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Who will win the College Football Playoff
16 Plays1 year ago
Eli talks with guest speakers about the Heisman Trophy finalists, CFP games, Big Ten rule changing and more.
December 30, 2020
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Transcript
Introduction to Season 2
00:00:02
Speaker
Hello, welcome to the first episode of the second season of Eli Studio
Guest Speakers: Ohio State Experts
00:00:07
Speaker
Sports. Today, we will have two guest speakers with us, um Michael and Dave, Ohio State football experts. How are you guys doing? we're We're doing good, Eli. We're doing good. Looking forward to Friday. Yeah. mean Happy to be here, Eli. Thanks for inviting me. No
Big Ten Game Limit Controversy
00:00:23
Speaker
problem. so I wanted to ask you too, do you think that the rule about ah the Big Ten changing the game um limit to make the Big Ten championship on Ohio State, do you think that was fair or do you think that you know um the Big Ten crossed the line?
00:00:45
Speaker
ah you You want me to take that one, Michael? Just get going or you want to... Yeah, I mean, Eli, do you want us both to answer or do you want to designate one of us to answer that for? You can both answer. All right, Dan, you can go first. Well, I think, Eli, I think that I take a little ah You know, I'm not sure the insinuation on your question. I mean, ah you know, that Ohio State got a little break from the Big Ten. I think it's it's been a tough, it's been a tough little little season with this with the virus issue. And I i think, you know, and and when you look at Ohio State, and I thought about this a lot.
00:01:20
Speaker
And Michael can correct me, but I believe that all the games that Ohio State had to reschedule, especially after the season started or did not play, were not because of issues with Ohio State. It was primarily the opponent. And so so i think i think that I think the Big Ten did the right thing. Because at the end of the day, is is who do you think is the best team the you know that that can represent you. and And they played the championship game. They you know they they had a tough game. And and i and i think I think it was the right call. i think I think if I take away my Ohio State hat, which I'm going to try to do this for this for this for this interview, I think they did the right thing.
00:02:04
Speaker
Yeah, I would agree with my dad on those sentiments, but there's another thing to Eli that I think a lot of people are overlooking and it's the fact that the 2020 circumstance of COVID has created just a lot of uncertainty for everyone. So all conferences have reacted differently to it. Some have been made like the right way of doing it and some people like the Big 10 and the Pac-12 have been made it to be the wrong way of doing it.
00:02:26
Speaker
But I think that's entirely subjective. I don't think there's a right or wrong way because as a country, we don't know what is going on with a lot of things. And so I think when the Big Ten implemented their policy for what you need to get into the Big Ten Championship at the time, that made the most sense. But I think what is helpful for the participants in the Big Ten and college football fans like everyone on this call is that the Big Ten was flexible with their policy. And so I think like, you know, as the circumstances progressed and more and more teams were canceling games for a variety of reasons, there had to be some sort of exit strategy if the Big Ten wanted to produce a Big Ten championship game. And so rather than having their cash cow of Ohio State
00:03:11
Speaker
not being able to make it into the championship based on some rule that they made months prior, I don't think makes sense. And I think if it had happened in any other conference, you know had this happened in the ACC and you know their commissioner was adamant that you could play a certain amount of games and both Notre Dame and Clemson couldn't qualify, you'd see the same outcry. like no one that that's what you No one cared that Boston College couldn't make it because know no offense, but like they haven't produced the same sort of Appeal and production and an excitement that both Notre Dame and Clemson would in that example. So I think the only reason why the big 10 is getting a lot of, you know, criticism is because Ohio State has that national reputation of being Ohio State and everyone wants to come after Ohio State. And because there's no other conference to compare their circumstance to. Yeah, so yeah
00:04:05
Speaker
I think, I think at the end of the day, they did the right thing because really Indiana, they wouldn't have had a good game against Northwestern anyway, since like their offense is depleted with injuries and COVID. So it really would not have mattered. I don't think Indiana would have beat in Northwestern anyway. So I think at the end of the day, um, you know, it was fine with the big 10 did.
Notre Dame's Playoff Justification
00:04:26
Speaker
And like you said, Michael, I think any other conference would probably do the same thing. So yeah, that's legitimate. I think that that that makes sense. That's cool.
00:04:35
Speaker
Yeah. Good. All right. So I'm going to take a break on Ohio State and do any of you two um think that Notre Dame should not have been the four seed in the college football playoff? Wow.
00:04:50
Speaker
So, like I have, ah I have a unique perspective on that. I think what's really tough is the college football playoff committee has demonstrated since its inception that they are not picking the most qualified teams, but the best teams and I think the term best kind of create some again subjective nature on who that is. Absolutely. A good friend of mine gave me this perspective and so I want to give McGregor Oberfeld a shout out on the pod. um He told me that since the College of Law playoff rankings have been put out in the year of 2020, Notre Dame has always been in the top four.
00:05:23
Speaker
So for them to fall out of the top four because they lost to a team that was also ranked in the top four doesn't make a whole lot of sense from like the optics standpoint. But my so from that standpoint I can totally understand how they made it into the top four. Now if you want to play the deserving card I don't think Notre Dame is the most deserving top four team. I think you could have put in as wild as this sounds because they had two losses. I think you could put a Florida team in there because they lost the number one team in the championship, a very close margin. I think you could also put a Cincinnati in there because they demonstrated that they went undefeated during a very tumultuous year. And I also think you could put an Oklahoma in there because you won the big 12 championship. But do you think they could put in A and&M or no? I don't think so. I think if you look at the criteria of all the other three teams ahead of it, all of those teams won their conference championship.
00:06:19
Speaker
So, or at least in this scenario, played in it. The only thing that A and&M can say is that they lost the number one team, but I think they also got crushed by like 28 points. Yeah, but, well, yeah, but all the, like we said Florida, they played a close game against Bama, but to A&M's point played Bama. No one's playing Alabama with Jaylen Waddle anymore. They played with both of them and they played, you know, they played,
00:06:44
Speaker
fine offensively and but the defense um was problematic. That's a very good point too and I think a lot of um interesting observations about how this Alabama team has progressed have been keeping the Jalen Waddle piece out of it because I think if he's in it you have mean granted Alabama is explosive and so good on all sides of the ball but then you throw Jalen Waddle back into the mix and I think that creates a completely different dimension. So to the A&M point, I think that's fair. But can you hang an entire season on the participation of one player in a team sport? And that is the question I don't know. Michael, I got a question for you because you're living in Ohio. what I mean, i I've thought a lot about Cincinnati. I mean, what what is the what is the feeling up there with regards to Cincinnati? Cincinnati did everything that could have been asked of them and did it impressively. You know what I mean? well and
00:07:40
Speaker
You know, ah what what what do you guys take? what what do you Both of you guys take on the Cincinnati issue. I'll go first, but I think that Cincinnati should not have made it because I get that they went undefeated won the AAC, but well, I get they're one of the most deserving teams, but I mean, they're never, they've like, it's been such a long time since they've added a group of five team in there. I think they're a deserving team and they deserve to be in there, but they're not going to be in there. Also, they played Tulsa in the conference championship only beaten by three. They played UCF only beaten by three. The four teams in there would probably beat those two teams by a bigger margin. So I don't think that Cincinnati is one of the four best teams, but they're probably up there for one of the most deserving teams.
00:08:28
Speaker
Yeah, I agree with Eli. um I think what what's troubling for Cincinnati, and you can say Cincinnati, or you can even reference UCF from a couple of years ago. I think the fact that they're in a group of five conference really hurts them. And you know you're right, they did everything right. They won all of their games. They were the outright championship team. But the precedent of UCF really hurt them there. And I think that's the problem with the whole playoff committee in general, is that they're not the the the people in that room are not picking the teams that deserve it. They're picking it in the best, the best, whatever for teams. So I think their conference is a real detriment to their success. I think their slate of scheduling is a real detriment to their success. The only way I could have seen the scenario where Cincinnati made it is if we didn't have COVID and they had some sort of out of conference game in the first couple of slates. Let's say they beat like a really, like when BYU was, was heating up in the beginning of the season and they beat them by like 17 points or they beat like a reputable
00:09:27
Speaker
out here Yeah, that makes sense. da That could help them along the way and people could say, you know, they've only progressed as it's gotten closer and you could play the COVID card, but ultimately I think their conference isn't the chance. Yeah, I'm just talking about the perspective of their players and their staff. I mean, like I said, they, you know, they showed up, they played nine or 10 games. I don't know exactly the number of games that they played, but you know, they played and and And you know Eli, your point is well taken with regards to the margin of victory. I didn't remember how much they had beaten those teams by, but at the end of the day, they won their games. and They won every game they played. And that was just you know just, I just wanted to see what you guys thought was in that. Yeah, but like ah a regular
Cincinnati's Playoff Exclusion
00:10:07
Speaker
year without COVID, they would usually play Ohio State. So that's another game that they could prove themselves keeping it close if they played Ohio State could maybe help them out.
00:10:16
Speaker
Yeah, that makes sense. that makes that yeah and at good point This might be a hot take for the group, but I think on a neutral field, I think Cincinnati beats Notre Dame. I agree, 100%. I think really most of the teams that we've mentioned, they would be ah the Notre Dame. and I agree. Notre Dame, I actually, I've been watching Notre Dame for a long time. And I was actually impressed. And I remember sharing with a couple of my buddies here, and even my my my brother, who's a Notre Dame alum. And I got a ah couple of friends here that are very, very intense Notre Dame fans. and i
00:10:54
Speaker
and And I thought that this team, that they for the first time in many years, this team has some athletes. It seemed like it had athletes. playmakers, but I tell you what they got, they got their, they got kicked badly in that championship game. I mean, they looked, they looked off. I mean, yeah that wasn't even close. You know what I mean? I, yeah it wasn't in the difference. There was such a difference in the players. The the playmakers for Clemson was so much superior. yeah not one hundred percent
00:11:25
Speaker
yeah Yeah. Well, I want to add something. So, and then we're going to move on to a different question. So I know neither one of you think that A and&M should have made it, but I have a question. So do you two think that, so I'm going to look at each team's best win. So I look at A and&M and Clemson. Are, are you two sure that a Clemson team without Trevor Lawrence is better than a Florida team with all their stars?
00:11:52
Speaker
Wait, can you say that question again? yeah Okay, so I think the A and&M should have been the four spot. And what could have happened to make that happen. So it's sometimes the committee will look at your best win. And are you two, do you guys think that a c Clemson team without Trevor Lawrence is better than a Florida team with all their stars?
00:12:16
Speaker
No. No, absolutely not. Clemson without Trevor Lawrence cannot be Florida. I don't think. I agree. If you look at that Notre Dame game where they did not have Trevor Lawrence, I think what a lot of people forget is that game went into overtime. Notre Dame needed extra time to be a Trevor Lawrence-less team. So I, no, the answer to that question is no.
00:12:39
Speaker
no So you think the Florida team would bet is better, right? Without Trevor Lawrence. I mean, Florida, Florida line stuff against the Clemson team playing without Trevor Lawrence, nine out of 10 times, Florida wins that game. And I would even say that they went in hand, handily. They went by, they went, they went it comfortably. I don't know about handily. I mean, well, they went it comfortably. I mean, I, I, I mean, again, Florida has the athletes. So Florida would stop. Florida would stop.
00:13:07
Speaker
that Clemson office without Trevor Lawrence and I'm not sure the Clemson defense would keep up in that game. I really I don't think it would. val ma
Heisman Finalist Debate
00:13:18
Speaker
can't then clemson can you like I have a question for you. um so So I'm looking at A&M's schedule and I'm looking at Clemson's schedule. Something to note is that Clemson, or excuse me, A&M beat Florida after getting basically humiliated by Alabama and Tuscans. So you wonder if there was a little bit of like, we have something to prove here with Florida and the circumstances played out. And then when Clemson lost, I'm sorry, real quick, they lost to Notre Dame. Their next game at Florida State got postponed and then they played like a terrible pit team. So like, yeah, they had something to prove. I don't think the stakes were as high. Yeah. I think that.
00:13:57
Speaker
You know, I know that A&M, you know, Florida was favored by a lot. They were number four at that time. A&M is number 21 and A&M is trying to, well, they're trying to prove because, prove something because, or else if they lose that game, they're not, we're not, we're, we wouldn't even be talking about this because A&M.
00:14:18
Speaker
I don't, I mean, I think they're good, but I don't know if they have enough athletes, but obviously they had to prove something. I know Clemson, you know, but they don't have to prove as much because, you know, they're playing a pit team and like, they're not good, but I mean, I think A and&M had to prove more than Clemson though. In your opinion on the Clemson schedule, is there, you know, best achievement win? I mean, besides the conference championship, I mean,
00:14:47
Speaker
Did they play anybody really haven't ranked Miami and they crushed it. They played Miami, I guess, but they have, they haven't been great. awful a couple of nights ago yeah they They got, they lost Oklahoma state. I mean, I guess you could say North Carolina. Yeah. Mack Brown's always puts out a pretty formidable team. So that's fair. Yeah, know that's yeah that's true. Maybe, and they beat him handling. I mean, they beat him, they beat him by 20 plus points. and I mean, they, yeah, they beat him pretty good.
00:15:14
Speaker
I mean, and you know what, and you know, it's funny because we're kind of going, but you know, Michael, if you're going to play the schedule card, if you're going to play the schedule card, then you have to kind of look at Ohio State. And a lot of people are asking, you know, I live in SEC country, and a lot of people down here are asking, who did Ohio State play? You know what I mean? I mean, yeah, I mean, well, well, I can, I can answer that question if you want me to. Indiana.
00:15:42
Speaker
They played, a arguably, and one of the best teams that Indiana's ever going to field in their program's history. Oh, I agree. OK. They were up 24-7 on them on halftime. Yeah, but after that, Indiana exploded. In the second half, I think we can all agree that Indiana was much better. I agree. And then Penn State, for what it's worth when we played them, were it was weird to see Penn State um like not win the first four or so games.
00:16:10
Speaker
aye But I think what hurts Ohio State is the same historical problem that hurts Notre Dame. So like Notre Dame historically, yeah, they were good back when Michigan was good, but we all know Michigan's terrible now. And Notre Dame has this problem where the past couple of conference our college football playoff games with the BCS New Year's games, they have looked so bad. And so it's kind of like, you know do you give this team the redemption they're so desperately deserving recognizing that they're one of the blue bloods of college football or do you say no like you've had your shot and you've blown in and I mean again the same argument can be made about Ohio State of being one of the blue bloods of college football too and I i totally get the narrative that they didn't play a competitive slate of schedules but I think if you compare Ohio State schedule versus like a um
00:17:00
Speaker
you know, the pack 12 and how they were, I think, you know, it's a completely different comparison. yeah It's a weird, yeah as well it's a weird year. I mean, we we all agree that it's a weird year. I mean, the whole thing is weird. I mean, and there's no doubt about it. Eli, I have one more question for you about Notre Dame and then I'm sorry. I know you want to move on. I have a question for you. Do you think Notre Dame makes the college football playoff if they don't join the ACC this year? No.
00:17:26
Speaker
Not necessarily because I mean, well, actually, yeah, technically, because if they still played Clemson, yes. If they didn't know, because technically they weren't in the ACC, they would not have played c Clemson twice. So they wouldn't have lost to them. So yes. They would have played like that really hot BYU team in the beginning of the season. Yeah. Yeah. But I think they can be BYU. Yeah. It's good. Yeah.
Alabama vs. Notre Dame Predictions
00:17:53
Speaker
Okay, so um now we're gonna move on. So I wanna ask both of you guys really quickly, um do you think that the fourth Heisman spot should have gone to Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields or Najee Harris, one of those three or someone else? Can you remind me who was tapped as the top finalist? Wait, the top four, you want me to tell you the finalists?
00:18:19
Speaker
Yeah, who? OK, so we have Devontae Smith, Mack Jones, Kyle Trask, and Trevor Lawrence. So do any of you two think that Trevor Lawrence should not have been the fourth finalist? No. right He's one of the best players in college football. Yeah.
00:18:33
Speaker
yeah I think, in my opinion, if you have to go between Lawrence and and Justin Fields, I mean, I think you go with Lawrence. I mean, Justin Fields, again, they play six or seven games. he He looked mediocre in a couple of games. You know, yeah no, I think Lawrence.
00:18:53
Speaker
Yeah, okay. I'm gonna go. I mean, I know you two both think it's Lawrence. I don't think it's Lawrence or field. I don't think it's either one. I think it should be Najee Harris. I know that would be three Alabama people and I guess the committee or whoever does that doesn't think that it should be three on one team. But Najee Harris in the game against Florida.
00:19:13
Speaker
I mean, he was doing everything for them. It wasn't Mack Jones. It wasn't Devante Smith. It was mostly Najee Harris. He got most of their touchdowns rushing and receiving. So I think that I think Najee Harris deserves one of those finalist spots. Yeah, yeah you know, again,
00:19:32
Speaker
you hit it on the you hit it You hit the nail on the head, Eli. You're not going to put three guys from the same team you know as as fun. I haven't seen that in my in my time watching that you you know the Heisman. I've been watching a lot lot longer than you guys have. I i think he you know that team is just loaded with talent. i mean they're just it's just It's just crazy. i mean yeah really It really, really is.
00:19:57
Speaker
I think the court, you know, and I know Eli, you got, you know, we're kind of taking over because this is kind of cool with the questioning, but, you know, what what do you guys, and I want to hear both of you guys, and it's a simple answer. If I were to tell you what is going to be the margin of victory, which I'm assuming you're both are going to agree that Alabama is going to be Notre Dame, what is going to be the margin of victory, Eli, first? I'll go first. Okay. I think they're going to win.
00:20:26
Speaker
56 to 14. I mean, like Florida has a unique 42 points. Yeah. I think, I think Florida has a unique fast skilled offense and, and that's.
00:20:45
Speaker
And that's like, you know, and they're a great team. They have a great offense, but Notre Dame is, does not have anything near Florida on the offensive end. Nothing close. Alabama is going to win big. I mean, what do you think Michael? What's your take? Dad, you're going to hate this, but I'm on Eli's team with this take. I mean, if you.
00:21:07
Speaker
um I'm trying to think I watched the Notre Dame Clemson game in the middle of the season. And then I also watched this Florida, Alabama game um that happened last weekend. And, you know, I guess Notre Dame had something to prove when they be Clemson and it was home and, you know, you can make those like you know, circumstantial arguments, but I think this Alabama team is so loaded and so talent possessed. I mean, I'm looking at the game breakdown of when Alabama played Notre Dame in the national championship in 2012, and that score was 42 to 14. I don't think Notre Dame scores a touchdown. I think it's going to be like even know something
00:21:48
Speaker
I'm serious. Ian Book is great, but Ian Book was scrambling for his life against a like that's true basic Clemson O-line. I mean they're making arguments with the Ohio State Clemson game that our O-line is one of the best O-lines we've produced in the past couple of years and their D-line is like substantial and that we have the edge in that argument. If that is the case there, Ian Book is screwed against Alabama.
00:22:12
Speaker
Yeah, you're right, 100%.
Ohio State vs. Clemson Analysis
00:22:14
Speaker
OK, so now I'm going to go to one that I'm probably going to spend a while on. So do you guys think, who do any of you two think that Ohio State can be Clemson? I do. You do? Oh. Oh, I do. I think. Do you think they will? Well, let let me let me let me take, let me Michael, let me go first on this one, because I think that you know you're going to, and I'm just going give you, you're going to have ah probably a better take than I do. but But I think at the end of the day, it's all about the athletes. And I think we have i think we have the talent and we have the athletes in our team to match up with Clemson.
00:22:59
Speaker
And i think I think that this game, I think this is gonna be a classic game. I think it's gonna come down to the last couple minutes and and somebody's gonna make a play at the end of the game to decide the game. i think i think they the i think there's gonna be a I think this is gonna be a very, very, very close game. And and I would not, I mean, again, I think obviously I'm an Ohio State alum, so I have a feeling about that, but looking at it objectively,
00:23:29
Speaker
I think this is going to be a very, very close game. I really do. Well. Michael, what do you think? Eli, go ahead. If you're going to say something. Okay. Well, you two, you probably, one of you two knows this, but it I know Chris Olave, one of their best receivers, is he being ruled to play or is he still out? It is my understanding that he will play. Oh, okay.
00:23:51
Speaker
I thought it was out, my bad. So i I mean, here's the deal, Eli. I'm going to try to answer this pretty objectively. But I also want to hit the listeners with some facts and some history. um Ohio State has always performed better when they're the underdog in the circumstance. And I think no no underdog team is in this for some. I mean, granted, Notre Dame is 1,000% and underdog against Alabama. But like, yeah.
00:24:16
Speaker
um You know, I think Ohio State has a lot to prove, but they also have the narrative that the Clemson loss from last year is still very fresh in the players and the coaches' minds. And so when you talk to people up here in Columbus, like, you know, we obviously hate that team up north that is, you know, drilled into us from day one, but the biggest threat and the biggest rivalry and the biggest, like, I can't wait to wipe the smirk off that person's face is Dabo Sweeney. Absolutely.
00:24:45
Speaker
And so I think if you, the one thing you don't want to do with an Ohio State football team is you don't want to underest or underestimate And I think that national um talking heads of the world are doing that. And I think that only fuels the narrative to this team, this Ohio State team, that they're not good enough or that they don't deserve the right to be in that position. And if you recall the 2014 season when we made it into the first college football playoff, we were playing the third string quarterback. And everyone thought, oh my gosh, there's no way. Like a third string quarterback doesn't deserve to be in the national champion or to be in the college football playoff. They're untested. They're from the big 10. All of these things are still at place. And then you try to think, you know, people are already talking about what the matchup's going to be between Trevor Lawrence and Najee Harris and all those people already. So I think like the bulletin board material at Ohio State is already like flooded. Like there's not there's nothing more you could put there.
00:25:42
Speaker
I think Chris Olabe has been very vocal and saying that, you know, it's he he claims it's his fault that we lost last year because he ran that different route and that final interception. um Justin Fields has been talking about this game like he's never prepared for anything else in his entire life. I think the best thing for this Ohio State football team is the continuation of what's currently happening. Dabo keeps going out there saying that Ohio State doesn't deserve it. They haven't played enough games.
00:26:08
Speaker
the talking head saying that Ohio State hasn't, you know, had enough reps and all of those things. I think that is really playing into Ohio State's hands well. I think what it's really going to come down to is like what my dad said. I think it's going to be a close game, but I also think it's going to be a really high scoring game because Ohio State's defense play man to man and they're also really depleted because a lot of their secondary went into the first round of the NFL draft. So I think they know that they don't have the weapons to hold them in the safety. So they're going to play a lot of man to man. Sean Wade might spy Trevor Lawrence. But other than that, I think what it's really going to come down to is RD line versus their O line. And what kind of breakdowns happened there? Because I think um what's going to hurt Ohio State is Jeff Halfley, who was our defensive coordinator last year, went to go to Boston College. And if you recall, Boston College gave Clemson a really hard time this season.
00:27:02
Speaker
So not having him there is going to be difficult, but at the same time too, you know, Ryan Day has been calling Jeff halfly being like, what kind of, you know, audibles and adjustments did you use in working together that way? So I think it's really going to come down to the front set or or the front line, how that happened. I think there's, you know, Trevor Lawrence is a once in a generational talent. I mean, he came in during his freshman season and won national championship game. I don't think.
00:27:28
Speaker
anyone in the Ohio State locker room thinks, oh, we're going to shut down Trevor Lawrence. But what I'm interested to see happen is in this game last year, there was a lot of talk from Ohio State fans of like, whoa, like we have this really quick up-tempo in the first couple of quarters. If if you remember, we were up 16-0 going into halftime.
00:27:50
Speaker
People are like, oh my gosh, where is this Ohio State team then? What I think Coach Day is going to do is he's going to ah try to establish the run very quickly, and very aggressively, because once you establish a run against a relatively bad, um, cleansing defensive line, then as we all know, you could open it up for those play action passes, those trick plays, the whatever.
00:28:14
Speaker
um Obviously, I'm an alum. I have two degrees from Ohio State. I work here. You know, i I love Ohio State. I think it's going to be close. And, you know, the best thing for me in the year of 2020 is, you know, to wipe that smirk off Davos.
National Championship Predictions
00:28:32
Speaker
Are we doing scoring predictions? Because I'd love to throw a score prediction. Okay, so I know I'm going to let you guys predict the scores in a sec. but Um, yeah, what's your take you like yeah I want want to hear your take. Okay. But Davos, the Ohio States right now, they're probably mad and they're ready to get revenge on Clemson. But so is Ryan day, you know, he, um, he is like, he is
00:29:01
Speaker
Like he's like, like that team for Ohio State, they are mad. Davos when he ranks them 11th in the coaches poll. I mean, Ohio State's gonna be mad. um So, you know, it's gonna be Ohio State's gonna be mad, like I said. But I think I'm gonna go with my scoring prediction. I i agree that it's gonna be a really close game. I think it's gonna come down to the last few minutes.
00:29:26
Speaker
I think that and they I just don't know about Ohio State's defense. There's a lot of doubts. I know Shawn Wade, you know they have a lot of good players, but they're skilled. But I just don't know if they're going to have enough to stop Clemson, Trevor Lawrence, Samari Rogers. And you don't know if they're going to run or pass. They have a good running game and a good passing game. So it's going to be close. I think Clemson's going to end up winning. I know that's probably, you know it could go either way. But I think Clemson will end up winning 31-28.
00:29:56
Speaker
okay Do you want me to take, do you want me to go with my score, Michael? I'm going to go. I'm going to go. I think somebody's going to win 28 24 and I'm going to, I, I, I'm going to go with the Buckeyes. I'm going to go with the Buckeyes 28 24.
00:30:16
Speaker
So, you know, Eli as you were discussing how you think it's going to play out, I, I kind of saw in my head, the final when when Clemson won their first national championship again I think this was in Trevor Lawrence was a freshman, they scored with like a minute left in the game and I think they scored a touchdown with like a second or so left on the clock.
00:30:35
Speaker
And I can see that exact scenario happening. I think whoever has the ball at the end of the game is going to win. Absolutely. and i have one hundred comess in I can see, you know, the conversation about clock management coming into play. I can see the utilization of timeouts and all of that stuff, which again, alludes to it's going to be an incredible game and, you know, it's going to take years. off home I think Ohio State comes out victorious, and I think the score will be 31-27. Okay. So base, I think I'm just going to go ahead and ask you this, and we're going to wrap it up. Do each of you have any prediction on who do you think, and without bias, who do you think is going to win the national championship this year? I'm going Bama, FYI.
00:31:27
Speaker
So, like, I want you to know that like, I've really enjoyed the time on your podcast, I think it's very have a very unique perspective, both as someone who is a Gator fan but you also live in Texas and so like, you have a very unique um viewpoint and to a lot of different conferences and and offensive and defensive plans and strategies and Um, you know, I, I can see any of these teams winning. I really could. I know have good yeah obvious choice, but you know, crazier things have happened. I know that college football is not college basketball. So there's no real Cinderella in that regard, but it is 2020. I mean, you got to think Brian Kelly's going to throw the kitchen sink at him. Um,
00:32:10
Speaker
I don't think Notre Dame has a chance, though. I agree with you, Eli. I don't think Notre Dame has a chance. I don't know. I hardly think that's going to be Bama, just because they're always so loaded and it would only make sense. Yeah. Yeah, I, you know, it's hard, it's hard not to, you know, it's hard to have keep credibility in a, in a podcast like this one, you know, and, uh, I, I think that if you don't go with Bama this year, you're not, you know, I, I think, I think the smart money goes to Bama, but, but I, mean I mean, I'm, I, I think that whoever comes out of the Clemson Ohio state games has the chance because they're going to be hearing so much about Bama and in assuming what we're assuming that Alabama is going to win pretty easily against Notre Dame. They're going to be playing in the Rose Bowl. They're going to be impressive. They're going to be,
00:32:57
Speaker
You know, yeah you know, the whole pageantry and all that crap. And then they're going to work. It's the final game in Texas. The final game in Miami. Oh, yeah i mean yeah. Okay. So Miami. Yeah. But the Roseville is being actually, it's being played in Texas for some reason.
00:33:14
Speaker
Oh, that's right. that Oh my goodness gracious. Yeah, that's right. you know So they could get Texas so they could have more fans in their stadium. So there's going to be 16,000 people in Jerry world. Then there's going to be three in the sugar bowl. 3,000 in the sugar bowl? Correct. Yeah. Wow. You know what, Eli? I'm going to go. I'm going to be aggressive. I'm going to be real aggressive because I want to be objective, but I also want to be aggressive here. I think Ohio State wins it all. And I'll tell you.
00:33:41
Speaker
this This Ohio State team has battled back from a lot of adversity, both on and off the field, having a season, not having a season. I think outside of the competition on the field, the biggest competitors they have is themselves and their mental toughness. And I don't think there's anything better yeah than the idea of knowing that they could avenge their loss to Clemson last year and then face Bama. in the time Absolutely. So I'm going to go with the Buckeyes, baby.
00:34:04
Speaker
OK. All right. Cool. All right. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Eli Studio Sports. Thank you, Dave and Michael. See you in the next. All right. Take care.