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Mark Heim | mheim@al.com
Former Notre Dame offensive lineman sings praises of Alabama and Georgia, but "I think coach (Nick) Saban hit the nail on the head: Where you start is not nearly important as where you finish."
When it comes to the College Football Playoff, it is Alabama and Georgia, then everybody else.
That's according to SEC on CBS' analyst Aaron Taylor, who joined me Tuesday on "The Opening Kickoff" on WNSP-FM 105.5.
The former Notre Dame All-American gave his thoughts on the Irish and the SEC leading into Tuesday night's first release of the College Football Playoff poll.
"I think Notre Dame can certainly be there," Taylor said of making the top four. "Without question, Alabama and Georgia are going to be No. 1 and No. 2. It'll probably be in that order, but it could easily be the other way around."
For the record, the former offensive tackle, who played for the Irish from 1990-1993, doesn't want Notre Dame in this installment of the final four.
"Man, I sure hope not," he explained. "I want them to be in that five to seventh slot, as an alum, so that everybody else can feel the pressure, talk about it, be concerned about it, have that distraction about it, eat the 'rat poison,' so Notre Dame quietly wins out and is up there at the end."
He isn't the first person to reference Nick Saban's "rat poison" comment this week.
While Taylor is convinced Alabama and Georgia will be Nos. 1 and 2, he said they mystery remains in those slots between three and 10.
"I think coach Saban hit the nail on the head: Where you start is not nearly important as where you finish."
I asked Taylor how much separation there is between Alabama and Georgia. Here's his response:
"If you want to use the analogy of being a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, Alabama's a fifth-year senior with a lot of starters and a lot of leadership and a lot of captains, if you will," he said. "I think Georgia is somewhere between a sophomore and becoming a junior. They are a junior version of Alabama when you look at how they are playing on the defensive side of the ball, fact that their offense is a run-based offense that tries to control the clock so that defense will be fresh."
Taylor, the lead college football analyst for CBS Sports Network who will be on the call Saturday when South Carolina takes on Georgia, cited the Bulldogs aren't playing down to competition and they are "firing on all cylinders."
"It's not even close," he said. "Anyway you chop it up, Alabama and Georgia are the best teams in the country, without question. Great defense, extremely strong running games, efficient quarterback play, don't turn the ball over.
"They are doing it better than anyone else in the country."
Continue reading...
When it comes to the College Football Playoff, it is Alabama and Georgia, then everybody else.
That's according to SEC on CBS' analyst Aaron Taylor, who joined me Tuesday on "The Opening Kickoff" on WNSP-FM 105.5.
The former Notre Dame All-American gave his thoughts on the Irish and the SEC leading into Tuesday night's first release of the College Football Playoff poll.
"I think Notre Dame can certainly be there," Taylor said of making the top four. "Without question, Alabama and Georgia are going to be No. 1 and No. 2. It'll probably be in that order, but it could easily be the other way around."
For the record, the former offensive tackle, who played for the Irish from 1990-1993, doesn't want Notre Dame in this installment of the final four.
"Man, I sure hope not," he explained. "I want them to be in that five to seventh slot, as an alum, so that everybody else can feel the pressure, talk about it, be concerned about it, have that distraction about it, eat the 'rat poison,' so Notre Dame quietly wins out and is up there at the end."
He isn't the first person to reference Nick Saban's "rat poison" comment this week.
While Taylor is convinced Alabama and Georgia will be Nos. 1 and 2, he said they mystery remains in those slots between three and 10.
"I think coach Saban hit the nail on the head: Where you start is not nearly important as where you finish."
I asked Taylor how much separation there is between Alabama and Georgia. Here's his response:
"If you want to use the analogy of being a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, Alabama's a fifth-year senior with a lot of starters and a lot of leadership and a lot of captains, if you will," he said. "I think Georgia is somewhere between a sophomore and becoming a junior. They are a junior version of Alabama when you look at how they are playing on the defensive side of the ball, fact that their offense is a run-based offense that tries to control the clock so that defense will be fresh."
Taylor, the lead college football analyst for CBS Sports Network who will be on the call Saturday when South Carolina takes on Georgia, cited the Bulldogs aren't playing down to competition and they are "firing on all cylinders."
"It's not even close," he said. "Anyway you chop it up, Alabama and Georgia are the best teams in the country, without question. Great defense, extremely strong running games, efficient quarterback play, don't turn the ball over.
"They are doing it better than anyone else in the country."
Continue reading...
