🏈 🔵 Previewing The National Championship Between Two Blue Bloods
This is it, folks. Ohio State & Notre Dame for all the marbles!
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Clemson’s Coaching Staff
Head coach Dabo Swinney has endured one of the most hectic off-seasons of his tenure with the Tigers, marked by various transfer portal additions and staff alterations.
On Wednesday, Clemson hired Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen to command its defense in place of Wes Goodwin, who had served in the role for three years.
Allen, a 33-year coaching veteran, “wasn’t looking to make a move,” before Swinney approached him for the vacancy.
But, with a daughter residing in Greenville, South Carolina, and another located in Charlotte, North Carolina, the geographical fit made sense for him and his family.
With the Nittany Lions, Allen led a unit that finished the campaign ranked 7th nationally in total defense, 8th in scoring defense, and 5th in sacks.
Lou Holtz’s Social Media Game
The 88-year-old still has hands.
Former Notre Dame head coach and legendary figure, Lou Holtz, took to X on Wednesday afternoon to support his Fighting Irish ahead of their looming national championship date with Ohio State.
Holtz took a jab at Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, saying a Notre Dame defeat would simply “preserve [his] job.”
Last year, Holtz famously took a shot at the Buckeyes’ headman before Notre Dame hosted Ohio State in September.
“He (Day) has lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan twice – and everybody who beats them does so because they’re more physical than Ohio State,” Holtz said. “I think Notre Dame will take that same approach.”
Ultimately, Ohio State took down the Fighting Irish 17-14, and Day called out Holtz postgame.
“I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is right now,” he said. “What he said about our team… I cannot believe. This is a tough team right here.”
Southern Miss’s Transfer Haul
After the Golden Eagles poached Marshall head coach Charles Huff for the same position in December, Southern Miss has outperformed several elite, Power Four suitors in the transfer portal.
Currently, Southern Miss holds claim to 35 transfer commitments, the most of any FBS program.
Huff’s transfer class ranks 56th nationally, ahead of Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas, Florida, and Tennessee.
Aside from nabbing familiar faces at Marshall, Huff has worked the portal for quality talent, gaining the services of talented players from proven programs.
Southern Miss has grabbed transfers from schools among the likes of South Carolina, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, and Arizona State, which should instantly help the Golden Eagles compete for a Sun Belt title next season.
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Arkansas’s Rebuilding Effort
While Arkansas’s transfer portal cohort ranks 15th in the FBS, the Razorbacks have had 30 outgoing prospects leave Sam Pittman’s program, the most of any SEC unit.
In December, Arkansas lost 27 players in the first 10 days of the portal opening, creating significant holes in Pittman’s depth chart.
Most notably, the Razorbacks lost cornerback Jaylon Braxton, tight end Luke Hasz, and linemen Patrick Kutas and Josh Braun.
In November, a bolded billboard just miles from campus read, “Thank you for a great 5 years, Sam. A change is needed to compete in the SEC.”
Although the Hogs have landed 21 transfers to replace the outgoing production, instability could present glaring deficiencies in spring ball and beyond.
Instant College Football Playoff Alterations
While the 12-team College Football Playoff has been a smashing success, many analysts and fans are calling for changes to the postseason format.
In the format, teams that received first-round byes went 0-4, and squads like Penn State and Texas were gifted favorable paths to the semifinals, diminishing the value of conference championship victories.
According to ESPN’s Heather Dinich, format changes are “unlikely” ahead of next season.
“To make any changes for next season – including something seemingly as simple as seeding – every conference and Notre Dame must unanimously agree to it,” Dinich said. “… [This leaves] serious doubt, among multiple sources with knowledge of the process, that the 2025 playoff will look much different than what we’ve seen the last month.”
Per Dinich, she expects the format to change in 2026 but remains hesitant for alterations to be passed with a quick turnaround in mind.
Best Upcoming Position Battle
Ohio State’s Wide Receivers vs. Notre Dame’s Secondary 💪
The Fighting Irish rank No. 4 nationally in turnover margin, with a +17 mark through 16 matchups played this season.
Although Marcus Freeman’s group lost the turnover battle 2-to-1 against Penn State in the Orange Bowl, Notre Dame forced a critical interception by Nittany Lions’ gunslinger Drew Allar with 33 seconds remaining to ultimately secure a last-second victory.
Notre Dame held Allar to just 139 yards through the air behind a 52% completion clip. More impressively, the Fighting Irish completely locked down Penn State’s wide receivers, with that position group accounting for zero catches or yards in the outing.
Ohio State, on the other hand, presents Notre Dame’s secondary with its fiercest challenge of the campaign – headlined by freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith.
Texas bracketed Smith in the Cotton Bowl last Friday, as Smith was largely shut down for only one reception for three yards.
However, the Longhorns’ secondary was unable to contain third-option Carnell Tate, who exploded for a seven-catch, 87-yard showing to cement Ohio State’s first national championship appearance since the 2020 campaign.
If Notre Dame’s coverage can put opposing quarterback Will Howard in conflict by turning him over, the Fighting Irish will remain competitive.
However, if Smith, Tate, and company win their one-on-one battles on the outside, it could be a long night for the Irish faithful.
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Hot Prediction Heading Into The National Championship 🔥
Will Howard Plays Turnover-Free, Carries the Buckeyes to a Convincing Victory 🤯
Although Notre Dame’s defense has continually risen to the occasion throughout its magical 2024 run, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard has played impeccably throughout the Buckeyes’ playoff path.
Howard boasts a 6-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio in postseason play, coupled with two showings of at least 310 or more passing yards.
His pocket presence and maturity allowed him to find seven different pass catchers against Texas’s physical secondary, even with Jeremiah Smith taken out of the game by Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian’s defensive gameplan.
I expect Howard to cap off two straight bowl-game MVP performances with a fitting curtain call for his time with the Buckeyes.
Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate hold a clear edge over Notre Dame’s primary cornerbacks, Christian Gray, Leonard Moore, and Jordan Clark, and I expect Howard to exploit the discrepancy early and often.
Howard’s three-touchdown, zero-interception display will wear down Notre Dame’s defense, helping Ohio State pull away in the second half for its first national title since the 2014 go-around.
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Shoutout to Connor Krause for helping to write this newsletter and putting it together!
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