M-Borg vs. THE Flavortown U Thread, Orig. by Buckeye Paul, absconded w/by talent.

[iam416]

Henderson is officially out of the CFP game. He's having surgery. I doubt he's been 100% since Notre Dame and I doubt he's been more than 70% most of the season. Hopefully Miyan Williams and hvis high ankle sprain will be ready.

On other news, Klatt has lost his damn mind:

What actually went wrong versus Michigan

Klatt: I fell into this trap. When you looked at the numbers and saw the game play out, it's easy to say that it happened again. Michigan beat up Ohio State again.

And then I watched the film back, and went nope, this is totally different than a year ago.

Rusillo: Joel, at the HALF, Michigan averaged 0.9 yards per carry.

Klatt: Michigan did not bully Ohio State. So what happened?

I believe last year's game left such a scar on the psyche of the OSU program, that their main goal of stopping the run ended up hindering their ultimate goal of winning the game.

They committed SO many resources to stopping the run, and to proving that they wouldn't be pushed around like last year. I watched EVERY Ohio State defensive snap this season, and they hadn't run a defense like this all year long. It was insane. There were between six and eight snaps where all eleven guys were within two yards of the line of scrimmage. And the thing is, it was working. They were stopping the run.

But because of that, it left guys in one on one coverage who hadn't been in one on one coverage all year long. And they got beat.

Then you get to the 7:20 mark in the 4th Quarter. Everyone was up at the line of scrimmage again. When that happens, all you need is one crease and you're gone.

Previewing the Playoff

Klatt: If I'm Georgia, of all the possible outcomes with semifinal matchups, this was the worst one by far for them.

Rusillo: Totally. From an offensive skill perspective and how much healthier Ohio State will be after this break, this is THE worst draw for Georgia. Bama is a much easier draw than Ohio State.

Klatt: I agree. What does Bama NOT have this year? Wide receivers.

In the last 27 games, the only team to beat Georgia was Alabama. How did they do that? Great wide receiver play. Bama was getting after them again in the National Championship game until Jameson Williams went down.

Tennessee fans are going to get after me for this, but Tennessee's passing game is not intricate enough - they rely too much on that second level option route and because of that, it's a half field read. And Kirby Smart can do things that take that away.

The ONLY passing game in the country, that is intricate enough schematically and good enough from a personnel standpoint to threaten Georgia, is Ohio State.

It's easily the worst matchup Georgia could hope for in the semifinal.

Rusillo: I'm with you. If I'm an Ohio State fan, and I know the second half sucked, I have to love my chances. You have to believe Knowles is hammering that second half film and won't let it happen again.

[AlabamAlum]

He has a point. OSU matches up better with Georgia than either M or (lol) TCUsless.

[Mike]

Yep. So happy we're the de facto #1 seed.

[iam416]

He has a point. OSU matches up better with Georgia than either M or (lol) TCUsless.

It would be just fucking motherfucking perfect if CRD somehow pulled off a fucking miracle upset in Atlanta that essentially gifts HARBAUGH!!!! a national title. That's the way shit is going these days.

The ONLY passing game in the country, that is intricate enough schematically and good enough from a personnel standpoint to threaten Georgia, is Ohio State.

Yeah, intricate enough to not simply target the best goddamn WR in the country more than 4 times in the biggest game of the year.

Ohio State is going to get absolutely hamblasted. Now, to Mike's point, they're certainly better than TCU. But so are lots of fucking teams.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Yeah, intricate enough to not simply target the best goddamn WR in the country more than 4 times in the biggest game of the year.

I understood completely why knowles sold out against M's running game but knowles paid a fatal price for not backing off that once it was known Corum wasn't going to play. Like Klatt points out, knowles' failure to do that left not-elite DBs in man coverage. They got had by what I think are pretty average to slightly above M receivers in Johnson and Bell in some high leverage plays where McCarthy uncharacteristically delivered. Johnson had a career day and Bell made some key drive sustaining catches. We've beaten that to death but its still fun to talk about it.

But speaking of osu v. UGA, it remains to be seen if crd will optimise stroud and osu's bevy of really talented receivers including jsn if he plays. That seems to me to be the kicker and it's on day. osu may be able to beat UGA with what has become osu's bread and butter big play offense under day (well, until osu played M). I remain skeptical that basketball on grass, big play offenses can compete at the CFP level. osu first has to stop UGA's offense and knowles can't afford to come up with the hole card on D he tried to play v. M. Kirby will eat that up. I don't think knowles will trot that defense out v. UGA. osu's D will need a very good day to keep UGA under 30. Second, osu has to play a version of Harball!!!!!! to sustain drives, burn clock and score TDs. osu will lose a shoot out. Force Kirby to play a grinding game of mud ball.

[iam416]

JSN has declared. He’s gone.

[AlabamAlum]

Talent,

I assume you have seen this. Hate what CFB has become:

https://www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq/.amp/ncaa-football/college-football-nil-ohio-state-5-star-recruit-report

[iam416]

Wilson is THE number 1 guy on Kirby’s board and would have a Buckeye months ago but for the Sea Island collective. He’s a badass. Fuck this shit.

[Mike]

Did I read that correctly that Georgia is giving him $1.8M up front to sign and THEN $800K a year after that? That is legitimately more than mid-late round draft picks in the NFL get.

[Hannibal]

I'm not surprised. College football is loved by enough people with money to provide near NFL level compensation for these kids. I don't think that they will reach that level, but a kid getting a few million bucks over three years doesn't shock me.

[AlabamAlum]

Yeah, Mike. They aren’t the only ones doing it.

The biggest NIL guys in the SEC besides Georgia: Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Florida.

These 4 programs are actually -allegedly- breaking NCAA rules and brokering and negotiating NIL deals during recruiting. The thing now is having a collective, or clearinghouse, for booster donations to funnel to bluechippers. Coaches and staff aren’t supposed to have anything to do with it, but that’s not how it’s working with some schools.

It’s disgusting.

[klondike]

What happens when that money doesn't get dividens. I'm sure some really rich donors can absorb it without complaints but there will be many who will be very upset their money is not seeing returns. Which happens quite often in college football. That being g athletes don't live up to their hype.

[Hannibal]

What happens when that money doesn't get dividens

Great question. We"re probably just a couple of years away from our first big controversy where a bust 5-star guy gets his NIL money yanked.

[AlabamAlum]

What happens when that money doesn't get dividens. I'm sure some really rich donors can absorb it without complaints but there will be many who will be very upset their money is not seeing returns. Which happens quite often in college football. That being g athletes don't live up to their hype.

It’s a scattergun approach. Yeah, they’re gonna have some failures, but over time as long as enough 5-stars perform well enough to move the needle, the ROI is considered positive.

[iam416]

So, the interesting thing to me is that while the NCAA has no rules or cares, this is income in large amounts and the IRS does have rules and does care. I’m curious if the boosters are now issuing W2s.

The entire B10 is way behind. AA mentioned the biggest NIL buyers but Alabama ain’t gonna do nothing. There’s definitely a belief amongst OSU folks that they lost Keeley on NIL. Not as clear cut as what Georgia had to do re Wilson.