Three-Point Stance: Shea Patterson, Kirby Smart, Clemson

Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with a look at super freshman Shea Patterson, a defense of a recent Kirby Smart take and why you shouldn't write off Clemson's chances to win it all.

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When I first learned that Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly was out for the season, I thought there was no way that Hugh Freeze was going to burn the redshirt of former five-star prospect Shea Patterson. Then, when it was announced that Patterson would start this past weekend against Texas A&M, my initial reaction what that it was a desperate move by perhaps a desperate coach. But after about 30 seconds of reflection, I realized something: This is Shea Patterson we are talking about.

Patterson, our No. 3 prospect and top-ranked quarterback in the 2016 class, is a different breed. This kid oozes winner and thrives on not only being doubted but also being put in pressure situations. So despite Ole Miss' disappointing season, I stopped judging and began understanding.

How good is Patterson? He would have started at the following SEC schools to start of the season: Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Auburn, LSU, Arkansas, Mississippi State and, get this, even Alabama. The only SEC programs I left out were Tennessee because of the experience (and not talent level) of Josh Dobbs, Texas A&M because of the leadership of Trevor Knight and Georgia because it has its own five-star stud in Jacob Eason.

As for Alabama, remember that before Jalen Hurts emerged as a fringe Heisman Trophy candidate he was battling with Blake Barnett for the starting job. Had Patterson been at Alabama there wouldn’t have been a battle. I truly believe that.

Patterson just happened to start his college career as the backup to the most talented, albeit enigmatic and risky, quarterback in the SEC but now the super freshman is getting his chance. And after leading the Rebels to a comeback win on the road in front of 105,000 fans, the Patterson era has begun at Ole Miss.

Mainstream college football fans are getting to see what I saw for years: Patterson is special.

Two weeks ago Professor Farrell handed out grades to the first-year Power Five head coaches. One of those grades, a B to Georgia's Kirby Smart after a 4-4 start, elicited a strong reaction from readers. Heck, even Bulldog fans felt it was way too kind.

I had my reasoning, mainly the horrendous offensive line that Smart inherited. I thought that starting a true freshman quarterback would pay off down the line and Georgia would finish the season strong. Now, after wins over Kentucky and an upset over No. 9 Auburn, the naysayers have quieted down a bit.

Everything has been a struggle for Georgia this season, from Nicholls to Missouri to Kentucky and the team's loss to Vanderbilt, but Smart has done a very good job overall. There have been some questionable decisions along the way but you can see progress being made.

For example, Smart isn't given enough credit for his defensive gameplan against Auburn. Everyone points to how poorly Auburn played on offense and how Sean White was playing hurt, but what about the scheme Smart and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker used? Remember, this is an Auburn team that ranked in the national top five in rushing yards per game and was held to 127 yards on the ground and zero first downs in the second half.

Smart has inherited talent on offense and defense, there is no doubt about that. While the offensive woes continue with a weak group of receivers and an offensive line that can’t make room for superstar backs like Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, the defense has shown great improvement.

The nickname Kirby Dumb that has been used so often by opponents and even fans of Georgia football can be put aside. After all, a B grade makes you anything but dumb and Smart is starting to put things together.

I’m an idiot. I might as well start there since I am told that so often on social media and message boards. So this idiot, who predicted at the beginning of the season that Clemson would win the national title, plans to stick with his idiotic prediction.

Now you might be asking yourself why I would do that after the Tigers' 43-42 home loss to Pitt? Why would I double-down after Deshaun Watson threw more inexplicable passes, the Clemson running game was awful and the team's back seven looked clueless? Well, because I’m an idiot.

I honestly don’t think Clemson can beat Alabama the way both teams are currently playing, but I still think the Tigers have a better shot at giving the Crimson Tide a game than Ohio State, Michigan or Washington. But Clemson needs to get its act together first.

If Clemson wins out, the Tigers will obviously make the playoff and perhaps get a shot at Alabama. Maybe, just maybe, that will be when Dabo Swinney's 2016 team finally puts together a 60-minute game?

Clemson’s performance has been amazingly disappointing this season. And yet I’m still not giving up on my prediction. Right now, I’m an idiot who has a very small chance at ending up a genius. I just have to believe that, despite this run of very average play by the Tigers, the team I expected over the summer will eventually emerge before the season ends.