WEBVTT - Playoff and Bowl Recaps 0:00:02.040 --> 0:00:06.880 Welcome to the solid Verbo. I'll that for me. I'm 0:00:06.920 --> 0:00:09.680 a man, I'm forty. I've heard so many players say, well, 0:00:09.720 --> 0:00:11.639 I want to be happy. You want to be happy 0:00:11.680 --> 0:00:13.000 for dake Edo State? 0:00:13.360 --> 0:00:19.239 Is that whoo whoom? And then and Tye, welcome back 0:00:19.280 --> 0:00:21.680 to the solid burble boys and girls. My name is 0:00:21.680 --> 0:00:24.960 ty Hildebrand joining me over there in Bruton. 0:00:25.000 --> 0:00:27.479 Now where are you? Where are you? I'm in South 0:00:27.480 --> 0:00:30.360 Florida right now, South Florida. 0:00:30.600 --> 0:00:33.720 Are you trying out to play quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes. 0:00:34.720 --> 0:00:39.199 Everybody has a shot down here, Tyler. Everybody that has 0:00:40.040 --> 0:00:42.879 an ability to take a snap and to propel the 0:00:42.920 --> 0:00:46.920 ball forward with any of their available limbs has a shot. 0:00:47.040 --> 0:00:48.440 Are you prepared? 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:51.199 We didn't play in this out in advance, but as 0:00:51.240 --> 0:00:55.200 we get through some of our bowlrycaps from non playoff bulls, 0:00:55.920 --> 0:00:58.760 are you prepared to do the dramatic drive chart reading 0:00:58.800 --> 0:00:59.840 for the Miami La Tech? 0:01:00.920 --> 0:01:04.760 Ty It's what our training has led us. Okay, Okay, 0:01:04.840 --> 0:01:08.319 just make me sure fair to say that I am 0:01:08.400 --> 0:01:13.360 not prepared to talk about the most disastrous offensive performance 0:01:13.400 --> 0:01:14.480 of the bowl season. 0:01:14.720 --> 0:01:19.240 So yes, Tye, this is the postseason for me too. Well, 0:01:19.400 --> 0:01:22.360 welcome one. Welcome all, thank you for stopping on. 0:01:22.640 --> 0:01:22.880 Bye. 0:01:23.440 --> 0:01:26.640 I am ty he is Dan. This is the Solid Verbal. 0:01:26.680 --> 0:01:30.080 We will be podcasting all throughout the rest of bull season, 0:01:30.160 --> 0:01:32.760 all throughout all the off season. All you got to 0:01:32.760 --> 0:01:35.360 do is go to our website at solidverbal dot com. 0:01:35.360 --> 0:01:37.640 That's where you can subscribe. You can subscribe on any 0:01:37.680 --> 0:01:41.280 podcasting app whatever you're into, look for the Solid Verbal. 0:01:41.640 --> 0:01:44.960 You can also find us across various social channels and 0:01:45.040 --> 0:01:48.520 if you want to continue the conversation long after the 0:01:48.600 --> 0:01:52.880 podcast is over, you can go out to solid verbal 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:56.200 dot reddit dot com. It is a teaming community, ever Ballers, 0:01:56.240 --> 0:02:00.880 started by Verballers and for Verballers. Dan so on today's show, 0:02:01.560 --> 0:02:03.920 as you know, this is sort of in the wake 0:02:04.120 --> 0:02:08.040 of the college football playoffs. Both games were played yesterday, 0:02:08.160 --> 0:02:10.079 so we're going to go through those at the very 0:02:10.120 --> 0:02:12.680 top of the show. We're also going to recap a 0:02:12.680 --> 0:02:14.960 bunch of the other bowl action that has been going 0:02:15.000 --> 0:02:16.240 on since we last spoke. 0:02:16.880 --> 0:02:19.799 And I believe we have five other. 0:02:19.639 --> 0:02:22.320 Games on like a Bowl Mini Barge that we need 0:02:22.360 --> 0:02:25.239 to address before we part ways here. 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:28.480 The Tug Bowl. Oh, that sounds weird. That sounds very weird. 0:02:28.520 --> 0:02:31.880 Not crazy about it, but I think we stick with it. Yeah, 0:02:31.880 --> 0:02:34.440 I think we start with the big stuff up front. 0:02:34.880 --> 0:02:37.120 I mean, this is college football. It's all big stuff. 0:02:37.120 --> 0:02:38.920 But let's start with the playoff. And I know you 0:02:39.000 --> 0:02:41.560 have a number of thoughts. Let's go through all of 0:02:41.560 --> 0:02:44.200 the action. I believe it's the Gasparilla Bowl was where 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:47.120 we left off recapping. We have those few games that 0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:50.519 opening Saturday, but we have not recapped since because I've 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:52.680 been on the road, You've been busy with the holidays, 0:02:53.120 --> 0:02:55.239 and we wanted some time to breathe. But we've got 0:02:55.240 --> 0:02:57.160 a lot to rifle through, a lot to rifle through. 0:02:57.200 --> 0:03:00.360 So let's start at the very top here with number 0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:04.639 one LSU and number four Oklahoma. 0:03:04.720 --> 0:03:04.880 Dan. 0:03:05.560 --> 0:03:09.120 This was a game you might remember, point spread about 0:03:09.160 --> 0:03:12.720 fourteen points. I think when we previewed it it was 0:03:12.760 --> 0:03:15.359 a little bit less than that. We both said, Wow, 0:03:15.400 --> 0:03:18.040 that seems soon. That seems like a lot of points 0:03:18.040 --> 0:03:22.120 for a really good, really good Oklahoma team with a 0:03:22.160 --> 0:03:24.840 solid off. It's been of a questionable defense, but nonetheless 0:03:24.840 --> 0:03:26.520 they can they can put up points. 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:27.800 Well. 0:03:28.880 --> 0:03:35.200 Final score here LSU sixty three, Oklahoma twenty eight. 0:03:35.760 --> 0:03:36.000 Yeah. 0:03:36.800 --> 0:03:41.680 You know, like I generally like to avoid just reading 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:45.520 off stats and calling that a game recap because our 0:03:45.600 --> 0:03:47.280 fans are smart enough that they can go out to 0:03:47.320 --> 0:03:50.040 a box score and read a game cap and figure 0:03:50.080 --> 0:03:53.280 it out on their own. But I just have to 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:55.600 read some of these stats if you could let me. 0:03:56.320 --> 0:04:00.920 Joe Burrow twenty nine of thirty nine for ninety three 0:04:01.560 --> 0:04:06.440 and seven touchdowns. Seven touchdowns, mind you, in the first 0:04:06.640 --> 0:04:09.680 fricking half. Yeah, yeah, that's passing touchdowns. By the way, 0:04:09.680 --> 0:04:11.200 he threw it in a one on the ground for 0:04:11.240 --> 0:04:13.840 good measure early in the second half. That's right, seven 0:04:13.880 --> 0:04:16.880 passing touchdowns he was responsible for eight because of the 0:04:16.960 --> 0:04:22.040 rushing touchdown. Four of his passing touchdowns went to Justin Jefferson, 0:04:22.560 --> 0:04:26.560 who also had a monster game with fourteen grabs for 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:30.080 two hundred and twenty seven yards. There were only two 0:04:30.360 --> 0:04:33.760 LSU drives that did not result in points. One was 0:04:33.760 --> 0:04:36.279 a punt on their second drive, the other was a 0:04:36.320 --> 0:04:41.080 missed field goal. Dan just an incredible offensive showing by LSU. 0:04:41.720 --> 0:04:43.600 I don't know if they made it to seven hundred yards. 0:04:43.600 --> 0:04:45.839 It felt like one hundred and seventeen million yards in 0:04:45.880 --> 0:04:51.599 this game. Yeah, but wow, what a showing. You've somehow 0:04:51.720 --> 0:04:55.480 sold LSU's performance. I know and that's the thing that's 0:04:55.520 --> 0:04:58.240 such go ahead, continue, But that is such a good point. 0:04:58.360 --> 0:05:01.640 It's it was in an credible watch, and it almost 0:05:01.800 --> 0:05:04.839 wasn't surprising. It was surprising that they won by so 0:05:05.040 --> 0:05:09.119 many in that Oklahoma was just unable to respond within 0:05:09.160 --> 0:05:11.120 any sort of consistency. They did get what it was 0:05:11.120 --> 0:05:13.320 seven all the long past to ceedee Lamb gets them 0:05:13.320 --> 0:05:16.159 down to the three. Kennedy Brooks punches it in after Lsu. 0:05:16.320 --> 0:05:18.279 I think it was a three play opening drive with 0:05:18.320 --> 0:05:23.039 a short field. Yep. What Lsu was able to do, 0:05:23.600 --> 0:05:25.360 it almost reminded me a little bit of and I 0:05:25.360 --> 0:05:27.440 don't know how much you watched, like when Steph Curry 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:31.200 was at Davidson Sure playing like Georgetown Wisconsin. We're like, 0:05:31.400 --> 0:05:33.880 you knew what was about to happen, you knew that 0:05:33.920 --> 0:05:35.960 there was very little you could do. You just sort 0:05:35.960 --> 0:05:38.040 of had to hope to weather it and do your 0:05:38.040 --> 0:05:43.040 own thing at the same time. And even still even 0:05:43.200 --> 0:05:46.480 knowing what was you know, there's a storm common even still, 0:05:46.760 --> 0:05:51.880 what LSU was able to do was so unbelievable on 0:05:51.920 --> 0:05:54.760 a stage like this. Granted Oklahoma's defense with its own 0:05:54.760 --> 0:05:57.280 struggles and even with some improvement in the Big twelve. 0:05:57.320 --> 0:05:59.800 Obviously personnel wise, you know, they lose a corner to 0:05:59.839 --> 0:06:03.239 talk marketing, it's just the depth wasn't there, The talent 0:06:03.320 --> 0:06:05.920 wasn't there. Obviously the suspension's hurt as well up front. 0:06:06.200 --> 0:06:09.920 But what LSU was able to do, and granted they 0:06:09.920 --> 0:06:14.080 have a Blitnikoff Award winner who was largely held in check, 0:06:14.480 --> 0:06:17.800 and it doesn't matter because Thad Moss, Terris Marshall and 0:06:17.839 --> 0:06:22.240 obviously Justin Jefferson counting off the touchdowns in the end 0:06:22.360 --> 0:06:26.560 zone as he's scoring them is more than enough. And 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:29.920 it also be relatively easy to overlook the fact that 0:06:30.120 --> 0:06:33.000 Clyde Edwards Hilaire makes no difference in this game because 0:06:33.040 --> 0:06:35.520 of hamstring injury. Chris Curry does a nice job, especially 0:06:35.520 --> 0:06:37.559 in the second half stepping in. It was Davis Price 0:06:37.600 --> 0:06:41.680 as well got some carries that didn't matter. That the 0:06:41.720 --> 0:06:44.599 depth of what LSU was able to do and what 0:06:44.920 --> 0:06:48.440 you can only do, I guess in terms of praying 0:06:48.880 --> 0:06:52.400 against Joe Burrow, like this is a conversation we'll have 0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:56.040 ahead of the National Championship game. But all you can 0:06:56.080 --> 0:06:59.359 do to defend Joe Burrow and this passing attack and 0:06:59.400 --> 0:07:05.320 these receives and these coordinators is hope for drops because 0:07:05.320 --> 0:07:07.800 if you're flushed, if you flesh him out of the pocket, 0:07:07.800 --> 0:07:11.720 he might even be better. If you try to confuse him, 0:07:12.120 --> 0:07:14.760 it probably won't work. If you give him time and 0:07:14.800 --> 0:07:18.880 can't generate a pass rush, that's it. That's it for 0:07:19.080 --> 0:07:22.720 LSU and your hopes against them. I just I came 0:07:22.760 --> 0:07:26.200 away so thoroughly impressed with the fact that they just 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:29.360 continue to get better, the fact that the defense put 0:07:29.440 --> 0:07:32.520 constant pressure on Jalen Hurts in this Oklahoma offense, which 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:35.200 when you have to keep up with LSU and your 0:07:35.200 --> 0:07:39.160 defense isn't able to do its job, Oklahoma's offense had 0:07:39.200 --> 0:07:43.680 to had to do something beyond perfection to hang with LSU, 0:07:44.080 --> 0:07:47.600 and they were underwhelming. That's nowhere near good enough. I'm 0:07:47.640 --> 0:07:50.080 glad you brought that up. So two things. 0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:52.400 First off, you're right the box score only tells part 0:07:52.440 --> 0:07:54.920 of the story. Yeah, it felt like an even bigger 0:07:54.920 --> 0:07:58.880 mismatch somehow watching the game live. And secondly, on the 0:07:58.920 --> 0:08:03.720 point of the defense, the LSU defense continued. I think 0:08:03.840 --> 0:08:07.360 it's upward trajectory. They've gotten better throughout the course of 0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:10.800 the year, and granted this was a runaway train. This 0:08:10.880 --> 0:08:14.119 game was a runaway train. But the defense I thought 0:08:14.120 --> 0:08:16.720 did a superb job here against one of the better 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:20.200 offenses in the country. I sort of half expected a 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:23.240 late surge from Oklahoma where they'd come back, maybe not 0:08:23.280 --> 0:08:25.680 to win the game, but to try and challenge the 0:08:25.720 --> 0:08:28.440 point spread, because that's what some of us, our friends 0:08:28.440 --> 0:08:29.600 in the desert might care about. 0:08:29.800 --> 0:08:32.480 Misrepresent the final score to. 0:08:32.520 --> 0:08:37.560 Be up forty nine to fourteen at half, as LSU was, 0:08:38.440 --> 0:08:45.200 and maintain that intensity, maintain just that composure. That's a 0:08:45.240 --> 0:08:48.400 hard thing to do. That speaks to character, that speaks 0:08:48.440 --> 0:08:51.720 to coaching, that speaks to whatever the hell magic potion 0:08:52.000 --> 0:08:55.440 edwar Zaran has found this year. Because they were really good, 0:08:55.520 --> 0:08:57.880 and I think that's going to be completely glossed over 0:08:58.480 --> 0:09:01.960 because of the offensive output, yes, one hundred percent. 0:09:02.000 --> 0:09:04.360 At one point, Jalen Hurts was four of fifteen, I 0:09:04.360 --> 0:09:06.520 think deep into the first half, as Joe Burrow had 0:09:06.559 --> 0:09:10.520 more touchdown passes than Jalen Hurts had completions. You had 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:15.360 that weird segue, what was it, Sean McDonough And who's 0:09:15.400 --> 0:09:18.040 the analyst for this game? Blackledge? Yeah, it was Todd 0:09:18.040 --> 0:09:20.640 Blacklish talking about like, well, Jalen Hurts is a pretty 0:09:20.640 --> 0:09:22.880 good shot of succeeding the NFL thanks to what Lamar 0:09:23.000 --> 0:09:25.920 Jackson has done in opening doors for dual threats and 0:09:25.960 --> 0:09:30.520 forming NFL. No, Jalen Hurts wasn't doing it against LSU. 0:09:31.520 --> 0:09:34.120 The NFL is harder. The NFL is harder than LSU. 0:09:34.160 --> 0:09:37.079 You had that weird sort of aside in the game, 0:09:37.840 --> 0:09:43.559 and obviously the incomprehensible, incomprehensibly tragic element with Carly McCord 0:09:43.679 --> 0:09:47.200 Steve Ensminger, the LSU offensive coordinators daughter in law in 0:09:47.240 --> 0:09:50.319 that plane crash. And you know this is not I'm 0:09:50.360 --> 0:09:53.200 not positioning this as like overcoming the adversity of what 0:09:53.240 --> 0:09:56.520 Steve Ensminger did. It's just I can't imagine the emotion 0:09:57.040 --> 0:09:59.560 going through him. The fact that he was even able 0:09:59.559 --> 0:10:02.280 to be in the stadium is brutal. I can't I 0:10:02.600 --> 0:10:06.040 can't even wrap my head around how awful everything you know, 0:10:06.640 --> 0:10:10.040 as a as a story happening on the same day. 0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:13.400 I just so so awful. So that was tough. That 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:16.679 was an incredible story with LSU moving on to the 0:10:16.760 --> 0:10:20.840 National championship, putting a punctuation on just an incredible season. 0:10:20.840 --> 0:10:24.160 But man, the clouds over LSU's day were crazy. 0:10:24.280 --> 0:10:27.559 Yeah, thoughts terrific thoughts out to the Enspinger family. That's 0:10:27.559 --> 0:10:30.320 a tough one to hear that news shortly before kickoff 0:10:30.320 --> 0:10:33.000 on our way to the gaming list, which is just brutal. 0:10:33.080 --> 0:10:39.720 But LSU does win in resounding fashion sixty three to 0:10:39.840 --> 0:10:43.480 twenty eight in your first playoff semi final. Obviously set 0:10:43.520 --> 0:10:47.360 a whole bunch of Peach Bowl records winning that football game. 0:10:47.480 --> 0:10:52.520 So with that being said, LSU punched its ticket. They 0:10:52.600 --> 0:10:56.560 are installed, I believe early as a five or five 0:10:56.600 --> 0:11:00.760 and a half point favorite over the Clempson Tigers. Wow, 0:11:00.960 --> 0:11:03.840 Clemson will be going back to the National Championship game 0:11:03.880 --> 0:11:07.400 to defend their title. They won semi final number two 0:11:08.120 --> 0:11:12.199 out at the Fiesta Bowl by twenty nine to twenty 0:11:12.280 --> 0:11:15.280 three margin. This is a fun game through and through. 0:11:15.720 --> 0:11:19.000 Ohio State jumps out to an early sixteen to nothing lead, 0:11:19.240 --> 0:11:22.240 and I thought looked really really good, felt like they 0:11:22.280 --> 0:11:26.439 had a good handle on this game. Yeah, But nonetheless, 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:30.880 Clemson comes back. They make it sixteen to fourteen at half, 0:11:31.679 --> 0:11:35.839 goes to twenty one to sixteen I believe midway through 0:11:35.840 --> 0:11:39.040 the third quarter, back and forth the rest of the way, 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:42.760 Clemson scores with about two minutes left to go up 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:46.280 twenty nine to twenty three, and Ohio State had a shot. 0:11:46.360 --> 0:11:48.920 Dan They really truly had a shot to win it. 0:11:48.960 --> 0:11:51.480 But Chris Olave breaks off his roote. 0:11:51.480 --> 0:11:54.400 I think o'lave came back to he thought Fields was scrambling, 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:56.960 so he tried to peel back to help block. 0:11:57.240 --> 0:12:00.319 Justin Fields is looking for the post, Nolan Turner was 0:12:00.360 --> 0:12:03.280 looking for the interception and the end of the game. Effectively, 0:12:03.920 --> 0:12:05.680 he falls on the ball in the end zone and 0:12:06.080 --> 0:12:10.280 Clemson marches on Dan Out's standing game all around. 0:12:11.320 --> 0:12:13.040 What are your thoughts here? How do you feel? 0:12:13.440 --> 0:12:13.640 Oh? 0:12:13.720 --> 0:12:17.120 I have so many? First of all, let's start with 0:12:17.320 --> 0:12:20.080 you talk about Ohio State going up sixteen nothing with 0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:22.680 an asterisk in that it felt like it was thirty 0:12:22.679 --> 0:12:26.360 one nothing. It did it felt like you have incredible 0:12:26.360 --> 0:12:29.559 play from JK. Dobbins with was Dann here seventy yard 0:12:29.760 --> 0:12:31.319 It was on the first play of a drive, right, 0:12:31.320 --> 0:12:36.400 a seventy yard touchdown run, and it sort of underscored 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:38.680 the element of JK. Dobbins where I was trying to 0:12:38.679 --> 0:12:40.960 think about what like a real life comparison would be 0:12:41.000 --> 0:12:43.040 and trying to figure out how to deal with JK. 0:12:43.120 --> 0:12:46.280 Dobbins in the open field, and all I could come 0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:48.760 back with was like if there were a runaway jukebox 0:12:48.880 --> 0:12:52.480 coming down a hill at you and you somehow had 0:12:52.520 --> 0:12:56.000 to tackle it and stop it dead in its tracks. 0:12:56.440 --> 0:12:59.079 I just JK. Dobbins is that incredible of a player, 0:12:59.160 --> 0:13:02.439 and the explosive, the explosive plays in this game came 0:13:02.480 --> 0:13:05.679 to define the outcome, you know, along with some other things. 0:13:05.720 --> 0:13:09.000 So Ohio State, you know, he has the drop. JK. 0:13:09.040 --> 0:13:11.160 Dobbins has the drop on a screen. He has the 0:13:11.160 --> 0:13:14.240 pass that ultimately hits the ground that looked like it 0:13:14.320 --> 0:13:17.720 was in the immediate aftermath of touchdown but ruled an 0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:22.360 incomplete pass. I'm sure Ohio State fans, with all of 0:13:22.360 --> 0:13:25.200 their emotions saw that and said, even with how good 0:13:25.200 --> 0:13:27.600 they've been, how great they've been, how good they've been 0:13:27.600 --> 0:13:30.000 in the second halves of games, you know, against Wisconsin 0:13:30.040 --> 0:13:32.360 both times really pouring it on, and Clemson's a different 0:13:32.360 --> 0:13:35.800 animal that you see those missed opportunities, and I remember, 0:13:35.960 --> 0:13:39.240 you know, having the same emotion with Oregon both against 0:13:39.240 --> 0:13:41.320 Ohio State and the National Championship game early on with 0:13:41.360 --> 0:13:44.120 missed opportunities, and even Auburn this season, we're like I 0:13:44.200 --> 0:13:48.040 understand that they have the lead, but they need every ounce, 0:13:48.240 --> 0:13:50.960 they need nose to tail success against a team like 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:54.080 Clemson that you can't leave points like that on the field, 0:13:54.640 --> 0:13:57.040 And so I imagine the trepidation and fear in the 0:13:57.080 --> 0:14:00.199 hearts of Ohio State fans at that point, even still, 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:03.440 even with the momentum if you believe in it, changing 0:14:03.520 --> 0:14:06.200 run from Trevor Lawrence before the half, another seventy yard 0:14:06.280 --> 0:14:11.640 run which is just incredible, incredible, even with that, even 0:14:11.679 --> 0:14:14.640 with it was Travis Cten. It was a long screen 0:14:14.640 --> 0:14:17.920 pass to take the third quarter. Yes, even with that, 0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:22.640 even with what's his name, Sean Wade getting ejected for 0:14:23.280 --> 0:14:25.920 and no Ohio State or Clemson fan will be happy, 0:14:25.920 --> 0:14:29.000 no matter how anybody discusses this targeting penalty and ejection. 0:14:29.480 --> 0:14:32.040 Even with that, which I felt was sort of a 0:14:32.120 --> 0:14:34.600 letter call but not a spirit call, if that makes 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:37.280 any sense, says Trevor Lawrence was sort of ducking his head, 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:41.240 and I didn't feel like Wade was launching himself maliciously 0:14:41.480 --> 0:14:44.520 in the way that like Oklahoma's corner was ejected for 0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:47.560 that for the hit he had on Clyde Edwards Hilaire. 0:14:48.440 --> 0:14:51.040 Even with that, even with the fumble return for a 0:14:51.080 --> 0:14:55.120 touchdown that's called back and god, it kind of looked 0:14:55.160 --> 0:14:57.040 like a cat. We're gonna have to talk about that one. 0:14:57.200 --> 0:14:59.880 We will got more detail. Even with that, even with 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:02.720 with Clemson driving the field like they did for that, 0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:05.400 it was a go ahead touchdown with what a couple 0:15:05.520 --> 0:15:08.320 minutes left in the game. Even with all of that, 0:15:08.400 --> 0:15:11.280 I'm not saying going against Ohio State, but even having 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:14.960 to overcome a number of things that set Ohio State 0:15:15.080 --> 0:15:17.720 back from where they thought they should be. Whio State 0:15:17.800 --> 0:15:20.880 was in this game, Ohio State had the opportunity, had 0:15:20.880 --> 0:15:22.280 the ball in their hands. You mentioned the play at 0:15:22.320 --> 0:15:24.840 the end of the game, the interception, but I thought 0:15:24.840 --> 0:15:27.520 it was just a remarkable comeback from Clemson going down 0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:30.480 like they did and coming out as listless. You know, 0:15:30.600 --> 0:15:32.560 just the passing game seemed off. They really didn't seem 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:35.760 to be getting Travis etn involved t Higgins leaves for 0:15:35.800 --> 0:15:38.440 a wide stretch of this game. Even with all of that, 0:15:38.520 --> 0:15:41.000 For Clemson to come back like they did, for Ohio 0:15:41.080 --> 0:15:43.840 State to adjust like they did, even though the second 0:15:43.840 --> 0:15:47.280 half wasn't great offensively for the buck Eyes, I thought 0:15:47.280 --> 0:15:50.200 it was just an unbelievable watch it was a great 0:15:50.240 --> 0:15:52.040 TV show perspective. 0:15:51.600 --> 0:15:54.560 A great game, and especially given the fact that so 0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:56.960 many of these semi finals of not being competitive, this 0:15:57.000 --> 0:16:02.480 one did not all fit that mold. Two things, Yeah, 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:04.600 two things that jump out at me. Ohio State with 0:16:04.800 --> 0:16:07.440 just nine points in four trips to the red zone. 0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:12.040 Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Okay, that's a. You 0:16:12.120 --> 0:16:15.200 can't do it against these excellents. No, just can. And B. 0:16:16.400 --> 0:16:19.240 I thought Ohio State's defense was really good. For the 0:16:19.240 --> 0:16:19.760 most part. 0:16:19.800 --> 0:16:23.800 It seemed like Clemson receivers were having difficulty for the 0:16:23.840 --> 0:16:26.640 majority of this game getting open, but there were a 0:16:26.640 --> 0:16:30.280 couple big plays that were killer. Credit to our friends 0:16:30.320 --> 0:16:32.080 over at eleven Warriors for these stats. 0:16:32.080 --> 0:16:33.080 Listen to them. 0:16:33.200 --> 0:16:36.920 Five passes of more than twenty yards, four runs of 0:16:36.920 --> 0:16:41.160 more than ten yards, and three touchdowns three touchdowns of 0:16:41.240 --> 0:16:44.920 thirty or more yards. You'll remember, going to the season 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:47.560 when Ryan Day took over one of the things they 0:16:47.560 --> 0:16:50.040 were trying to fix on defense. They gave up way 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:53.240 too many explosion plays a year ago, and that seemed 0:16:53.240 --> 0:16:56.280 to be fixed for the majority of the season until 0:16:56.360 --> 0:16:58.920 last night. Last night, Clempton was able to take advantage 0:16:59.360 --> 0:17:01.920 some of those big explosion plays, and I think that 0:17:02.120 --> 0:17:05.040 was ultimately what ended up making the difference here. Let's 0:17:05.080 --> 0:17:09.600 go back to that controversial call late in the third quarter. 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:12.000 So if you didn't see it, I'm sure you can 0:17:12.040 --> 0:17:14.320 find it on YouTube or somewhere out there in the interwebs. 0:17:14.359 --> 0:17:18.560 But justin Ross for Clemson appears to catch a ball 0:17:18.600 --> 0:17:20.199 and fumble it. That's how it was ruled on the 0:17:20.240 --> 0:17:23.640 field led to a scoop and score for Ohio State. 0:17:23.680 --> 0:17:26.560 But then they took another look at it. They overturned it, 0:17:26.640 --> 0:17:29.960 saying that he did not complete the process of the catch. 0:17:32.080 --> 0:17:36.680 I I don't know, Like I was trying to listen 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:39.680 to the explanation from the TV ref I forget his name, right, 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:43.040 and he was basically saying that, look, a lot of 0:17:43.080 --> 0:17:45.040 these calls are banged, banged, They're going to look so 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:47.360 much different in slow motion than in real time, and. 0:17:47.480 --> 0:17:50.000 Which is true, which is thank you, captain obvious. I 0:17:50.040 --> 0:17:50.320 get that. 0:17:50.520 --> 0:17:53.359 Yeah, that's sort of the point, right, You can't really 0:17:53.480 --> 0:17:57.640 use that logic when every other review, literally every other 0:17:57.720 --> 0:18:00.240 review throughout the course of this game, in every game, 0:18:00.520 --> 0:18:05.600 relies heavily on slow motion, right, So I'm with John 0:18:05.680 --> 0:18:08.439 Legend and his angry tweets on this one, Dan oh. 0:18:08.320 --> 0:18:09.679 I didn't see this. What did he say? 0:18:10.040 --> 0:18:12.520 He said he took three steps with the ball. He 0:18:12.560 --> 0:18:14.719 took three steps he did. It would seem like that 0:18:14.800 --> 0:18:20.480 constitutes possession and it should have been ruled a scoop 0:18:20.520 --> 0:18:23.800 and score for Ohio State. Nonetheless, the drive ends with 0:18:23.800 --> 0:18:27.080 a Clemson punt. On the ensuing possession, Ohio State gets 0:18:27.080 --> 0:18:30.440 it back, they throw a pick, and just another one 0:18:30.440 --> 0:18:33.120 of those things that could have gone Ohio State's way didn't. 0:18:33.480 --> 0:18:37.280 Clemson was ultimately able to capitalize in all the important 0:18:37.320 --> 0:18:40.160 ways and they march on to the championship game. 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:43.920 We probably need to have a sub when we did, 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:46.880 like a breakoff show, maybe about Isaiah Simmons by the way, 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:51.360 Oh yeah, everywhere he lined up for Clemson's defense. And granted, 0:18:51.560 --> 0:18:53.680 I just didn't watch a lot of Clemson this year. 0:18:53.720 --> 0:18:56.040 I watched Clemson while games were close, but I'm not 0:18:56.080 --> 0:18:58.840 watching you know, a full half of garbage time against 0:18:59.160 --> 0:19:01.479 you know, wake Er Austin College, so you know, he 0:19:01.520 --> 0:19:03.800 doesn't really get to display what he does against great 0:19:03.840 --> 0:19:06.280 teams when Clemson just plays in a conference without that 0:19:06.280 --> 0:19:08.679 many great teams. What he was able to do playing 0:19:08.760 --> 0:19:12.399 center field, playing against slot dudes, filling run fits whatever. 0:19:13.320 --> 0:19:15.480 He is an incredible, incredible player. 0:19:15.600 --> 0:19:19.080 And I was watching this game with my cousin and 0:19:19.160 --> 0:19:22.919 a close friend, both of whom were less familiar with 0:19:23.040 --> 0:19:26.439 Isaiah Simmons' body of work. Sure, and I was just 0:19:26.520 --> 0:19:32.320 pointing out that as the Giants fan in the room, 0:19:32.800 --> 0:19:35.399 or one of two Giants fans in the room, yeah, 0:19:35.480 --> 0:19:38.080 Isaiah Simmons would fit real nice. Where would he fit 0:19:38.119 --> 0:19:38.560 real nice? 0:19:38.600 --> 0:19:38.760 Said? 0:19:38.880 --> 0:19:41.159 Just about anywhere. You could play him pretty much anywhere 0:19:41.200 --> 0:19:43.199 you won at all three levels of the defense. And 0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:45.760 in this game he had the interception. You could see 0:19:45.840 --> 0:19:47.720 him out there as like a nickel corner. He was 0:19:47.760 --> 0:19:50.560 playing safety linebacker and saw his hand on the ground 0:19:50.560 --> 0:19:54.440 a couple times. So he's a versatile modern defender who's 0:19:54.440 --> 0:19:56.440 going to go very high in the draft and will 0:19:56.440 --> 0:19:59.200 no doubt be a terror for LSU trying to game 0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:01.119 play around him. I don't know how much it matters 0:20:01.119 --> 0:20:03.919 because the LSU offense is so good, but that is 0:20:03.920 --> 0:20:05.080 a topic for another day. 0:20:05.600 --> 0:20:09.160 Even on those long Ohio State runs, it was Isaiah 0:20:09.240 --> 0:20:14.480 Simmons passing the Clemson DBS, fast dudes passing them in 0:20:14.520 --> 0:20:17.800 the open field. Yeah, hopelessly trying to catch JK. Dobbins, 0:20:17.840 --> 0:20:20.800 who happens to be just another ten yards. He catches 0:20:20.840 --> 0:20:24.520 Dobbins of course. Yeah, Chad Smith has a monster game. 0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:27.280 The linebacking corp for Clemson in general was terrific. And 0:20:27.680 --> 0:20:30.000 you know, you hear coaches ahead of games like this, 0:20:30.200 --> 0:20:31.600 you know it's come down to you know, who wins 0:20:31.600 --> 0:20:34.160 the turnover battle. We got to generate takeaways, blah blah blah, 0:20:34.200 --> 0:20:37.919 all true, all important. The chunk plays I feel like 0:20:38.040 --> 0:20:40.800 decided this game for better and war for better and 0:20:40.840 --> 0:20:45.160 for worse. Justin Field's downfield was fine. Uh, he didn't 0:20:45.240 --> 0:20:47.119 use his legs a lot, but when he did a 0:20:47.119 --> 0:20:49.640 couple of times it worked out really well. But it 0:20:49.680 --> 0:20:52.480 was Chris o'lave, it was Austin Mack, it was kJ 0:20:52.600 --> 0:20:56.600 Hill not really getting down down field to open up 0:20:56.640 --> 0:20:59.720 the offense that ultimately I think was a pretty huge 0:20:59.720 --> 0:21:02.080 fact or for Ohio State, not you know, pouring it 0:21:02.119 --> 0:21:03.800 on in the second half the end with just that 0:21:03.800 --> 0:21:07.719 that late touchdown in the fourth quarter, so a really 0:21:07.760 --> 0:21:11.760 incredible watch, and I just I came away needing to 0:21:11.880 --> 0:21:14.639 come down. It was that midnight Eastern when this game ended, 0:21:14.800 --> 0:21:16.760 and I just needed to take a few breaths. I 0:21:16.880 --> 0:21:19.920