Jumbo Package: Apparently, there’s a football game tonight

Happy Monday, everyone. To start, Brett Hudson over at TideSports decided to do a rundown of nine moments that shaped the season. Read at your own risk. You have been warned, so there will be no refunds offered should it make you throw things.

Nothing of note is going on today, but some people are writing about an obscure college football game that was weirdly scheduled two weeks after the season ended.

SP+ projects a 32-29 LSU win, while ESPN’s FPI leans slightly toward Clemson. Laying out the matchups above reinforces just how even this game is on paper, and while I wouldn’t be surprised if the game is more high-scoring than the 61 combined points SP+ projects, I actually would be surprised if there aren’t quite a few plot twists and runs.

I was excited about this matchup when I began writing this, and I’m even more so now. Give me something like 39-36 LSU (I’ll say each team scores a touchdown more than the projection), but wow, could this be a fantastic game.

I’m going to keep saying it – Alabama was limping into Santa Clara last year. LSU is humming. The SEC Tigers can blow it up, they can win in tight battles, they can get physical, and they proved they could win every way in between.

Hold your nose and like the under on the 68. Six LSU games this year went under the mark. Granted, most of those were blowouts when the Utah State’s and Texas A&Ms of the world didn’t do much, but that Clemson D can play a little bit.

The line is more than fair. It started out at LSU -6, it’s down to -5 in some spots, and is just fine at LSU -5.5.

The time has come to pick a winner. From the Tuscaloosa perspective, there are positives and negatives to either option. Some Alabama fans like the SEC. Others like UA alumnus Dabo Swinney. Some consider a national championship won by a divisional rival to be bad mojo, particularly in recruiting. Others would prefer not to see Clemson win a second straight title.

No matter where an Alabama fan stands, he won’t be pulling for friends. LSU’s hatred for Alabama shows up in genome analysis. Clemson doesn’t have that long a history of hate but doesn’t have any reason to care about Alabama, either.

But fair is fair and the time has come to choose a winner, right or wrong. My pick is LSU. Call it 38-31.

Whatever. Most people seem to be picking LSU, which will do nothing but give a certain Dopey dwarf looking hayseed Pharisee something to whine about. If you wish, vote and give us your score in the comments. I would give mine, but I just don’t care.

Moving on, Ed Orgeron is trying much too hard to make us like him.

Dammit, Ed. Stop it.

Yes, he got a bit carried away in Tuscaloosa when he ended the eight year streak, but he’s a pretty likable character.

The Sporting News is already ranking the Top 25 for next season?

3. ALABAMA

The Crimson Tide may be without Tua Tagovailoa next season as well as the likes of Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III, but the Tide got huge news this week when Dylan Moses and DeVonta Smith both announced their intentions to return. The quarterback competition between Mac Jones, Taulia Tagovailoa and five-star recruit Bryce Young should be an interesting one. Alabama gets Georgia in its crossover game Week 3 in Tuscaloosa, and that will be one that everyone will have their eyes on. This was the first season that Alabama lost two regular season games since 2010, and the Tide will look to flip the script on that next season.

Beat the rush, I guess. Honestly, taking absolutely nothing away from Smith and Moses because both are huge for next season, I consider Alex Leatherwood and Landon Dickerson to be equally important. Who ends up starting at QB is far less critical than protecting him and having the ability to run the ball.

Saban is no longer the highest paid coach.

1. Dabo Swinney, Clemson, $9,315,600

The defending national champion pulled in more money than any other coach in the 2019, thanks to the biggest coaching contract in college football history.

Swinney’s salary is set to increase to $10,000,000 by the end of the 10-year deal, which he signed in April.

2. Nick Saban, Alabama, $8,857,000

For many years, Saban was at the top of the list. But Swinney’s record-breaking contract knocks the longtime Crimson Tide coach to the runner-up spot. He’ll take solace in making nearly $9 million, which doesn’t include the house the Crimson Tide Foundation bought for him.

The foundation paid $3.1 million for the home, according to AL.com.

“We just little ol’ Clempson, ain’t sposed to win nuthin’.”

Last, the women’s basketball team beat the snot out of Auburn, and that’s always a good thing.

Junior forward Jasmine Walker lead the team in points, earned her third double-double of the season as she recorded 23 points along with 10 rebounds. Junior guard Jordan Lewis scored 16 points, grabbed six rebounds and recorded a team-high five assists. Senior guard Cierra Johnson and junior forward Ariyah Copeland also contributed to the win tonight with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Alabama wraps up its two-game road trip in Knoxville as the Crimson Tide face off with No. 23 Tennessee.

Nice work. ladies. Hopefully the men can replicate on Wednesday.

That’s about it for today. Have a great week.

Roll Tide.