I know that the Sports Smack with Mac blog site always radiates with wisdom (cue the rolling of eyes). But to kick it up a notch, I have decided to periodically incorporate my inner circle braintrust of sports experts. There college football level is not quite at the Jedi level of this legend of the game…
Nor is their level of coolness and fashion sense. But I have known each one of this fivesome for at least three decades. All played high school football and at least one college sport, so they know their sports.
Their first assignment is to give their predictions on the College Football Playoff semi-final match-up between our Ohio State Buckeyes and the Clemson Tigers. I previewed the game in this recent Times Reporter article.
And now, The wisdom of the Mac Daddy Sports Panel…
‘Rob the Squirrel’ (former college baseball player and world-class smack talker): 35-27 Ohio State. You give Urban Meyer five weeks to prepare for and dissect a team, I’ll take my chances. Look for many explosive offensive plays. The final score won’t be indicative of the Buckeye domination!
‘Jonny Chicago’ (former college football player whose driver is world-class long and wild off the tee box): Buckeyes 28-27. I like Urban with this much time to prepare, but Clemson has been there with a very experienced team. Curtis Samuel will be the difference.
‘Farmer Steve’ (former college football player, as well as a world-class plowboy and eater. Legend has it he once caught two pigs at one time): Honestly, I don’t give Urban as much credit as you guys. Two years of poor offense since (Tom) Herman left (offensive coordinator of 2014 national championship team). But the credit I do give Urban is that he knows talent and can recruit talent. Buckeyes will walk on the field with the most talent in every game since beating Alabama. Buckeyes 17-6.
Squirrel: That might be the worst prediction of all time! If there’s only 23 points scored, I’m the next QB of the Browns!
Jonny Chicago: Come on, Farmer Steve! this isn’t a Muskingum-Capital early November game!
Farmer Steve: Ha-ha. I want to predict the Buckeyes win. I just haven’t seen the offense score a lot. Of course, the defense could score as they have (all year). That would up it.
T-Spoon (former college football player that has a world-class memory and knowledge of random facts): 30-22 Buckeyes. Just enough J.T. Barrett and three field goals are the difference. Michigan stymied us most of the day and we still scored 24 in regulation. Granted, the defense scored, but we also had (two) missed field goals.
Trickster (former college football player and world-class gunner in open gym basketball): 31-28 Bucks.
1: Urban’s player psychological preparation is a touch over (Clemson coach Dabo) Sweeney’s rah-rah.
2. The game will be won or lost based on J.T.’s performance. Time for him to put up or shut up.
3. Clemson played in the ACC and their D-line isn’t as good as last year.
Farmer Steve: Hope I am wrong about the Buckeye offense. Just looking at the facts made by Mac (in the article mentioned above). Score 24 vs. Northwestern. 23 vs. Wisconsin before overtime. 21 to Penn State. And 14 to Michigan (the defense scored or set up the other points). I assume the Clemson defense is better than some of those teams.
Jonny Chicago: Bucks win to avenge the firing of Woody! (OSU lost 17-15 in Woody’s last game, the 1978 Gator Bowl).
Writer Mac (former college football player and world-class basketball pick setter and box-outer. Also a pessimistic fan scarred by decades of cursed Cleveland teams, and the guy that is least biased among this group of ‘homers’):
I faintly remember watching that game as an 8-year old. Just a couple days ago, I read this excellent Sports Illustrated article by Michael Rosenberg and then watched this youtube video of the end of that game. Woody was a volcano! I thought he might become subdued on the sidelines once he realized the severe consequences of his punch. But a few minutes after that infamous incident, Woody drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that ended OSU’s chances of getting the ball back one more time. Another strange thing is that announcers Keith Jackson and Ara Parseghian never even realized the punch had happened because of the lack of replay angles.
As for my prediction, the Tigers returned 8 offensive starters, including star QB Deshaun Watson, from a team that gave Alabama all it could handle in last year’s national championship. The young OSU offense will be improved from their struggles in the second half of the season. But Watson will unfortunately be able to make more big plays than Barrett. Clemson 27-20.
Trickster: you are Eeyore…
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