Man, lots of stuff rolling around in my head after Monday night's national championship game.
1. Clemson's win over Alabama wasn't the greatest game of all-time (that will forever be 2005 Texas/USC), but I will allow for some discussion that we just witnessed the best fourth quarter in the history of college football. It was a reminder of the magic the sport can generate when its theater is at its very best. To think that Alabama had a 10-point lead going into the final quarter, blew it, saved it and then blew it again is almost unfathomable. Yet it happened. It was pretty awesome.
2. DeShaun Watson might not be Vince Young, but they sure as hell live in the same zip code. Here's what I know... when Jalen Hurts scored to give the Tide the lead with 2:07 left on the clock, I knew that Watson was going to win the game, just like I knew that Young was going to lead Texas to victory after its defensive stand against USC in pretty much the same situation. We're talking about a great player that was in "the zone" by the time he got the ball back trailing by three points.
3. I thought both head coaches made some critical game management mistakes in the final two minutes. Let's start with Dabo Swinney, whose clock management was beyond horrible in those final two minutes, as way too much time ran off the clock in absolute waste as Clemson marched down the field. Only a sillier than silly catch by Jordan Leggett and the greatness of Mike Williams saved the Tigers from themselves. Then, there's Nick Saban. With six seconds on the clock, I thought Saban needed to call timeout and discuss the situation with his defense. He needed to tell them that all 11 players on the field can commit a penalty to prevent a score on the following play, but under no circumstances could a Clemson player score. You have to make Clemson make a decision on the last play of the game at the one- or two-yard line to either go for it all or kick for overtime. Saban needed to make sure his team understood the game situation and by not calling a timeout, he left his team unprepared to use the leverage it owned in that situation. That's not Tuesday Morning Quarterbacking, that's exactly what I was thinking in the moment when it happened.
4. For those wondering, here are the recruiting rankings for the Clemson two-deep:
LT: Hyatt (6.0)/Anchrun (5.6)
LG: Hearn (5.6)/Simpson (5.8)
C: Guillermo (5.6)/Falcinelli (5.7)
RG: Crowder (5.8)/Morris (5.6)
RT: Pollard (5.8)/Morris (5.6)
TE: Leggett (5.7)/G. Williams (5.9)
WR: M. Williams (5.8)/Cain (6.1)
QB: Watson (6.1)/Schuesler (5.4)
RB: Gallman (5.7)/Fuller (5.5)
WR: Renfrow (5.3)/McCloud (6.1)
WR: Scott (6.0)/Pollard (6.0)
DE: Wilkins (6.1)/Yeargin (5.7)
DT: Watkins (5.9)/Huggins (5.9)
DT: Lawrence (6.1)/Pagano (5.8)
DE: Ferrell (5.9)/Bryant (5.9)
SLB: O'Daniel (5.9)/J. Williams (5.5)
MLB: Joseph (5.5)/Lamar (6.1)
WLB: Boulware (5.8)/J.D. Davis (5.2)
CB: Carter (5.4)/Edmond (5.6)
S: Van Smith (5.7)/Wallace (5.5)
S: Jadar Johnson (5.7)/Denzel Johnson (5.4)
CB: Tankersley (5.7)/Fields (5.9)
Average star ranking on two-deep: 5.75 (high three-star)
Average star ranking on offense: 5.75 (high three-star)
Average star ranking of offensive starters: 5.76 (high three-star)
Average star ranking on defense: 5.75 (high three-star)
Average star ranking of defensive starters: 5.79 (high three-star)
A few thoughts on the data...
a. Clemson is the blueprint for Texas, as it is a textbook example of getting its group of high three-star players to over-perform against the national mean, as it is producing starting/future NFL talent at 3:1 and 4:1 margins in some cases. You can win with high three-star talent, as Clemson proves, but these are the margins that it takes.
b. It helps to have your quarterback be the most talented player in the history of your program (see Texas with Vince Young).
c. Clemson's defensive line features seven players that rated at least four-stars and two of its starters are five-stars. Meanwhile, there were two three-stars in its offensive line and four in its two-deep. The dynamics of the Alabama defensive line have been very similar over the years.
5. If Clemson figures out its quarterback issues with Watson gone (it might play a true freshman next year), these two teams might be in the championship game yet again. The Clemson roster is loaded.
6. ESPN came up with a "way too early" Top 25 for next year and here's why it matters to Texas:
at No.3 USC
vs. No.7 Oklahoma State
vs. No. 10 Oklahoma
vs. No.17 Kansas State
at No.19 TCU
That doesn't even include road games in Waco and Morgantown.
7. A 14-day stretch from October 7th through October 21st will define the Texas season, as it takes on (in order) No.17 Kansas State, No.10 Oklahoma and No.7 Oklahoma State. As if that stretch wasn't difficult enough, it's followed by by road games in Waco and Ft. Worth, with zero weeks off along the way.
Welcome to the Big 12, Tom Herman.
8. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will both return Heisman candidates at quarterback in 2017, but there's a pretty big drop-off across the conference in returning starting talent after that, which should give Texas some hope.
Here's your top returning quarterback starters (along with 2016 passer ratings):
Mayfield (196.4)
*big drop*
Rudolph (158.9)
*big drop*
Baylor's Zach Smith (139.3)
Iowa State's Jacob Park (138.5)
Iowa State's Joel Lanning (136.7)
UT's Shane Buechele (136.0)
TCU's Kenny Hill (129.2)
Kansas State's Jesse Ertz (121.6)
1. Clemson's win over Alabama wasn't the greatest game of all-time (that will forever be 2005 Texas/USC), but I will allow for some discussion that we just witnessed the best fourth quarter in the history of college football. It was a reminder of the magic the sport can generate when its theater is at its very best. To think that Alabama had a 10-point lead going into the final quarter, blew it, saved it and then blew it again is almost unfathomable. Yet it happened. It was pretty awesome.
2. DeShaun Watson might not be Vince Young, but they sure as hell live in the same zip code. Here's what I know... when Jalen Hurts scored to give the Tide the lead with 2:07 left on the clock, I knew that Watson was going to win the game, just like I knew that Young was going to lead Texas to victory after its defensive stand against USC in pretty much the same situation. We're talking about a great player that was in "the zone" by the time he got the ball back trailing by three points.
3. I thought both head coaches made some critical game management mistakes in the final two minutes. Let's start with Dabo Swinney, whose clock management was beyond horrible in those final two minutes, as way too much time ran off the clock in absolute waste as Clemson marched down the field. Only a sillier than silly catch by Jordan Leggett and the greatness of Mike Williams saved the Tigers from themselves. Then, there's Nick Saban. With six seconds on the clock, I thought Saban needed to call timeout and discuss the situation with his defense. He needed to tell them that all 11 players on the field can commit a penalty to prevent a score on the following play, but under no circumstances could a Clemson player score. You have to make Clemson make a decision on the last play of the game at the one- or two-yard line to either go for it all or kick for overtime. Saban needed to make sure his team understood the game situation and by not calling a timeout, he left his team unprepared to use the leverage it owned in that situation. That's not Tuesday Morning Quarterbacking, that's exactly what I was thinking in the moment when it happened.
4. For those wondering, here are the recruiting rankings for the Clemson two-deep:
LT: Hyatt (6.0)/Anchrun (5.6)
LG: Hearn (5.6)/Simpson (5.8)
C: Guillermo (5.6)/Falcinelli (5.7)
RG: Crowder (5.8)/Morris (5.6)
RT: Pollard (5.8)/Morris (5.6)
TE: Leggett (5.7)/G. Williams (5.9)
WR: M. Williams (5.8)/Cain (6.1)
QB: Watson (6.1)/Schuesler (5.4)
RB: Gallman (5.7)/Fuller (5.5)
WR: Renfrow (5.3)/McCloud (6.1)
WR: Scott (6.0)/Pollard (6.0)
DE: Wilkins (6.1)/Yeargin (5.7)
DT: Watkins (5.9)/Huggins (5.9)
DT: Lawrence (6.1)/Pagano (5.8)
DE: Ferrell (5.9)/Bryant (5.9)
SLB: O'Daniel (5.9)/J. Williams (5.5)
MLB: Joseph (5.5)/Lamar (6.1)
WLB: Boulware (5.8)/J.D. Davis (5.2)
CB: Carter (5.4)/Edmond (5.6)
S: Van Smith (5.7)/Wallace (5.5)
S: Jadar Johnson (5.7)/Denzel Johnson (5.4)
CB: Tankersley (5.7)/Fields (5.9)
Average star ranking on two-deep: 5.75 (high three-star)
Average star ranking on offense: 5.75 (high three-star)
Average star ranking of offensive starters: 5.76 (high three-star)
Average star ranking on defense: 5.75 (high three-star)
Average star ranking of defensive starters: 5.79 (high three-star)
A few thoughts on the data...
a. Clemson is the blueprint for Texas, as it is a textbook example of getting its group of high three-star players to over-perform against the national mean, as it is producing starting/future NFL talent at 3:1 and 4:1 margins in some cases. You can win with high three-star talent, as Clemson proves, but these are the margins that it takes.
b. It helps to have your quarterback be the most talented player in the history of your program (see Texas with Vince Young).
c. Clemson's defensive line features seven players that rated at least four-stars and two of its starters are five-stars. Meanwhile, there were two three-stars in its offensive line and four in its two-deep. The dynamics of the Alabama defensive line have been very similar over the years.
5. If Clemson figures out its quarterback issues with Watson gone (it might play a true freshman next year), these two teams might be in the championship game yet again. The Clemson roster is loaded.
6. ESPN came up with a "way too early" Top 25 for next year and here's why it matters to Texas:
at No.3 USC
vs. No.7 Oklahoma State
vs. No. 10 Oklahoma
vs. No.17 Kansas State
at No.19 TCU
That doesn't even include road games in Waco and Morgantown.
7. A 14-day stretch from October 7th through October 21st will define the Texas season, as it takes on (in order) No.17 Kansas State, No.10 Oklahoma and No.7 Oklahoma State. As if that stretch wasn't difficult enough, it's followed by by road games in Waco and Ft. Worth, with zero weeks off along the way.
Welcome to the Big 12, Tom Herman.
8. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will both return Heisman candidates at quarterback in 2017, but there's a pretty big drop-off across the conference in returning starting talent after that, which should give Texas some hope.
Here's your top returning quarterback starters (along with 2016 passer ratings):
Mayfield (196.4)
*big drop*
Rudolph (158.9)
*big drop*
Baylor's Zach Smith (139.3)
Iowa State's Jacob Park (138.5)
Iowa State's Joel Lanning (136.7)
UT's Shane Buechele (136.0)
TCU's Kenny Hill (129.2)
Kansas State's Jesse Ertz (121.6)
