CFP - The Rose Bowl

Happy New Year loyal readers and welcome to the College Football Playoff. You're either Biff Tannen or looking through the rosiest of rose-colored glasses if you thought, prior to the season and as recently as November, that OU would be here. I myself have learned, gladly, not to bet against Baker Mayfield.

The Sooners take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the Rose Bowl. It's the first meeting between these two teams. The Sooners feature the Heisman Trophy winner, an historically great offense and a defense that plays well enough to win. The Bulldogs feature a dynamic running game and a "vaunted SEC defense". 

I'm feeling really good about this game.

OFFENSE

The other day I watched a 2017 season recap show. Granted, it's nothing but highlights. Holy smokes there are weapons all over the place for this team. Tell me how a defense is going to shut down Rod Anderson, Dmitri Flowers, Mark Andrews, CeeDee Lamb, Hollywood Brown and then keep Baker Mayfield contained while also dealing with the best offensive line in football.

Talking heads say that someone needs to shadow Mayfield every play. That's fine and dandy but teams have been "containing" him all year. He can run but it isn't always his first choice. He'll kill you with the pass. If you keep that LB in place to shadow him, he'll throw to the running back instead. Or vice versa. It's a real pick your poison situation.

I think the Sooners are going to spend a fair amount of time trying to beat the Dogs at their own game. That is, running right at them and then working that play action. It will be devastating. It will be beautiful.

Obvious OPOG is Baker. There's no mincing around at this point. The Sooners live and die with him.

DEFENSE

All my hopes and dreams rely on the idea that this D 1) plays to the level of its competition 2) gets jacked in big games 3) has made plays when it absolutely had to all season. They've also listened for the last month about how average they are so they'll have a massive chip on their shoulder. That's always a good situation for them.

Another positive is Georgia doesn't have a running quarterback. All the talk is about the two headed running monster of Nick Chubb and Sonny Michel. If you give Mikey Stoops one thing to focus on he's pretty good at shutting it down. And by the way, their numbers aren't all that much greater than Rod Anderson and Trey Sermon combined. Good numbers, yes, but not gaudy.

For my DPOG I'm going with Obo. I really want to go Caleb Kelly here too but I'll stick with this pick. Obo wants to be the leader. Let him lead.

THE GAME

This one could easily go either way. Could the Georgia D shut the offense down and then could the Georgia offense wear tracks down the Sooner D's backs? Or, will it prove true that the Georgia D has yet to see anything like what's about to hit them and the Sooner D can bow up when it matters most? We've seen both over the years.

It's the latter, friends. It's a new era. The offense is going to put up points. They are going to battle. They are going to make key plays. The Sooner D will step up.

The Sooners win 35-24.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner.