By Marc Lawrence — Little did Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney realize the ramifications when he inexplicably ranked Ohio State No. 11 in the final Playoff Rankings. Not only did it give the Buckeyes added impetus but Ohio State scored a touchdown with 11 seconds remaining in the first half of the College Football Playoff Semifinal game on Saturday it, for all intents and purposes, sealed Clemson’s fate. In addition Clemson was forced to play the first half without the services of its star senior safety Nolan Turner, sidelined because of a targeting penalty in the Notre Dame game the prior week. Paradoxically, star Ohio State cornerback Shaun White was ejected in the first half of last year’s semifinal loss to Clemson for targeting when the Buckeyes were up 16-0. The Tigers immediately scored a TD pass against White’s replacement and things immediately went downhill from there for the Buckeyes. And for what it’s worth the Buckeyes with meet Alabama for all the marbles on Monday, January 11.
Trending Today
Urban Meyer in the NFL — how’s that sound? Pretty soon, football fans may know if that’s a reality. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he has been approached by at least two teams, and he did not “dismiss the overtures.” Various reports in the past week have mentioned the Jaguars, Lions and Falcons as at least speculative landing spots for Meyer. The Jaguars gained the earliest traction in the rumor mill for a couple of reasons. There’s the Florida connection, with Meyer having coached the Gators from 2005 to 2010. More than that, though, is their bright future. Jacksonville locked up the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft in Week 16, ensuring the right to pick Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The opportunity to coach such a generational talent would certainly have appeal to any coaching candidate. Other teams rumored to be in the mix include the Chargers and Jets. Read more here.
Grinding Out The Profits
It’s my opinion they have too much money and not enough brainpower in Texas. Recently fired Texas head coach Tom Herman is 54-22 overall in his career, including 35-16 SU against .500 or greater opponents. His replacement, Steve Sarkisian, is a cripple-shooter going 15-4 SUATS versus losing foes, but only 24-29 against .500 or better opposition. We don’t need a math genius to know this is a major step backward for the Longhorns.
