Monday ‘Dawg Bites Is Gonna Savor It, Then Get Back To Work

Dec 5, 2022 - 2:18 PM

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Good morning, fellow fans of the defending SEC and college football national champions! It’s a beautiful day in the Classic City. Sure it’s in the mid 40’s and raining, but it’s raining on the home of the undefeated, undisputed, undenied winners of the toughest conference in college football. And that should give everyone a sunny outlook on life this morning.

Especially Alabama fans, who slept in, caught up on the honey-do list that’s been languishing since 2008, watched some Crimson Tide players who won championships in the past try to do so in the NFL, and rekindled their love of basketball.

I talked to a couple of Alabama fans over the weekend who were absolutely certain that the College Football Playoff committee would see reason and slot the Tide in over a TCU team that just lost to Kansas State. Certain to a degree that I found almost unsettling. Like talking to one of those cult members who’ve sold their possessions because their leader told them the aliens would be coming back to take them home precisely on this day.

There’s certainly a degree of Crimson privilege there which has built up over the past decade as Tide fans have internalized the belief that they’re clearly the preeminent college football power, and should get the benefit of the doubt if they’re in (or generally around) the conversation for the playoff. I get that. And yes, I’m willing to concede that if you forced me to lay down a bet on a Bama/TCU matchup on a neutral field with no point spread I’d definitely take Alabama. Part of that is that I’m a dyed in the wool SEC homer, though.

Ultimately the committee’s decision was numerically very simple: they could not take a two loss Alabama over a one loss Ohio State or TCU. They already battle charges of SEC-centrism on a weekly basis. Rolling with the Tide would have sent those charges through the roof, and been a far greater danger to the legitimacy of the process than leaving Nick Saban out just this once.

It’s also a great day on the recruiting trail, as Georgia picked up a huge commitment for the incoming class from IMG edge rusher Samuel M’Pemba. M’Pemba actually played a slot receiver/H-back role not unlike Brock Bowers until this year, as it’s become clear that his football future likely rests on the defensive side of the ball. With early Signing Day coming up on December 21st the ‘Dawgs remain firmly in the #2 slot in the 247Sports Composite rankings. But they’re looking to add at least four more players to the class, including some from the Tide’s current class. Stay tuned.

It’s always sunny in Las Vegas, where they may not know who’s going to win the game, but don’t care because they win either way. Though if you want the opinion of the oddsmakers, they’ve installed the Bulldogs as a 6.5 point favorite over Ohio State in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. That’s a pretty stout line for a matchup of top four teams, but it’s actually the smallest spread of any Bulldog game this season. That makes sense, given that the Buckeyes have been the go-to response throughout this season to the question “who is built to give this UGA team a game?”

On a less sunny note today is the first day players can officially enter the NCAA transfer portal, though obviously many have unofficially announced their intentions already. Georgia is expected to have several players leave, which is sort of like saying water is wet. In this era of college football every school has players leaving looking for better opportunities, to play closer to home, to find a school that has better sushi spots closer to campus.

There are as many reasons to enter the portal as there are entrants. Personally I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Bulldogs enter the portal to find some immediate contributors at receiver and along the defensive line. If there’s a talented college football player out there who could help the Red and Black win a national title, all on his own, with no direction home, I hope Kirby gives him a shot.

Enjoy your Monday, and…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!