Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Live right here on this second day of 2025 on the early line on SportsGrid, a day we did not anticipate previewing a college football playoff game.
00:12Originally scheduled for New Year's Day, a triple header and a nightcap in New Orleans, in the Sugar Bowl between 2 seed Georgia and 7 seed Notre Dame.
00:21But of course, after the early morning hours and a terrorist attack in the Big Easy, in the French Quarter, a driver plowing a car through a pedestrian crowd on Bourbon Street,
00:32killing 15 people, injuring more than 35 others.
00:37It is with heavy hearts and a lot of significance that we look at today's Sugar Bowl as it was rescheduled from 8.45 last night to 4 p.m. Eastern on this Thursday.
00:48Before we get into the game, DRS, I do feel it bears repeating. It's a really strange circumstance to be playing this game.
00:56The right decision was made yesterday to postpone it until this afternoon.
01:02It's a weird dichotomy that sports often operates in the real world and where really significant and oftentimes tragic things can play out that also impact the sports landscape.
01:16But sport at its best, college football at its best, is filled with passion, excitement, tradition, pageantry, and can be an escape from harder times.
01:27It is going to be an interesting atmosphere, of course, in the Big Easy and for a community that is reeling.
01:34All of our love and thoughts with everybody impacted by the terror attack in New Orleans.
01:42So that atmosphere will be a little bit strange for the Sugar Bowl.
01:45I hope in its essence it can provide a little bit of relief from what is going on right now in the matchup that we will have between Georgia and Notre Dame.
01:56Yeah, there's going to be a lot of emotion in this building and not just the emotion from the college football playoff being in town and both of these teams' fan bases being excited.
02:04The emotion of you just witnessed a tragedy, but as you said, Ben, life still goes on.
02:08How do they recognize this?
02:09Because they've also been talking to most of the coaching staff.
02:12Notre Dame talking about rallying for New Orleans.
02:14We'll probably see a patch or a sticker on the helmet, and we'll get a lot of this stuff up to the pregame here, even though it's not a night game at this point.
02:21So understand this.
02:22Life does go on, but compassion also goes along with life, and you're going to find that out tonight.
02:26These kids also have the ability to compartmentalize all of this that's going on.
02:31And also keep in mind, this isn't something, Ben, where they're playing in the Rose Bowl and this took place in Miami Beach.
02:36It's like, oh, that's devastating, but it's tough to think about.
02:39You are in town.
02:40You're thinking about, what happens if this was a day or two earlier?
02:43Because you know the kids, what they want to do.
02:45Who doesn't want to see Bourbon Street when you're in New Orleans at that point?
02:48Probably walking along that same path days early and thinking about, boy, that could have been me.
02:52Or how about this when you hear this tragedy?
02:54You know their family and friends and the fan bases are in town.
02:57What they were thinking right away when they woke up and heard this was my dad there, was my mom there, was my brother there, was my best friend down on the street.
03:03So it's amazing the ability that these athletes have to rise to the occasion and say, you know what?
03:08We still have a job to do on the football field, understanding the devastating totalities.
03:13There's fatalities, I should say, that happened on Bourbon Street.
03:15But we still have a football game to play.
03:17And we owe it to our fan bases and the nation to play it to above our best.
03:20Because as we know as U.S. citizens, life goes on, man.
03:23Nothing's going to keep us down, tragedy or not.
03:25You're going to show your best face at this moment.
03:27And those kids are going to do that tonight for us.
03:30And just because a football game is being played in New Orleans does not mean the scene in New Orleans outside of the Superdome feels any less hectic or devastating at this moment.
03:42But the game will be played at 4 p.m. Eastern time.
03:45You hope to not be inconsiderate, but express some compassion and allow football to be a little bit of that reprieve for more difficult things happening elsewhere.
03:56The game itself, the Sugar Bowl, and a spot in the college football playoff semifinal exactly one week from today in South Beach against Penn State in the Orange Bowl.
04:07It's the two-seed Georgia and the seven-seed Notre Dame.
04:10In terms of the odds, we have seen a flip even if it is as slight as three cents on the money line.
04:18For most of this week, Georgia was a slight favorite.
04:22Two and a half points.
04:23A point and a half.
04:25Yesterday on New Year's Day, a slight favorite on the money line.
04:29They were minus 111.
04:31Notre Dame was minus 108.
04:33But Donnie, three cents is three cents.
04:35It is basically a pick-em.
04:38So tell us, who wins the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on this Thursday afternoon?
04:43If Carson Beck was still the quarterback for Georgia, and I always preface this by saying, he'd probably have the season he thought he was going to have.
04:50I'd be leaning towards Georgia winning this football game, and that spread would not be plus one and a half for Georgia at the FanDuel Sportsbook.
04:56They would be a favorite.
04:57So that's good.
04:58So now that adjusted into the line.
05:00But I do think Notre Dame, if the structure comes down to who can move the football easily, I don't know if that's going to happen.
05:06Which is why you have that total bet at 45 and a half.
05:08We're looking at 55 and a half, 65 and a half, a shootout that's going to take place.
05:11But when the plays need to be made, can Gunnar Stockton make those plays?
05:15Or is he just going to try to make some plays with his feet?
05:18The one thing we do know, Riley Leonard has played a lot of college football in his career.
05:23He's taken thousands of snaps.
05:25He's been in big game environments already.
05:27Now, you do like the fact that Gunnar Stockton was inserted into the last game they played and finally pulled out a championship, which is kind of crazy.
05:34But he wasn't the catalyst for that.
05:36He was just basically, OK, let me make a few plays here and there, not try to make mistakes, even though he had an interception.
05:41So for me, at the most important position in sports, Notre Dame has a big advantage.
05:46As we pointed out, is there a big advantage between SEC Georgia's defense and Notre Dame's defense at this point?
05:52I think you could maybe call that a coin toss at this point, maybe give the leg up to Notre Dame here.
05:56So for me, I'm looking at Notre Dame.
05:58I think Notre Dame wins this football game, Ben.
06:01Statistically, Notre Dame has been the better defense all year long.
06:06But Georgia, in its biggest games of the year, has always risen to the occasion.
06:11It is what Kirby Smart does better than anybody else currently in this sport.
06:15He is a master motivator.
06:17He can take a false narrative that he begins and make it seem like a theme for his team the entirety of a season.
06:25To what I am referencing, in the two matchups against Texas, for a Georgia defense that, based on the stats, has been as bad as we have seen in the last five years in Athens.
06:35But in their two biggest games in each against Texas, including with an SEC title at stake, Georgia matched the moment.
06:44They allowed, against the Longhorns, who of course will play in the college football playoff semifinal as well,
06:5060 total rushing yards over the course of two games on 55 total attempts from Texas.
06:57That is 1.1 yard per carry.
07:02For a Georgia defense that all year has allowed 128 yards per game on average, including the Texas matchups, that would be the worst mark since 2018.
07:13That would be the biggest challenge, DRS, for UGA's defense.
07:16A Notre Dame rushing attack that is top ten in the country, averaging 222 yards per game.
07:22Where the quarterback, Riley Leonard, can utilize his athleticism alongside a great duo in the backfield of Jeremiah Love and Jadarion Price.
07:31We'll see if Georgia can answer the bell once again.
07:35But the biggest question for this game is no doubt the starter for Georgia at the quarterback spot, making his first career start.
07:42That is Gunnar Stockton.
07:45175.5 is his number.
07:47This will be his fourth appearance of the season.
07:50The second half and OT in the SEC championship game.
07:5412-16, 71 yards, and an interception.
07:58He also carried it eight times for eight yards, showing a little bit of athleticism.
08:04The previous two appearances that Gunnar Stockton made this year against UMass and Tennessee Tech in routes.
08:12But I will say this, DRS.
08:14I talk about Kirby Smart being the master motivator.
08:17Maybe it's coach speak, but it feels like UGA's mentality.
08:20Kirby and the rest of this roster believes in the sophomore from Tiger, Georgia.
08:26Kirby, in the lead-up to this game, said that Gunnar Stockton makes the other players around him play harder.
08:32Kind of a shot to Carson Beck, but also could be a resounding sentiment for what this Georgia team feels about its new starting signal caller.
08:40It is kind of crazy, the narrative that we're building around this, too.
08:43Because you're even hearing, like, well, hey, Carson Beck drives around in a Lambo around campus.
08:47This guy drives a 1982 truck with thrift.
08:49I mean, I understand you want to build him up.
08:51And Kirby Smart's not going to be like, you know what?
08:53Once we got Carson Beck hurt at the half, you know what?
08:55I don't even want to go to college football playoff.
08:57It's not fair to the other teams.
08:58We're not as good without Carson Beck.
08:59They have to pump him up.
09:00Some of the kids talking about it, you know, players on the team.
09:03Boy, in practice, man.
09:04I mean, he's a fearless quarterback.
09:06Like, we know they're going to say that.
09:07But understand this.
09:08This isn't a walk-one freshman that was six-string that somehow found his way into this picture.
09:13It's a five-star recruit who was damn good in high school.
09:17We'll talk about the players that will impact the outcome next.
09:21As we get you set for the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, now we look at the player prompts and the individuals that, of course, will dictate the outcome of our final.
09:29College football playoff quarterfinal.
09:32DRS, this is our eighth game of the first ever 12-team CFP.
09:37It features the lowest total at 45 and a hook of any of the eight.
09:42So, how much offense will we see?
09:45How many overs might we see from these player prompts listed on your screen?
09:49With the biggest question for the actual football game, Gunnar Stockton, Georgia's new starting quarterback.
09:56175 in a hook is his passing yards prompt.
10:00Donnie, if he goes over that, is it necessarily a great thing for Georgia?
10:05Or could it mean they are trailing in playing from behind for most of the football game?
10:11You know what?
10:12I don't think it's that case.
10:13I actually think he would be playing from ahead in the first half, which means that they're going to be more aggressive.
10:17And he might be able to hit some of those shots.
10:19And by the way, Vanderbilt Sportsbook, as you see that graphic, 175 and a half.
10:22Now up to 181 and a half here live for him.
10:24So, people are betting that Gunnar is going to have a decent football game.
10:27Riley Leonard at the 180 and a half.
10:29And then the passing touchdown market here.
10:31Over one and a half, which means each one of these quarterbacks will score two touchdowns.
10:34Plus 174 for Stockton.
10:36Plus 205 for Riley Leonard.
10:39So, those games that you think will be a little bit lower scoring, you're going to get that added boost if you think there might be a semblance of offense.
10:44But for me, it's not necessarily the pass, you know, throwers.
10:48It's the pass catchers that we're going to look at in a few moments.
10:51But as you said, Donnie, which quarterback would you actually take to go over that number?
10:55To be honest, I think it might be Gunnar Stockton.
10:57I really do.
10:58Because I think his weapons at wide receiver are more in tune for the big play than Notre Dame's weapons at wide receiver to do that.
11:05And again, Notre Dame operates under Mike Denbrock with Riley Leonard, an experienced quarterback.
11:11Oftentimes, like the triple option.
11:13Riley Leonard running the football.
11:15Jeremiah Love running the football.
11:17With excellence in Jodarion Price as well.
11:20It is not necessarily shotgun.
11:23Spread it out.
11:24Drop back.
11:25Air it down the field.
11:2645 plus yards.
11:27Riley Leonard in the opening CFP game against Indiana.
11:3023 of 32.
11:32201 yards.
11:34A touchdown, albeit that early interception that was deflected.
11:38The 32 attempts for Riley Leonard against IU tied for the second most he has had this year.
11:44His most this season in a Notre Dame uniform?
11:4733.
11:48They are not looking to air it out against this Georgia defense that has struggled to contain the run in large part this year outside of each of their two matchups against Texas.
11:59Georgia has played four games against three teams that reached the college football playoff.
12:05They are perfect.
12:064-0 straight up and against the spread.
12:09The other nine, UGA is 0-9, ATS.
12:13Notre Dame against non-MAC opponents.
12:1510-0 and one against the number with an average margin of victory at nearly 28 points per game with a scoring offense putting up 42 points per game in those 11 over in seven of the 11.
12:31But DRS, again, you see that total right there, 45 and a hook.
12:35You mentioned the pass catchers for either side.
12:38Who has your attention for the Sugar Bowl and the Big Easy?
12:41Well, that's the question, right?
12:43But also, as we just talked about the quarterbacks, 180, 175 and a half, we're talking about those numbers.
12:48The highest priced wide receiver tonight is going to be Arian Smith for Georgia, 36 and a half.
12:54You have starters out here, Ben, that have played hundreds of snaps this year in the 20s.
12:59You just have to make that decision where you don't get left out.
13:01But for me, it's probably more looking towards Arian Smith and a Dylan Bell on Georgia as it is as opposed to looking at Notre Dame's players because there's not a lot of catches, not a lot of yards, and not a lot of touchdowns on their side of the ball.
13:13So for me, it probably is because the one thing that you do know, even though Smith has the 36 and a half, he makes a lot of his yardage, Ben, on what?
13:20Those rocket screens out quickly here where he's got the speed to get deep and also talking about the speed to get deep where it's not like, hey, I need five catches to get 36 and a half yards.
13:29He might only need three.
13:30And yes, they will be passing in this game.
13:32It's not just going to be running as if it's played in a snowball or a mud ball at this point.
13:36So somebody is going to have to make plays.
13:38So for me, Ben, it's more Georgia wideouts than it is Notre Dame.
13:42Gunner Stockton's rushing yards prop on the rise.
13:4527 and a half.
13:46Again, eight scrambles for eight yards in the second half of the SEC championship game and in overtime.
13:52Riley Leonard, who has rushed for at least 30 yards in 12 or 13 games for the Irish this year.
13:57His prop much higher than that.
13:5944 and a hook.
14:01But you saw it in the matchup against the Hoosiers, the play that changed the outcome of that game very early in the opening quarter.
14:08Jeremiah Love in the 98 yard dash to score a touchdown.
14:12Outside of that, Notre Dame did not do much on the ground.
14:1693 yards on 34 other carries against Indiana, who is the nation's best rushing defense all year long.
14:23But Jeremiah Love, DRS, is as good as you will find at the running back spot.
14:27He's dealt with a knee injury in the final few weeks of the regular season.
14:31Maybe wasn't fully 100% entering that matchup against Indiana.
14:36And they haven't had the layoff that Georgia has had since the SEC championship game.
14:40But still over a week since that Friday Night Affair in South Bend.
14:44Jeremiah Love.
14:46This is crazy.
14:48Because I bet it.
14:49Because I was in New Jersey yesterday and could bet it.
14:51Entering our college football today CFP preview special.
14:55Jeremiah Love yesterday to score a touchdown was plus 105.
14:59He's now minus 150.
15:02That's ridiculous.
15:03The minus 150 price is what I think is the true representative number.
15:08Because Jeremiah Love has scored a touchdown in all 13 games for Notre Dame this season.
15:13Yeah, he doesn't need a goal line carry to get it done.
15:15Like, ooh, get inside the five.
15:16He's going to get it.
15:17This guy is a home run hitter with the best of them in football.
15:19Also, running back position Trevor Atien from Georgia.
15:23He was sort of a surprise that he appeared in that SEC championship game.
15:27Now with extra weeks here.
15:29And in that game, 16 carries, 94 yards, and two touchdowns in that game against Texas.
15:34One of the better defenses.
15:35You now see him lined up at 88.5.
15:37He also should find pager.
15:39But if we're talking about getting guys some extra reps here,
15:41and you know with a quarterback that doesn't have a lot of reps being a starter for UGA,
15:46Trevor Atien is probably going to be the key.
15:48You can probably focus, Ben, and say if Atien gets 70 yards or less,
15:52Notre Dame is probably going to beat them.
15:53But if Atien gets that 88.5 or more, they're probably going to win this football game.
15:57So that's probably the most singular important guy in this football game,
16:00is Georgia running back Trevor Atien.
16:02And Notre Dame held Indiana to just 63 yards.
16:06But the Irish's rushing defense has been a little bit susceptible this season.
16:10Speaking of injuries, Riley Mills, one of the best defensive linemen in the country for Notre Dame,
16:16injured against IU, is going to miss the remainder of this college football playoff.
16:22Donnie Wrightside, always a pleasure, my friend.
16:25We send you off into the money line,
16:27and we send you off into a huge regular season finale weekend in the NFL.
16:32I'll talk to you on Monday.
16:33Going to be a big Monday, right?
16:35Coach firing, all of that.
16:37Talk to you then.
16:38Happy New Year once again.
16:39More in college football next.
16:41Live right here on The Early Line,
16:43our first edition of TEL in this new year of 2025,
16:47on the second day of this calendar year.
16:51A Sugar Bowl today in New Orleans.
16:53Set to kick at 4 p.m. Eastern time.
16:56Of course, postponed from last night
16:58in what was supposed to be the nightcap in New Orleans
17:01of a college football playoff tripleheader
17:03after the early morning terror attack in the Big Easy,
17:07in the French Quarter.
17:08So postponed from 8.45 p.m. yesterday
17:11to 4 p.m. Eastern on January 2nd.
17:14It is going to be an interesting atmosphere
17:16as we have detailed numerous times
17:18throughout these three hours here on The Early Line.
17:22More so for the atmosphere and the fans
17:24and what feels like it should be an exciting game
17:28that, of course, has to pay reverence
17:30to the serious nature of what is still unfolding
17:33in New Orleans.
17:34For the game itself, it's the two-seed Georgia.
17:37It's the seven-seed Notre Dame.
17:39The Irish now an ever-so-slight favorite,
17:41but again, this is basically a pick where things stand.
17:46Notre Dame has one loss this year in 13 games
17:49early on in September against Northern Illinois,
17:53one of the largest upsets this season in college football,
17:56and against non-MAC foes because Notre Dame
17:59also played Miami of Ohio a few Saturdays later
18:02and struggled in that game early against the Red Hawks.
18:06Against non-MAC foes in 11 games this year,
18:08Notre Dame is 10-0-1 against the spread.
18:13They have been decisive.
18:14They have been dominant.
18:16You heard from somebody earlier on this show
18:19that Notre Dame was not all that impressive
18:21and dominant against Indiana.
18:23I would argue actually quite the opposite
18:25based on the final result.
18:27Indiana scored two touchdowns
18:28in the final 90 seconds of that game.
18:31The Irish in full command the entirety,
18:34basically, of 58 minutes in South Bend
18:37on that snowy Friday night
18:38to start the first-ever 12-team college football playoff.
18:43I have shared, if I am not on the air,
18:45I bet the Irish, with this game,
18:47opened up for the CFP quarterfinal
18:50in the Sugar Bowl on the Moneyline.
18:52When Notre Dame was the slight underdog,
18:54now they are a slight favorite.
18:5745-and-a-half is that total.
18:59I'll just say this.
19:00I think the best route for Georgia to win
19:03is under the number
19:05because I believe Notre Dame's success
19:07comes from a rushing attack
19:08that has been excellent all year long.
19:11That is the biggest advantage
19:12that Marcus Freeman and the Irish
19:14have in this matchup.
19:16But Kirby Smart is as good as anybody,
19:19maybe not even as good,
19:20is better than anybody in college football
19:23on getting his team prepared
19:25for a monumental moment,
19:26for a biggest game and stage of a season.
19:29It is why, in two matchups
19:31against a darn good Texas rushing attack and offense,
19:35Georgia has held the Longhorns
19:37to 60 total yards in two games combined
19:40on 55 total attempts.
19:42That is 1.1 yard per pop.
19:46That is elite.
19:47In the other games this year, though,
19:49Georgia has struggled to stymie the rung.
19:52See the eight-overtime thriller
19:54end out the regular season
19:55against Georgia Tech for your proof.
19:59That is the key for Notre Dame.
20:01The success of Riley Leonard
20:03utilizing his legs,
20:04playing clean football,
20:06Jeremiah Love,
20:07and Jodarion Price on the ground as well.
20:10I shared it.
20:11I bet Love's anytime touchdown prop yesterday at plus 105.
20:15It's now minus 150 for a guy
20:17that has scored in all 13 games
20:19for the Irish this season.
20:21But the biggest X factor of this game
20:23in the Sugar Bowl
20:24and potentially the remainder of the CFP
20:27is Gunnar Stockton,
20:28the sophomore from Tiger, Georgia,
20:30who has the full belief of his football program
20:33making his first career start today
20:36in the biggest stage of the season
20:38for the Bulldogs.
20:40Still hunting down a third national championship
20:43in the last four years.
20:44His passing yards prop on the rise,
20:46181.5.
20:4816 attempts in the second half
20:51and overtime of the SEC championship game.
20:5416 total pass attempts
20:56in his only two other outings this season.
20:59The winner of today's game
21:01will face off with Penn State
21:02exactly one week from tonight
21:04in the Orange Bowl in Miami
21:06in the college football playoff semifinal.
21:08Both the Bulldogs and the Irish
21:10project to be a slight favorite against Penn State.
21:14The Nittany Lions as an underdog,
21:16not nearly as good as when they are expected
21:19to win a football game outright.
21:21And as we speak about the SEC,
21:24Lane Kiffin been doing a lot of talking
21:27throughout bowl season
21:28about the strength of a conference
21:30that has really not lived up to expectation just yet.
21:33In the Gator Bowl today in Jacksonville,
21:36the running Rebs with a kickoff
21:38that is slightly delayed until 8 p.m. Eastern time
21:40to make space for the Sugar Bowl
21:42has an opportunity at least to make a statement.
21:45Don't forget Ole Miss did beat Georgia in Oxford
21:48earlier in the regular season.
21:5017.5 points spread in favor of the Rebs
21:54against 9 win Duke.
21:56The early line returns tomorrow
21:58on a football Friday at 8 a.m. Eastern.