TAKE TWO: Will USC's new offensive approach be enough?
Twitter Tuesday makes its return this week, as does Southeast recruiting analyst Woody Wommack as the man answering your questions. To have your question included in future weeks, follow Woody on Twitter and tweet him your queries.
Because this question is sort of vague and I wanted to define what a “surprise” would be. I turned to the experts in Las Vegas for their early betting odds and there are the top 10 that I found. These are odds to win the national title, so using that I assume that the top four teams have the best odds to make the playoff.
1. Clemson
2. Alabama
3. Ohio State
4. Georgia
5. Michigan
6. Oklahoma
7. Texas
8. Nebraska
9. Washington
10. Florida
That list includes many of the teams that you would expect based on last season’s results, with one exception: Nebraska. After going 4-8 in 2018, I would still consider it a major surprise if the Huskers were able to make the College Football Playoff. The fact that they have better odds than Florida surprises me, but it’s not like Scott Frost hasn’t turned a middling team into a top-10 team in a year (see UCF going from 6-7 to 13-0 in 2016-17). If I were picking a team to swap with Nebraska in the top 10 in terms of odds, I might lean toward Oregon, especially considering the Ducks will be led by future first-round pick Justin Herbert in 2019.
I hate to go boring with this one but it’s pretty hard not to pick Georgia and Alabama to meet in the SEC Championship Game for the second-straight season. The weird thing is, despite the Tide and Dawgs playing for the national title following the 2017 season, a rematch in Atlanta in 2019 would just be the second time the two teams have played for the SEC crown since 2012. History says if any teams are going to upset the apple cart and spoil the rematch, it will be Auburn in the West and Florida in the East. It seems unlikely but as we saw with Kentucky being just one win away from the SEC East crown in 2018, anything is possible.
This question wasn’t originally asked as part of Twitter Tuesday, but I liked it so much that I thought I would include it in this week’s edition. This was asked in relation to the top 20 pre-National Signing Day Rivals.com Rankings. I take a look at each coach in the top 10 and do my best to predict their future.
Alabama – Nick Saban – Gone. He hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down but will he make it four more seasons? I’m going to lean toward the best-ever calling it a career prior to 2022.
Georgia – Kirby Smart – Stay. Smart is at his alma mater and I can’t see him leaving for anywhere but the NFL and even that’s a long shot.
Texas – Tom Herman – Stay. Herman is just getting things going at Texas and if it keeps going that way I expect him to be there in four years.
LSU – Ed Orgeron – Gone. Coach O is a Louisiana guy through and through, but unless he breaks through with an SEC West title I think the locals become restless.
Oklahoma – Lincoln Riley – Gone. I struggled with this one and Oklahoma fans will get mad at me for it, but I think if Riley wins a national title with the Sooners the lure of the NFL might be too much to pass up.
Texas A&M – Jimbo Fisher – Stay. Fisher’s massive contract will still be in place then and if he starts winning big it’s only likely to get extended.
Oregon – Mario Cristobal – Stay. This was another tough one but the fact that he didn’t jump at the chance to take the Miami job tells me he’s in with the Ducks for the long haul.
Clemson – Dabo Swinney – Stay. I almost said gone here, with the assumption that Swinney will be the top candidate to replace Saban at his alma mater, but by then the Tigers could have things rolling so well it would be too tough for Dabo to make a move.
Michigan – Jim Harbaugh – Gone. I thought Harbaugh would be a Michigan man for life, but even if the team breaks through and gets to the playoff I think he will eventually land back in the NFL.
Penn State – James Franklin – Gone. Franklin has done a nice job at Penn State but his name is already being mentioned on the coaching market. I could see him leaving at some point over the next few years.
