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Did Kyler Murray choose the right career path?

Being able to play professionally at the highest level in any sport is something that not all athletes can do. The everyday grind of a being a pro athlete takes a certain amount of tolerance both mentally and physically, while the attempt of separating yourself away from the rest of the field can be exhausting.

Oklahoma Sooner standout Kyler Murray not only took the entire college football world by storm this past fall on the gridiron, but he altered the entire direction of his future in the span of just four months.

The former backup quarterback to Baker Mayfield in 2017 took over the reins in August and never looked back. In 14 games as the starter he threw for 4,361 yards, 42 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He became just the second player to record at least 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a season, joining Clemson’s Deshaun Watson (2015). His ability to extend plays with his legs makes him one of the trickiest players to defend, but it is his pin-point accuracy that picks opposing defenses apart. He finished with a 199.2 pass efficiency rating, better than Baker Mayfield’s NCAA-record of 198.9 last year and the Sooners made the playoff for the second straight year while Murray claimed the Heisman Trophy for his on-field performances.

The crazy thing surrounding the quarterback prospect actually has nothing to do with football, or so many thought. Murray was drafted in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland A’s and signed a $4.6 million signing bonus last June. Knowing that he was a star two-sport athlete at Oklahoma, the Athletics let him continue his football career for the Sooners this past season.

What the Bay Area and many people outside of Norman, Oklahoma didn’t know was how this decision was going to play out. I mean seriously, who the hell saw this coming? A player drafted in the first round in the MLB was going to be the best college football player as well? Give me a break!

Not only did Oakland do their biggest prospect a favor, but they shot their own franchise in the foot without even knowing it. Murray declared for the NFL Draft and took part in the 2019 NFL Combine this past week. He is officially set on taking snaps under center this fall, but the question that increasingly looms on the horizon is: did he make the right decision?

By choosing to play football over baseball Murray is passing up a lot of money in both the short-term and long-term. He has to forfeit his $4.6 million baseball signing bonus and his rookie contract in the NFL will be a lot smaller than that of a top-tier baseball prospect.

Although there is far more guaranteed money in baseball (please see Bryce Harper Phillies contract), as well as no salary cap per say, one thing that Murray does have on his side is his position. Not only has the NFL made the QB position one of the safest by implementing new rules to protect them, but the game has changed so much in the past decade that organizations will do everything in their power to secure a high-caliber starter.

Sure, the presumption is that baseball is safer and you can have a longer career, but the reality is that quarterbacks are having longer shelf lives than ever before. Tom Brady and Drew Brees are both playing at elite levels well into their 40’s, and owners are throwing money at the position like crazy.

Would you rather be an outfielder for a small market franchise in the MLB or would you rather be the starting quarterback for an NFL team right out of college?

For Murray, he chose the NFL and it was a no-brainer. Did he really want to ride the bus in Topeka, Kansas playing A or AAA baseball for a year or did he want to become the star in America’s most popular sport?

The NFL Draft is over a month away and there is already more buzz surrounding this year’s Heisman Trophy winner than ever before. Arizona has the number one pick, but after drafting Josh Rosen a season ago, along with the hiring of Kliff Kingsbury as head coach this offseason, it is still a huge question mark as to where Murray will end up. Rumors of him going first-overall are high, but he will be a shoe-in top-10 pick at worst.

Wherever the Texas native lands next month, just know that he chose the correct career path. Murray is an absolute gamer and will cash in on numerous endorsement deals to compensate for his losses in baseball.

Passion and happiness outweighs money and regret every time. I’m all in on Kyler Murray!

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Mahomes, the Benefit of Being Patient, OT Controversy, MLB Playoffs and the Meltdown in Paris

Boston.com

He can’t sustain this high level of play. He can’t win in a tough road environment. He can’t win a mile up in the air. Teams will figure him out soon. The list goes on and on…but one thing remains the same–Patrick Mahomes keeps lighting it up.

Monday Night Football was the real coming out party for the Kansas City quarterback. The Chiefs were trailing by 10 points in the fourth quarter against a very good Denver defense who hadn’t lost at home when leading by double digits in over a decade. That’s when the crowd was silenced. Mahomes led the Chiefs down the field twice for touchdowns, including the play of the game on a critical third and five when he switched hands and threw for a short first down while evading Von Miller on the outside.

The Chiefs held strong on Denver’s final drive and they now sit in first place in the AFC. Through four games in 2018, Mahomes has 15 total touchdowns, 1,200 yards passing, a 65.2 completion percentage and ZERO interceptions. These are insane video game numbers that we are witnessing in real life. But we can’t give all the credit to the Tyler, TX native can we?

There is something to be said about gaining experience and getting thrown into the fire right away. You can learn from your mistakes quicker and you can take a lot of reps early on in your career. But the one downside that you cannot control is social media. No matter how well or how poorly you play Twitter will be right there waiting to destroy you every which way. The critics will be waiting for you to fail and if you are thrown into the ring on a historically poor franchise it can hinder your career from the beginning.

Just look at what it has done to some quarterbacks in the past. Matt Leinart in 2006 was gone in Arizona after failing to live up to his college Heisman potential, Brady Quinn for the Browns in 2007 and Tim Couch in 2001, JaMarcus Russell in 2007 for the Raiders and the ever so famous Ryan Leaf in 1998 for San Diego. All big time college prospects thrown onto the field too early because of how well they played when they were college kids.

I’m not saying it happens to everybody, but there are growing pains along the way and it takes a toll on certain players. Carson Wentz had a very solid first year for the Eagles in 2016 and turned around in 2017 and, if not for an injury, would have been the league MVP. There are some rare cases like this, but like I said…RARE.

The biggest benefit a young quarterback can have is to wait, especially if there is a talented veteran in front of him. But they don’t have to be all that talented. They just need to be able to show the rookie the ropes and the everyday process of playing under center. Just look at the most successful quarterbacks in the past decade-plus.

Tom Brady, drafted in the seventh round out of Michigan. Sat behind Drew Bledsoe for a full season before taking over the reins and winning the Super Bowl the following year…we all know the rest.  Aaron Rodgers sat behind Brett Favre in Green Bay for three season before taking over and also winning a Super Bowl, while becoming a generational talent in the league. Big Ben sat a few games before coming in, the list goes on. But we are also seeing this type of production in today’s game with Jared Goff in Los Angeles and Patrick Mahomes in KC.

It doesn’t have to be a full year, but it also doesn’t hurt to wait that long. Mahomes played in one game in his rookie season and sat behind Alex Smith while stating that it had done wonders for his career. Goff was in a Jeff Fisher running, old-school system before Sean McVay took over and altered his career. I’m not saying that everything is going to be perfect if you sit and wait. You obviously need a great offensive minded head coach or coordinator, and weapons surrounding the quarterback.

A lot of these “busts” became busts because of the system they were drafted into and how hot the coaches seat was when they arrived. It’s nice to get drafted in the top-5, but the benefit of slipping in the first round is far greater than people think. Just ask the Packers and Rodgers, or the Patriots and Brady.

Maybe being drafted first-overall as a quarterback isn’t the best long-term plan for your future. Only time will tell, but historically speaking if you look at how many quarterbacks went on to have successful, long-term careers the scales tip in favor of the players who got to learn behind veteran starters.

The NFL is changing and quarterbacks are getting significantly more prepared for the NFL, while the rules are only helping the position further. I hope that the 2018 quarterback class can be successful long-term as all four of the signal callers taken inside the top-10 are starting and it’s only Week 4. But at the end of the day it is a business and we will just have to wait and see.

Week 4 Recap

The Bills are still the Bills after getting blanked on the road at Lambeau Sunday afternoon just one week removed from upsetting the Vikings in Minneapolis. Josh Allen took a step backwards after looking like a veteran QB against Minnesota, but it was Rodgers who was upset after the Week 4 win.

Aaron called out the play calling and game flow, he was mad that they had to settle for field goals in the red zone, and he was just upset about the lack of targets that were designed for Devontae Adams, his main receiver. Anyways, the Packers are back in the win column, but have a lot of work to do? Who knows, Rodgers can be a diva at times.

Everybody knew the Bears defense was legit, but their offense? Well, it was non-existent through three weeks. However, that all changed Sunday in the Windy City. Somebody was under center wearing a Mitch Trubisky jersey and he broke the record for most passing touchdowns in a Bears uniform in franchise history (6). They absolutely routed the Buccaneers and likely ended the run of Ryan FitzMagic altogether. Oh, and they are in first place in the North.

The 45-10 route gave insight as to just how good the Bears might be, but also to how bad the Buccaneers defense is and maybe how bad the Pittsburgh Steelers actually are.

The Bucs lost 30-27 a week ago to Pittsburgh, but had two turnovers inside their own 25 yard line, one for a pick-six, and the Steelers scored zero second half points…what is going on it the Steel City?

Le’Veon Bell is rumored to report during the Steelers’ Week 7 Bye, but will he dress up for the black and yellow or will he be traded? That remains to be seen, but Pittsburgh’s offense is in shambles and clearly they need the third member of the Killer B’s. If I was the Steelers I would just sign him to a long-term deal now. I don’t think James Conner is the answer, although he is very good, but Bell is just an elite talent that opposing defenses must respect and he can sway game planning in Pitt’s favor.

I personally think he gets traded, especially after what happened to Doug Baldwin in Seattle. Trade him while you can and get something in return or risk losing him for nothing. The locker room appears as if it is already divided and if the offensive line is calling him out, then why would they block for somebody they have given up on?

New England has been and always will be a tease to the league in September. Once again, many had written them off (including myself, except I said they would still make playoffs) and they did what they have done the previous four seasons. Route an above .500 opponent one week after their record fell to 1-2 and all is good again. Oh yeah…Julian Edleman, Brady’s main receiver, returns from suspension this week. Good luck, AFC.

The Oakland Raiders handed Jon Gruden his first win in over a decade after one of the most exciting games of the week in the Bay Area. Another Browns OT thriller resulted in a loss, but not after controversy. Fumble, forward progress, whatever it may be…the Raiders took advantage and their kicker got second life to win the game.

The Browns loss secured an 0-4 showing from all four top-10 2018 QB picks in Week 4. Allen, Darnold, Mayfield and Rosen all came up empty handed, but the direction of the league looks to be in good hands.

Now, you didn’t actually think I was going to end this NFL recap without mentioning the Frank Reich OT fourth down call did you?

C’mon. That was the highlight of the week! The Colts had an epic comeback fall short in overtime after deciding to go for it inside their own territory with under :30 seconds remaining. Now, they did not convert and Houston converted a pass to get into FG range, and eventually won, but I agree with the call. Never play for a tie. Ever. Trust your players, and let them trust you.

First year head coach, trying to make a statement with his MVP caliber QB who just threw two touchdowns to tie the game before the end of regulation. That was absolutely the right call. That’s the media, though. You convert…you’re a hero, if not, you wake up Monday morning and you’re the headline on national news. I love it. Great call, Reich.

MLB Playoffs Preview

The Hunt for October has officially ended, which means one thing…playoff baseball is back!

After the NL West and the NL Central had a dead tie after 162 games both divisions did a one-game playoff for the title. What made this game even more interesting was the strategy that was involved. Losers meet-up in the Wild Card play-in-game this evening, while the winners rest and host the Wild Card round at home.

Madness!

Milwaukee won at Wrigley and the Dodgers won at home, so Colorado travels east to Chicago for the first Wild Card match-up tonight.

The Atlanta Braves and Dodgers will now meet in round one while the winner of the play-in-game will travel to Wisconsin to take on Christian Yelich and the red-hot Brewers.

The Yankees host the Athletics in the AL Wild Card game tomorrow night and the Red Sox await the winner at Fenway. If the MLB faithful do not get the epic Sox-Yanks playoff series it has been waiting 14 years for then it will be a bloody shame. You all know where I stand on this bull s*** play-in-game format, but it could come back and bite the league in the rear.

The defending World Series champion Houston Astros host the Cleveland Indians in the other American League match-up.

Personally, I love October baseball. But it is even more entertaining when the Sox and Yankees and both in it. Both have 100-plus wins and their rosters are just as good, if not better than the 2004 meeting.

Aaron Judge is back and healthy along with Gary Sanchez for the record-setting home run hitting Yankees and they have one of the best power hitting rosters in the league with the addition of Giancarlo Stanton. Potential Rookie of the Year candidates Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres are also a threat to Oakland and the AL, which is why I am picking the Bronx Bombers to come out of the AL.

The Red Sox bullpen and starting rotation is so deep, and so is Houston’s, but their is no easy out in the Yankees lineup. Mookie Betts is going to win the MVP in the AL but he is known for his postseason struggles. If it were a seven game series I would possibly think about taking the Red Sox, but in a best-of-five I’ll take New York.

In the West I really like the Milwaukee Brewers, but the inexperience deters me from taking them. Yelich has been the best player in all of baseball since July, but playoff baseball is another breed (just ask Clayton Kershaw).

I know they played last night, and I know they have to win a play-in-game to advance, but I think the Chicago Cubs come out of the NL. They have a deep starting rotation and have unbelievable defense. Like the Dodgers, they have experience of making the World Series, but I believe they have the better manager overall in Joe Maddon.

Atlanta and Milwaukee’s inexperience will show and it will be another epic NLCS between the Cubbies and Dodgers.

Prediction- Yankees over the Cubs in 6 games.

Ryder Cup

What a disastrous showing for Team USA from top to bottom. I’m not even going to get into the mess that transpired. Europe knows how to play team golf and America doesn’t. The struggle on European soil continues for another four years, but at least Patrick Reed kept quiet after he had a losing record in Paris…what a joke.

Is it April yet?

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Tiger, Baker Mayfield, Crazy Shark Attack Out West, and Clemson’s Fabio

AOL.com

TIGER WOODS IS BACK! Who would have thought this statement would have ever been stated again given his injury ridden past along with the 2009 meltdown?

Well, here we are and it could not have come at a better time. Sunday evening in Atlanta, Georgia, the 42-year-old defied all odds and won the Tour Championship, his first PGA Tour win in over five years. What made this win at the East Lake Golf Club special was the movie scene walking up the 18th fairway as McIlroy and Woods were laughing and witnessing one of the greatest comebacks in the modern era.

Thousands of fans were following the Stanford alum up to the putting green on the final hole of the PGA season and nobody could have scripted what took place. Chants of TIGER, TIGER, TIGER echoed across the entire country and Woods nearly broke down in tears before his birdie putt. A finish that was something I will remember for the rest of my life.

Woods led the Tour Championship after his first day 65, followed by a 68 Friday and a remarkable 65 on moving day that included six birdies through the first seven holes. He entered Sunday with a four stroke lead and an outside shot of winning the FedEx Cup playoffs, but he needed a lot of help. Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas had to finish outside of the top-2, Keegan Bradley had to finish worse than second, and Tony Finau had to finish outside of third place while Justin Rose had to finish inside the top-5.

Everything went according to plan and Tiger had to dodge one more bullet on his way to the title. Rose had a brutal front nine and at one point was sitting in seventh place. His bogey on 16 made for great TV and his missed birdie putt on 17 set up for a dramatic finish. He needed a birdie on 18 to finish in 5th place and to win the FedEx Cup and it was his best hole of the weekend by far. On in two, two putt birdie, $10 million prize along with bragging rights heading into the Ryder Cup. Not a bad weekend for the Englishmen himself, but the real story was Tiger.

Although Woods didn’t win the yearly playoff, he is now the most feared man in golf just in time for the epic Ryder Cup showdown in Paris, France this weekend. After failing to play for Team USA in 2016 at Hazeltine, Tiger and America will be a heavy favorite as they try to win on European Soil for the first time in 25 years.

USA is hungry to retain the title and they will be led by the greatest player to ever swing a golf club who is chomping at the bit to prove to everybody that last weekend wasn’t a fluke and he is here to stay for a few more years to come.

Enjoy it, Tiger. It is only just the start of something special!

Ranking the Greatest Comebacks in Sports

Tiger’s win on Sunday got me to thinking; what are some of the greatest sports comebacks in my lifetime?

Below are my top-5 epic comebacks that shook the country.

5- 2010-Auburn defeats Alabama 28-27

Cam Newton rallied the Auburn Tigers from down 24-0 in Tuscaloosa after one of the greatest second half performances of his collegiate career. Newton pulled it off on the road in the Iron Bowl, and also secured a BCS Title berth and the Heisman Trophy in doing so. Incredible.

4-2010 Flyers defeat Bruins 4-3 in Conference Semi Finals.

Trailing 0-3 in the seven game series and three to nothing after the first period in Game 7, the Broad Street Bullies rallied from behind to stun the Boston Bruins in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. They became the third NHL team to pull of the 0-3 comeback in history.

3-2016 New England defeats Atlanta 34-28 in the Super Bowl

After trailing 28-3 towards the end of the third quarter, Tom Brady and Co. orchestrated the largest Super Bowl comeback in history. They rallied behind a few key defensive stops, and one of the best to ever do it brought the troops back to tie in the final minute and then won it on the first drive of OT.

2- 2016 Cleveland defeats Golden State 4-3 in NBA Finals

The Cavs trailed 3-1 in the series and a Draymond Green kick to the thigh forced the Warriors to play short-handed in Game 4 (the turning point). Klay Thompson called out LeBron and the rest is history. The King averaged a 30-plus point triple-double from that moment on and the Cavs took the next three, including two at Oakland to win Cleveland’s first title since the 1960’s.

1 – 2003 Boston Red Sox defeat New York Yankees 4-3 in ALCS

One of the greatest rosters ever assembled held a 3-0 lead in the series and were seeking their third straight World Series appearance. The Yankees had a chance to sweep on the road at Fenway in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and no runners on. Mariano Rivera was on the mound and it seemed like a foregone conclusion. A blooper to center field put the Sox on first and Dave Roberts stole second and eventually another single tied it. The Sox walked off an inning later and eventually won the next three games to later end the 100-year curse of the Bambino and win the World Series.

NFL Week 3

From stunning upsets to season ending injuries to video game numbers yet again, it was another wild weekend in the National Football League.

In a game that was a sure-fire lock to hit the over, Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to another double digit victory over Jimmy Garappolo and the Niners. The second-year pro threw for another three touchdowns in the first half and the Chiefs were up huge at recess. He continued his video game stat line and now has the record for most passing touchdowns through the first three weeks with 13. Stay hot Patty!

On the other hand, Jimmy Guap was orchestrating a second half comeback of his own and pulled San Francisco within 10, but not before deciding to fight for extra yards and not run out of bounds, tearing his ACL. The Niners not only lost the game but also their franchise QB for the year. A promising end to 2017 set up for a potential run at the postseason, but that is now an afterthought as the crimson and gold have lost both their starting running back and quarterback to ACL injuries in 2018.

My Minnesota Vikings were 17 point home favorites against the depleted Buffalo Bills and laid one of the biggest eggs in Minneapolis history this past Sunday. Rookie QB Josh Allen led the Bills to 17 first quarter points after two Kirk Cousins fumbles gave them possession in the Red Zone. The seventh overall pick this past April was shredding our defense with his legs and literally hurdled Anthony Barr at midfield. He literally hurdled him…when the hell is the last time we have seen this from a signal caller? I have no clue.

The Vikes offensive line has plenty of issues right now and they cannot seem to give Cousins time or running backs any holes. Everson Griffen did not play and his mental state is not doing well. This is a significant loss for the team as he led the Vikes in sacks a year ago and is a critical piece to that defense. I hope he seeks the help he needs as this is a serious issue that I hope he can overcome. I wish you the best EG, get well!

Green Bay also lost on the road in Washington, but not without controversy surrounding Clay Matthews once again. This time it was for a sack where he was flagged for roughing the passer. Once again, he was called for driving the QB into the turf, however, in my opinion; it was just a football tackle. Sure, he landed on Alex Smith, but should it have been flagged? I don’t think so and neither did Packers head coach Mike McCarthy who looked like he was going to obliterate the ref. And, yet again, the NFL backed the call on the field…shocker!

This NFL rule is getting out of hand again for the third straight week and the league is meeting to discuss it further today. I get it, I really do. The league wants its stars on the field. They want the Aaron Rodgers versus Tom Brady on Sunday Night Football, they want Hollywood. They most certainly do not want Deshone Kizer versus Trevor Siemian. But…jobs are being impacted by this rule. Field position is being altered and teams are struggling to figure out just how to approach the quarterback.

I agree that lifting and driving a QB should be a flag or hitting him low or even late for that matter, but the ones that really piss me off are the ones like Matthews is getting or the one that Jason Pierre-Paul was called for on Monday Night Football in which he tapped Big Ben on the helmet and he rolled around like Neymar at the World Cup. The NFL better figure it out soon and before the players decide to hold out against the refs as it was the opposite in 2012 (although that was for money and had nothing to do with flags!).

The Lions took down the Patriots Sunday night, handing Tom Brady and Bill Belichick their first back-to-back double digit losses since 2002 (last time Tom has missed the playoffs). The two have been rumored to be in a feud and it showed mid-way through the first half where Tom was yelling and tossing his helmet on the sideline.

The offense has been nonexistent and Rob Gronkowski is even rattled. It could be turning around soon as the Pats traded for Josh Gordon last week and they return Julian Edelman in Week 5 from a suspension. The defense has holes all over and the secondary can’t even help cover the spread. I wouldn’t say it is time to panic in New England, but when a former coach beats Bill on a big time stage (rarely happens; congrats Matt Patricia), then it could be the start of the end in Foxborough.

The NFC North looks nothing as predicted. The Bears are in first place after scoring only four offensive touchdowns in three games. The Vikes and Pack are tied for second at 1-1-1, and the Lions are in last at 1-2.

Baker Mayfield led a comeback against the Jets, but I won’t be too quick to give him this “elite” status that many have tagged him with. Yes, he helped the Browns win their first game since Christmas time 2016, but it was against a depleted Jets defense that ranks 29th in total defense, the franchise was playing its third game in 10 days and nobody expected Tyrod to leave mid-game. New York had zero tape on the rookie and a fumble in the third quarter gave the 2017 Heisman the ball on the Jets’ eight yard line.

A win is a win, and tip of the cap to Baker, but I won’t be giving him credit until I see him carve a defense at the pro level like he did in the first half against Georgia on New Year’s Day.

Shark Attack out West

The 2018 NHL season is right around the corner and the Washington Capitals will look to claim their second Stanley Cup in as many years…if they aren’t still hungover beyond the All-Star break!

On the other side of the country on the West Coast, San Jose failed to land John Tavares in July, but took a huge bite this past weekend when the Pacific water was the warmest. The Sharks pulled off a blockbuster trade for the league’s best defenseman, Erik Karlsson.

The two-time Norris Trophy winner will now lead the deepest blue line in the entire league that consists of Karlsson, 2016-17 Norris winner Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Justin Braun and Joakim Ryan. PSA: good luck getting behind this back-end.

The trade marked the final stage of the Ottawa Senators rebuilding project, but now San Jose will be a heavy favorite to come out of not just the Pacific Division, but the Western Conference. They have depth up front and a steady goaltender in Martin Jones, and they will look to build off of a Stanley Cup run in 2016 and a second round loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in April heading into 2018.

If the Swedish defenseman can stay healthy then I don’t know who will beat this roster. But that is a big “if.” He has an injury ridden past, but he will definitely not have to play the same amount of minutes as he did in Ottawa. San Jose ranked T-9 in goals against per game and 13th in goals for a season ago, and the addition of Karlsson will only improve these numbers and also add to a power play that ranked 15th in 2017-18.

Clemson’s Fabio

One of the nation’s most highly touted freshmen prospects has been officially named the starter for Clemson University. First-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence has taken the reins over from the 2017 ACC Champion Kelly Bryant for Saturday’s tilt against Syracuse.

The news to me wasn’t quite shocking and I have said before that he will take over and should take over by Halloween, but I did not think that Dabo Swinney was going to make the move this soon, however. What makes the case even more interesting is that Bryant failed to attend practice Tuesday and stated that he was transferring this morning.

We saw this with Tua and Jalen Hurts at Alabama, although Hurts decided to stick it out. Quarterbacks are getting better and you must simply perform at your highest potential every single week. Although in Clemson’s case it was quite unique as Bryant wasn’t “struggling,” he just wasn’t given enough rope to get into a rhythm.

Lawrence is an absolute stud and he even looks the part out on the gridiron. I’m tagging him with the nickname right now-Phi Tau Fabio. He looks like an absolute frat star with that long, golden hair flying around on the field, covering his name tag. Some might call it Tom Brady 2007-esque, and it screams college football. I can relate to the style as I used to wear my hair the same way back in middle-school. I absolutely love it! He is an elite pocket passer and can make every throw. He can beat you with his legs, but it’s his cannon of an arm that will shred collegiate defenses.

I believe that Swinney went with this decision because it was just too much of a distraction rotating them in and out every other drive and he finally trusts Lawrence to take over for good. Clemson’s defense is legit and they have arguably one of the nation’s top front sevens. The move to Phi Tau Fabio gives the University its best chance of taking down Alabama and it is the correct choice.

It takes a lot of stones to make the move away from a quarterback who led the 2017 Tigers to a College Football Playoff berth, especially to a freshman, but Lawrence is legit. He will be the next Aaron Rodgers at the pro level and will help turnaround a disgruntled NFL franchise in due time.

Fabio is the real deal and the Crimson Tide should be somewhat worried come January.