Brandon Lang
200 dimes - Alabama Crimson Tide -5.5 over the Clemson Tigers
200 dimes - Alabama Crimson Tide -5.5 over the Clemson Tigers
Why do y’all care who he has? You think he has never won a game and it’s an auto loss and y’all need to flip sides. Dude wins and dude loses. Probably loses more than he wins, but he is strong in big games. He has an incredible documented Super Bowl record. He also just nailed a 150 dimer on Bolts yesterday. He wins and loses, his picks shouldn’t impact yours... if anything follow in the big games.
Brandon Lang
My 200 Dime selection is Clemson over Alabama
The current line on this game is +5 1/2 in Vegas and offshore. Be sure to shop around for the best price available.
ANALYSIS ...
For me the right side of the game is the boys wearing orange jersey's.
There are so many plot lines in breaking down this game. So many match ups from the head coaches to the d'lines to the backs and receivers.
For me this game comes down to one thing and one thing only, the play of Clemson freshman QB Trevor Lawrence.
All I have heard all week is no true freshman is beating Nick Saban.
Fair enough. Very valid argument. History shows it's a tough thing to do.
However, if you haven't seen Lawrence play, he doesn't play like a freshman.
He made his first start at home against Syracuse and was knocked out of the game in the 2nd quarter of the Tigers come from behind 27-23 win.
Over his next 9 games including the 27-point win over Notre Dame in the semi's, this kid plays like a senior ready for the NFL draft.
Against a top 10 Irish defense, he went 27 of 39 for 327 yards and 3 touchdowns. The moment was NOT to big for him and he played like it.
For the year, he has thrown for 27 touchdowns on just 4 interceptions, the same amount of interceptions Bama's Tua Tagovailoa has thrown this season.
After the near miss against the Cuse, Clemson has won their last 9 games by an average of 38 points a game. 38!!!!!!!
Of those 9 wins, 6 were against bowl teams highlighted by the 63-3 win at Wake Forest, 34 point win over NC State and the 29 point win over Duke.
In the ACC championship game they hammered Pitt 42-10 and after the game Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi has something very interesting to say.
"They'll probably win the national championship. It's as good a football team from the front end to the back end as far as talent goes."
I'm not worried one bit about young Mr. Lawrence tonight.
As for Alabama, this is arguably the best throwing QB that NIck Saban has ever had leading the best offense he has ever had.
It will be a challenge for the Clemson defense, minus their best player to slow them down but, and this is a big but, I believe they will.
Alabama is not invincible. Just ask football powerhouse, Citadel, who as a 53 1/2 point underdog stood toe to toe with the Bama, tied 10-10 at the half.
Yes, Alabama woke up in the 2nd half to win 50-17 but that first half at home shows, this Alabama team is human after all.
Folks, it was 4 years ago when Clemson got to the BCS championship game, looked Alabama in the eye and said, "You better get used to seeing us.
They lost that day 45-40 but they walked away as a program with the belief that we just punched the bully in the mouth and were not scared of you.
The very next year they beat the Alabama 35-31, announcing to the college football world, "we're here to stay.'
Last year they met in the semi's, Clemson was just as good as Alabama but Swinney was stuck with a one dimensional QB in Kelly Bryant and lost 24-6.
Trevor Lawrence is not Kelly Bryant.
Swinney has built this program to elite status. He has finally gotten Clemson to the Alabama level and tonight, he and his program go beyond.
I expect Clemson to this game outright and I don't even think it will be as close as people think, but I will never pass up points when they are there for the taking.
Clemson 41-31
My 200 Dime selection is Clemson over Alabama
The current line on this game is +5 1/2 in Vegas and offshore. Be sure to shop around for the best price available.
ANALYSIS ...
For me the right side of the game is the boys wearing orange jersey's.
There are so many plot lines in breaking down this game. So many match ups from the head coaches to the d'lines to the backs and receivers.
For me this game comes down to one thing and one thing only, the play of Clemson freshman QB Trevor Lawrence.
All I have heard all week is no true freshman is beating Nick Saban.
Fair enough. Very valid argument. History shows it's a tough thing to do.
However, if you haven't seen Lawrence play, he doesn't play like a freshman.
He made his first start at home against Syracuse and was knocked out of the game in the 2nd quarter of the Tigers come from behind 27-23 win.
Over his next 9 games including the 27-point win over Notre Dame in the semi's, this kid plays like a senior ready for the NFL draft.
Against a top 10 Irish defense, he went 27 of 39 for 327 yards and 3 touchdowns. The moment was NOT to big for him and he played like it.
For the year, he has thrown for 27 touchdowns on just 4 interceptions, the same amount of interceptions Bama's Tua Tagovailoa has thrown this season.
After the near miss against the Cuse, Clemson has won their last 9 games by an average of 38 points a game. 38!!!!!!!
Of those 9 wins, 6 were against bowl teams highlighted by the 63-3 win at Wake Forest, 34 point win over NC State and the 29 point win over Duke.
In the ACC championship game they hammered Pitt 42-10 and after the game Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi has something very interesting to say.
"They'll probably win the national championship. It's as good a football team from the front end to the back end as far as talent goes."
I'm not worried one bit about young Mr. Lawrence tonight.
As for Alabama, this is arguably the best throwing QB that NIck Saban has ever had leading the best offense he has ever had.
It will be a challenge for the Clemson defense, minus their best player to slow them down but, and this is a big but, I believe they will.
Alabama is not invincible. Just ask football powerhouse, Citadel, who as a 53 1/2 point underdog stood toe to toe with the Bama, tied 10-10 at the half.
Yes, Alabama woke up in the 2nd half to win 50-17 but that first half at home shows, this Alabama team is human after all.
Folks, it was 4 years ago when Clemson got to the BCS championship game, looked Alabama in the eye and said, "You better get used to seeing us.
They lost that day 45-40 but they walked away as a program with the belief that we just punched the bully in the mouth and were not scared of you.
The very next year they beat the Alabama 35-31, announcing to the college football world, "we're here to stay.'
Last year they met in the semi's, Clemson was just as good as Alabama but Swinney was stuck with a one dimensional QB in Kelly Bryant and lost 24-6.
Trevor Lawrence is not Kelly Bryant.
Swinney has built this program to elite status. He has finally gotten Clemson to the Alabama level and tonight, he and his program go beyond.
I expect Clemson to this game outright and I don't even think it will be as close as people think, but I will never pass up points when they are there for the taking.
Clemson 41-31
