You thought 5WF was completely out of your lives? Please don’t ever think something like that would happen. We had to get one in during the football season before some juicy topics pass us by. To the questions we go.
1 Three high-profile jobs are open in Florida, Tennessee, and UCLA. Are the Gators easily the best job and which is the worst to take right now?
So, the Vols are the clear third in my pecking order, and so it seems with Chip Kelly who has reportedly already eliminated Tennessee from consideration. I think we have to factor in that Georgia is likely to get on a pretty solid roll over the next 2 or 3 years. That’s going to make things pretty rough in the SEC East for a program removed from the centers of recruiting strength and further removed from national prominence than its major division rivals.
The UCLA job is kind of attractive in comparison to Florida but it’s also tough because that has more to do with things in the SEC like (as mentioned above) competition with Georgia and of course the death star that is Alabama hanging over any chance for a conference title. The path seems far clearer in the Pac-12–even Jim Mora beat USC 3 times–and the Bruins have so much enticing “sleeping giant” DNA.
End of the day, I don’t think this should be over thought. Always take the program with the highest proven ceiling and it’s Florida all day. The Texas A&M is also rumored to be coming open after this weekend. I’d put that a distant third behind Florida and UCLA.
2 Should Baker Mayfield’s behavior against Kansas on Saturday hurt his Heisman chances?
It’s crazy to me that Mayfield’s antics (and I don’t even like using this term) were such a big story following Oklahoma’s win over Kansas. I was shocked to see the aftermath–even from Mayfield and head coach Lincoln Riley–that resulted in Mayfield being suspended (however brief) and stripped of his captaincy on Senior Day.
I’ll admit I’ve grown to like Mayfield a little bit and while his actions weren’t teachings for the sportsmanship manual the Kansas players not shaking hands during the coin flip is worse. Don’t start nothing, won’t be nothing.
3 Rank the Top 7 of the CFP Poll based on you being totally okay with each program winning the National Championship.
7 Wisconsin – Although it would be insane to watch them beat a trio of elite teams in a row I don’t want to live in a world where the pieces fell in place for the Badgers in that fashion.
6 Miami – I’d be bitter because of our loss and if they’re going to win a title I’d at least want to see a really fun team that’s secretly fun to watch, like the early 2000’s squads. They aren’t that team this year.
5 Auburn – I don’t want a 2-loss champion because we have to PROTECT THE SANCTITY OF THE REGULAR SEASON.
4 Georgia – Right now, they feel a lot like a little better Wisconsin in that they haven’t deserved it quite yet but in order to get the ‘ship they’d have to go on an amazing run to finish things out.
3 Alabama – There’s a sense of comfort knowing they will win again.
2 Oklahoma – Bob Stoops retiring only to see his team win a national title like 7 months later is hilarious.
1 Clemson – I find the Tigers very likable and going back-to-back isn’t bad for the ACC that’s for sure.
4 Give us a sneak peak of Reviewing the Redshirts. Which player currently sitting out 2017 do you think has the best chance to have the biggest impact on the team in 2018?
First, let’s diagnose which positions will need help the most. Offensively, it doesn’t look like there’s going to be anyone with only a QB, WR, and a few linemen to choose from. Although, Avery Davis starting at third string with everyone talking about Phil Jurkovec only to see Davis suddenly starting games through injuries or otherwise feels like a distinct and familiar Notre Dame story line.
Should Drue Tranquill leave that could open the door for Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah who would be a smart selection. There’s likely to be plenty of opportunities at linebacker but the whispers around Adams and White doesn’t seem super positive to this date.
If only because of the rotation available shouldn’t we expect Darnell Ewell to come back with vengeance and be a quality rotational lineman next fall? He’s my choice for now.
5 It may not happen every year but often enough there’s one player on the Irish who leaves for the NFL with eligibility on the table to the surprise of many. Who is the most likely guy after 2017?
I’m going to limit the pool to the following: Tranquill, Watkins, Jay Hayes, Mack, and Coney.
Perhaps the inclusion of Tranquill isn’t fair–he’s graduating next month and it feels like a coin flip whether he’ll leave. So actually, let’s scratch him off the list.
Nick Watkins strikes me as someone who could be the “oh hey he actually had an extra year left but was kind of hurt and lost his starting job yet still wants to try his hand at the NFL now before moving on with his life.” For the depth concerns at corner let’s hope this doesn’t happen.
Hayes leaving would be perfectly wacky and not entirely out of line with a bit of a strange cat whose had an interesting career with the Irish.
Alize Mack simply cannot get a good draft grade from the NFL and maybe it won’t matter? This would be a shocker but I thought he’d have a really productive season and be a threat to leave, I just can’t shake that it won’t happen.
Te’von Coney seems like the right choice of guys who had a really good season and could actually make a case that it’s worthwhile to leave now. We’ve never been super into recapping a season before it’s over and yet in the moment Coney has probably surprised more than anyone on the team in 2017. He could be like the linebacker version of Troy Niklas, although if I remember correctly Niklas got a decent Draft grade while it’s far more competitive at linebacker.
Happy to Have 5WF back. if only for a week. (hopefully longer?) 1. I think it depends on facilities some what. I heard Florida’s are poor. if they are working to improve those I agree. 2. Mayfield seems like a world class jerk. https://www.diehards.com/big-12/baker-mayfield-nails-tcu-football-player-oklahoma-warm-ups seems like he does stuff like this quite a bit (just heard that listening on the radio) 3. Tend to agree with the stated. 4. Ehh 5. I would agree with either Coney or Watkins.
Thought I read that David Adams is likely to be a Medical Red shirt. Not heard much on Drew White. Assuming Coney does return, no idea who starts at the other LB spot. Is it just me or does it seem Nyles Morgan has not been on many tackles this season.
How many spots until you would have included Ohio State? 128?
Is Holmes a red shirt (due to injury)? In any case, I like him as the breakout player next year.
I thought Mayfield’s reaction to KU not shaking hands was excellent, a little applause for their classless move. Obviously he went too far later on.
Kevrey, I think Morgan has been playing with a bum shoulder for most of the season.
I’d have to look but I think Holmes has been playing special teams since he took some carries earlier in the season.
“It’s crazy to me that Mayfield’s antics (and I don’t even like using this term) were such a big story following Oklahoma’s win over Kansas.”
I think Mayfield was hurt quite a bit by how dull the slate and results were last weekend. ESPN had nothing better to talk about.
I respected KU’s captains for not shaking Mayfield’s hand. He is the epitome of anti-sportsmanship. All season long he has been one of the biggest aholes in the history of college football (It has been hilarious and I have loved it), the crotch grab barely stands out. I think a non-handshake is a good way to express that.
The cheap shot they then gave him was absolutely classless (and was poorly delivered). It completely devalued anything their captains had tried to show about sportsmanship, and was on the level of Mayfield himself.
That said. 0 chance it impacts his Heisman win. There basically isn’t even anyone else competing for it at this point.
I wasn’t aware of Mayfield’s prior transgressions.
It hasn’t been anything vulgar. But I don’t really care about vulgarity. Talks tons and tons of trash and does childish disrespectful things after wins directed squarely at opponents. He also gets into it with the fans. I love it, but I get why players won’t shake his hand.
My favorite is he told Baylor players he was going to spank them and not to forget who their daddy is. Which was even better than this because it triggered some back and forth with porn star Mia Khalifa on twitter.