One reason the arrival of Big Game Gameday is so joyous is that it finally brings to a conclusion endless yapping – redundant and repetitive and abstract – of a period of time, as well as the media stretching for stories, and overdoing it with analysis.

          Oh my Lord. Oh my head and ears.

          As the old manager for the Durham Bulls said: “This is a simple game. You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball.”

By Michael A. Lough

centralgasports@gmail.com

          Football? Well, coaches increasingly overcomplicate the game. Helps justify absurd salaries that are are absurd despite the “football staff” of teams growing and growing and growing?

          If you need that many analysts and sub-analysts and grad assistants and consultants, do you really need $9 mil a year?

          Anyway, I’ve yearned for an increasingly simplistic approach, at least to experiment at times during a game: a simple JFT, JFC, JFB game plan for a spell: just friggin' tackle, just friggin' cover, just friggin' block. Those things win more games than a 21-word playcall.

          Just do your job. Tackle like you were taught in 8th grade. Don’t let somebody run by you, be it on the line or on a route. It’s OK to technically blow the specific assignment to make the right play.

          We can talk about TCU’s 3-3-5 defensive scheme, which is somewhat of an overdone topic, since actually asking what a team runs on O or D is almost useless any more.

          Defensive schemes and alignments change with every down, and every down-and-distance of note. DBs can play LB, and LBs play some DL.

          But I like that the five DBs, so to speak, gives a quarterback more to look at. I’ve always believed it wise to consider on defense putting everybody in the box and strolling around – except cornerbacks – and give the QB no clear sign of the plan.

          Especially younger QBs. Make him look it over, and don’t fall into the normal alignment – and there’s time to do it – until he makes a few sounds and reads. Be offensive on defense, and make the O think more.

          Some of those DBs will be in a general LB position. Yes, it’s different. Yes, it’d be nice to see more of a 3-3-5 or 3-5-3, thought at the snap, a lot of defenses are in a 3-3-5 or 3-5-3, in general.

          It’ll make for some adjustments, some sluggish possessions, perhaps more punts than desired early on.

          We can talk about covering Brock Bowers – stick with him – or Darnell Washington – a quality decoy even if not completely healthy – or TCU’s Quentin Johnston.

          There’s a reason it’s a miracle a team can go undefeated, because the reality – sorry, that’s a naughty word – is that every team and every play can be neutralized, and there’s talent everywhere.

          Fact is, every team and every player has been neutralized at some point. Jam receivers at the line. Stunt. Reverse pass. All sorts of subtle things.

          Remember, Georgia was sluggish against Missouri, and for three quarters was outplayed by Ohio State. TCU was the beneficiary of some blown calls and Michigan being Michigan in a game it’s easy to argue should’ve been won by Michigan.

          But clutch matters. Responses matter. Next-man-up – this just in, EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT THE NEXT MAN UP, so no, it’s not unique to your team – matters. Five-yard penalties matter.

          Quarterbacks matter.

          Max Duggan has been compared to Tim Tebow, and that makes sense. He’s a baller, man. He can very much lead TCU to a win.

          And now we come to Stetson Bennett.

          I’ve never heard of a fan base with such a large faction whining and showing no knowledge of football or sports in their inexplicable thoughts about a quarterback who’s 28-3 as a starter.

          Not enough for some wackos.

          The great JT Daniels – the sarcasm is directly targeted for “fans” and some “media” – is now at freakin’ Rice. And we hear nothing from – cringe – the four- and five-stars on Georgia’s bench.

          The constant side-glance talking from announcers – a microphone does not equal knowledge – and shots whenever he does exactly what quarterbacks do – miss a target, fail to throw it away quick enough, get picked off – are mind-blowing.

          Just shut up. Being wrong and quiet is not a bad thing. Folks should try it some time. And ignore obsessing about the farcical clickbait known as recruiting coverage and analysis and rankings.

          The best programs will get the players with the most potential. Every single year. Lather, rinse, repeat. The mistakes made by those folks don’t get pointed out, but there’s plenty of boasting about being right on something that’s easy to be right about.

          Nevertheless, folks, get a grip.

          Stetson Bennett is 28-3. Shut up.

          Stetson Bennett is 1-0 as a starting quarterback in national championship games. Get a grip. Really.

          Stetson Bennett is 14-0 this year. Consider medication.

          Stetson Bennett has thrown only seven – not 17, the way some make it sound - interceptions this year. Take a football class, or a logic class.

          Stetson Bennett was a Heisman finalist. Get a grip, any kind of grip.

          Stop making what is so friggin’ irrelevant relevant. It’s not. What is a person doing? They doing their job? Well? Working hard? Paying attention? Making people around them better? Improving?

          Honest to God, it’s a miracle more people don’t fall down or walk into poles.

          Quit nitpicking, for whatever reason, like a recent column after the Ohio State game that just boggles the mind:

          “Just when Stetson Bennett looks like the walk-on quarterback opposing fanbases love to hate …

          “Just when you've typed out the story that sends him off into his post-college journey, lauding him for his career as a Bulldog while demeaning him for having the worst game of his Georgia career at the worst of times …

          “Just when you think all is lost and the clock has struck midnight on Stetson Bennett IV …

          “Just when you think you've found the moment that you can shove in his face and say, "see, here's the reason you can't trust a walk-on quarterback,"

          Sorry, but, well, what garbage. That the rest delved into normal and fairly accurate is just about irrelevant. People can’t let go of the background, and water down the good stuff, and employ some severe double standards and a weak grasp of the game.

          It’s almost a generational great story that for a variety of reasons should be blindly embraced by the constituents – wink/nod, nod/wink – forever, and it’s not. En route to a national title, he and his family took crap more deserving of a Jimbo Fisher visit.

When the hell has he done enough?

          Somebody who takes objectivity very seriously – those meetings among the current ‘media’ climate are sparsely attended – is thrilled, ecstatic that Bennett is where he is, that the return year wasn’t what we kind of expected: worse than last year, a letdown.

          He got better. He raised the quality and explosiveness of Georgia’s offense. He didn’t become arrogant, and is able to suppress – almost always – the urge to say “Told ya so” when he’s justified in screaming it.

          Fan bases make me nauseous about teams, but I like players and coaches, and dislike some coaches and maybe a few players. If players and coaches could succeed with inspiring smothering arrogance and ignorance from fan bases, a lovely world it would be.

          All that said, I hope Bennett just Bennetts. Just does his job, what he’s done since he showed up. If he does, he’ll cry at the end on the sidelines like he did last year, and I’ll blink hard and try to look away from folks until I’m not blinking hard, because it’s what we want from sports and from athletes, that above-and-beyond, and that caring about the team, and about working hard.

          We want great stories, success and praise for those who earn it. Unfortunately, a chunk who will bark tonight aren’t that way. Hopefully, they’ll stress out with every over-examined incompletion or mistake he makes and not have fun tonight.

          But if he Bennetts, and gets, say, MVP, a lot of people need to send him apologies, even if they lie. The good news is that if all that happens, the “Thank you” message will overwhelm the “Sorry, I’m not very bright, thanks for the titles.”

          Yes, TCU can win. Yes, Georgia can lose. Yes, Georgia can cover. It’s a damn championship game, people. It’s a game. Stuff happens.

          The first half will probably cause great stress for both sides, and not necessarily indicate how the second half will go. Like UGA-Ohio State last week. It comes down, in reality – sorry again – to who blocks best, covers best, and tackles best.

          And is more clutch.

          With all the respect for TCU, Georgia does those things – in October or on this familiar stage – better. And QB13 is Mr. Clutch.

          Georgia 37, TCU 24.