s closest game so far was decided by 22 points. The average margin of victory is a whop ping 35 points — the sort of numbers that put this group firmly in the discussion for best team ever. But No. 4 Georgia is no slouch. The Bulldogs slipped up once this season, losing badly at LSU, but they eas ily dispatched their other 11 opponents to earn another shot at Alabama, the team that beat them in last sea son’s dramatic national championship game. While Alabama is a hefty 13 '/2-point favorite, it’s not beyond the realm of pos sibility that Georgia could pull off an upset. That scenario would be a nightmare for the selection committee, which would have to award Georgia one of its four coveted berths but would be hard-pressed not to give one to Alabama as well — especially if it’s another tight game. For those suffering from SEC fatigue — see: the rest of the country — that would be hard pill to swallow. “I certainly think the committee will be chal lenged in their evaluation” if Georgia beats Alabama, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey speculated Friday, not passing up a chance to do a little lobbying. “The SEC champion will clearly be one of the four teams, and I think if there are two 12-1 teams in this league, then it is clear you can jus tify both being two of the top four teams.” Three playoff spots are almost surely accounted for: the Alabama-Georgia winner, No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Notre Dame. Clemson has to go through the formality of playing the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game Saturday night, but that shouldn’t be a problem against 271/2-point under dog Pittsburgh. Notre Dame made its case by wrapping up a 12-0 regular season last weekend. If Alabama wins the SEC title, the fourth spot should go to either No. 5 Oklahoma or No. 6 Ohio State. Oklahoma faces Texas in the Big 12 title game, giv ing the Sooners a chance to avenge their only loss of the season. Ohio State takes on Northwestern for the Big Ten title, coming off a dominating win over Michigan that helped cover the blemish of that stunning loss to Purdue earlier in the season. But an Alabama loss could bump both from play off consideration, no matter how impressive they look in their conference champion ship games. It’s hard to envision any scenario where the Tide gets left out. Remember, it was only last season that top-ranked Alabama suffered its first loss against Auburn in the regular-season finale, knocking the Tide out of the SEC championship game. Then, after watching from the sideline as Georgia beat Auburn for the conference title, Saban’s team landed a playoff invite anyway. The Bulldogs did, too, making the SEC the first conference in the playoff era to take up two spots. While there was plenty of grumbling about the SEC getting favorable treatment, it was hard to argue with the committee’s logic. Ohio State won the Big Ten title, but the Buckeyes had a pair of losses on their resume. The Pac-12 had no one of consequence. Central Florida barked loudly about deserving a chance with its perfect record, but no one in their right mind thought the Knights were a better team than the Crimson Tide. Alabama backed up the committee’s decision by cruising past Clemson in the semifinals, setting up an all- SEC national championship against Georgia. That game PAUL NEWBERRY pnewberry@ap.org was one of the ages, the Tide rallying from a pair of 13-point deficits to beat the Bulldogs 26-23 in overtime on Tagovailoa’s 41-yard touchdown pass. If Alabama stumbles again, it might tougher to give the Tide a second chance — especially if Oklahoma and Ohio State both win impressively. But the committee has shown its willingness to overlook Power Five conference champions in favor of what it views as the stronger team, also picking Ohio State in 2016 even though the Buckeyes didn’t even quality for the Big Ten title game. (That one didn’t work out so well; Ohio State was blitzed by eventual national champion Clemson 31-0 in the semifinals). Saban shrugged off any speculation about his team’s playoff future during Fri day’s final news conference before the SEC champion ship game. “Our total focus is on this game,” he said. “I don’t really spend a lot of time worrying about what-ifs. ” Sankey tried to make a case for his conference deserving two teams in the playoff — no matter who wins Saturday. “I actually think there’s an argument that Geor gia is still one of the four best teams, even with two losses,” he said, pointing out that the SEC has eight of 25 teams in this week’s CFP rankings. “I go back to that unique rigor of our sched ule. I know that the com mittee has indicated deep respect for the competition in this conference. They still merit consideration.” Sorry, commish, now you’re just getting greedy. But if Alabama loses? You’ll probably get your wish. Paul Newberry is a sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry@ap.org or at www.twitter.com/ pnewberryl 963. GEORGIA TECH Players share memories playing for Paul Johnson It was Synjyn Days’ first road trip as a member of the Georgia Tech football team. He had earned the invitation to make the October 2010 trip to Wake Forest as a reward for his standout work on the scout team that week. However, Days made a critical mis take on the trip -- he was late for a team meeting. It was only by a couple of minutes, but when he arrived, the doors were locked. Teammates were texting him, asking him where he was. He was just outside the meeting room, panicked. “I’m like, goodness, they’re about to kick me off the team,” Days recalled Thursday. “I had no clue what the consequence was. I had no clue at all.” Thankfully for Days, the discipline was not dismissal, but coach Paul Johnson and quarterbacks and B-backs coach Brian Bohannon “ran me like crazy” the following Monday. “That was the last time I was late,” said Days, who can now laugh about the epi sode with teammates. Days is a member of a group that is now finite in number - Tech football play ers who played for Johnson, who this week stepped down after 11 seasons as the Yel low Jackets coach. For those in that circle, the stories, experiences and lessons are many. Five of them, including Days, shared with the AJC their perspective on what it was like to play for Johnson, a coach who was uncom promising and voluble, but also showed a side that few fans and outsiders ever witnessed, a combination that has engendered deep appreciation. “He’s definitely going to be missed,” Days said. Johnson’s searing can dor was among the traits that players recalled most. In video-review ses sions after games, for instance, there was little chance that he would gloss over something like a missed block. “He definitely didn’t hold back and let you know you missed your assignment, but it was always to make you better, never to beat you down,” said Marcus Allen, a B-back who played 2013-16. After spring practice in 2014, Jamal Golden met with Johnson in his office, as was standard for all players. Golden had begun the 2013 season as a starting safety but missed the final 10 games with a shoulder injury. Johnson had no interest in coddling him as he worked his way back. “He let me know, ‘Hey, you didn’t perform as well as I wanted you to in the spring,”’ Golden said. “’Come fall camp, I don’t want you to think that any thing’s going to be guaran teed for you. You’ve got to come out here and work.’” Tackling was a particular issue. “He was like, if you can’t get ‘em on the ground, we’re not going to be able to play you,” Golden said. It was a sobering moment for Golden, but the mes sage came through clear. Golden said Johnson’s warn- Johnson ing changed his game. He earned a spot in the start ing lineup at safety and was named third-team All-ACC. He made one of the more memorable plays in Tech’s Orange Bowl victory at the end of that season, a pun ishing tackle that forced a fumble recovered by Tech. Will Jackson, an offen sive lineman who played from 2010-13, similarly recalled what he called Johnson’s “brutal honesty” in words that he wasn’t sure he could repeat for publica tion. It could have been run blocking, weight lifting or some other aspect of play ing for him -- Johnson was unsparing. “Anytime you’re in a situ ation with a coach like that, it probably rubs some peo ple the wrong way,” Jackson said. David Sims, who played quarterback and then B-back from 2010-13, also recalled the language, which he described as “not neces sarily PG-friendly.” John son’s coarse language might surface on the practice field as he oversaw the offense. Atlanta Journal Constitution “Buy Direct from the Manufacturer” A METAL ROOFING SALES, INC. • 16 Colors in Stock •Delivery Available (770)886-3880 www.metalroofingsalesinc.com 82 Etowah River Rd. Dawsonville, GA Clemson’s Tavien Feaster (28) rushes for a touchdown while defended by South Carolina’s R.J. , left, and D.J. Wonnum during the second half of the game Nov. 24 in Clemson, S.C. ACC CHAMPIONSHIP No. 2 Clemson facing underdog Pittsburgh George Aston has felt the slights throughout his career. That’s why he’s not surprised so few give Pittsburgh any chance to topple No. 2 Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game Satur day night. “We know nobody really respects us or gives us any credit even when we have great game,” the senior fullback said of the ACC Coastal Division champi ons. “Even after we win, they’ll probably still find a way to discredit us or (say) Clemson had a bad game.” Aston and the Panthers (7-5) might be the only ones who believe there’s a chance to upset the surg ing ACC Atlantic winners. The Tigers (12-0, CFP No. 2), three-time defending ACC champions, enter with the conference’s top scor ing offense and a defense that’s No. 1 in the league in keeping opponents from scoring. Clemson tailback Travis Etienne, the ACC’s leader with 1,307 yards and 19 touchdowns, was named league player of the year. The Tigers experienced and heralded defensive front of ends Clelin Fer rell and Austin Bryant and tackles Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence have locked down the line of scrimmage by allowing less than 85 yards a game rushing. Clemson also has a huge edge in big-game experi ence. It has advanced to the past three College Football Playoffs following its ACC title wins and has that 2016 national championship in which many current Tigers played. Tigers receiver Hunter Renfrew said becoming the first to win four consecu tive ACC crowns is a goal they’ve sought all year. “I think from here on out, kind of, we just keep break ing records, especially the senior class,” Renfrow said. “It’s something we shoot for, being our best, being the best we can be.” Clemson has not lost many games in that time, although it knows what it’s like to lose to Pittsburgh. Among the two regular-sea- son losses the Tigers have had (they’ve gone 46-2 the past four regular seasons), one was a 43-42 stunner unranked Pitt pulled on No. 2 Clemson in Novem ber 2016. Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said that result won’t have much bearing on this game, although Aston said there’s much the Panthers can take from the win. “We really do have good luck playing No. 2 teams,” he said. Narduzzi said Friday that as incentive the team sees a picture of Bank of America Stadium when it leaves the locker room. “That’s where we want to be,” he said. “And now we’re here.” Things to watch in the ACC title game: LOOKING FOR LOVE: Clemson coach Dabo Swin- ney has chastised fans last Sunday, at least those grousing that the Tigers 56-35 rivalry win over South Carolina was not dominating enough. Swin- ney clarified it’s a small percentage of the fan base. Still, “I don’t want anything RICHARD SHIR0 I Asociated Press I On TV When: 8 tonight TV: ABC to creep into the culture of our program. I don’t want players ever to walk off the field with a win that so- called felt like a loss,” he said. The Tigers are looking for a 13th win for the third time in four seasons. DUECES WILD: Pitt has a penchant to topping No. 2 teams under coach Pat Narduzzi. The Panthers defeated second-ranked Clemson in 2016, then closed the 2017 regular season with a 24-10 victory over No. 2 Miami. The Panthers have won four straight games as unranked opponents against Top 3 competition since 2002. COACHING CAROU SEL: It’s that time of year when Clemson assistants are part of the specula tion for college openings. Tigers defensive coordi nator Brent Venables said he’s recently talked with Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt— (the two were linebackers together at Kansas State. Both of Clem son’s offensive coordina tors Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott have been discussed in several openings, includ ing recently vacant Geor gia Tech. Expect that buzz to continue as December deepens. BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 9 Texas ready for rematch Texas players celebrated on the field at the State Fair of Texas, flashing “Hook ‘Em Horns” signs and pos ing for pictures with the “Golden Hat” trophy that goes to the winner of their Red River rivalry against Oklahoma. Soon after leaving the field, though, the Long horns were already think ing about the possibility of another meeting this sea son against the three-time defending Big 12 champion Sooners — for a differ ent trophy in a different location. “Absolutely. It was one of the first things we said after we got back to the locker room,” Texas tight end Andrew Beck said. “Some of the senior guys who walked in front of the team said, be smart with what you say because we’re going to see those guys again.” Eight weeks after Texas won 48-45, they do meet again. Fifth-ranked Okla homa (11-1, 8-1 Big 12, No. 5 CFP) plays the ninth- ranked Longhorns (9-3, 7-2, No. 14 CFP) in the Big 12 championship game Saturday. For the Sooners, this unusual rematch is about more than avenging its only loss. They can become the first Power Five team since Florida in the mid-1990s to win four consecutive outright conference cham pionships, and a win could get them into the College Football Playoff for the third time. “It’s one of the greatest rivalries in college football, but this week is about win ning a championship and that’s what we’re focused on,” said Oklahoma line backer Kenneth Murray, On TV When: Noon today TV: ABC no relation to the Sooners’ Heisman Trophy-contend ing quarterback Kyler Murray. “There’s always a lot rid ing on this game when you play it in October, no ques tion about it, but there’s a lot of season left,” Sooners coach Lincoln Riley said. “This one, I think, I’m sure it’s gonna be heated. But I think it would have been heated no matter who the two teams were in there, just because of what you’re playing for.” This is only the third time in the series that started in 1900 that the bitter border state rivalry will be played twice in the same season. The last time was 115 years ago. Every game in the series since 1929 has been played near the midway at the State Fair of Texas. Associated Press Call Wolfman Charlie to keep you warm this winter! 835 Oak Street, Gainesville, Georgia http://lanier-hvac.net/ 678-943-1351 o LRNIER HVOC SERVICES WE STRIVE TO SERVE YOU
