Final Four football predictions

#1 Clemson vs #4 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

While the Tide back-doored their way into the playoffs, and their aura of greatness persists, real or imagined, they ain't what they used to be. Indeed, Auburn showed them to be vulnerable and a few of their games against less than quality competition were much closer than they should have been.

True, Bama is loaded with bigger, stronger, faster five star recruits from top to bottom, but what they don't have is brains.

Nick the -ick (fill in your own blank) Sabin gets to face off with his nemesis Dabo from Clemson once again. We know how the championship game turned out last year.

On the other hand, though it was a head scratcher, Clemson's earlier loss to a not-so-good Syracuse team was probably the best thing that could have happened to them. It woke them up and got them refocused. Since then, the Tigers have looked, well, formidable. Leshaun who? He's gone and Clemson is everybody bit as good as they were last year.

Prediction.

Though it's hard fought for three quarters or so, the defending national champs pull away towards the end of the game and slay the muscular, if dim-witted beast from Tuscaloosa once again and move on.

#2 Oklahoma vs #3 Georgia in the Rose Bowl.

Who would have ever imagined two teams like the Sooners and Bulldogs would wind up in Pasadena? Definitely a first.

Both appear to be on a roll, hence making it into the Final Four to begin with.

The Okies are Big 12 champs and the Dawgs kings of the SEC.

OU had an impressive win earlier in the year, waltzing into Ohio State and putting a thumping on the Buckeyes. But they were equally perplexing when an unranked Iowa State team came-a-calling in Norman and put a beat down on them. They feature quarterback Baker Mayfield, a front runner for the Heisman this year. When they're on their game, they're really good. But will they be on their game against....

Georgia. The Dawgs were rolling right along, even #1 in the country at one point. But like Alabama (also #1 at the time), they got kicked to the curb by that pesky Auburn. Thing is, Georgia came roaring back to avenge that loss in the SEC championship game, trashing the "other" Tigers. Tit for tat indeed, but when it mattered most, they were up to the task.

Prediction. The high-speed finesse of Oklahoma butting heads with the brute force of Georgia.

I think the Sooners eventually wilt under what the Dawgs will bring all game long. Like the Clemson scenario mentioned above, Georgia getting beat earlier by Auburn made them tougher and better in the long run.

And that would mean it will be Clemson and Georgia facing off for all the proverbial marbles.

Of course, like Sports Illustrated and my late father, yours truly seems to have this uncanny knack of always getting his predictions wrong.

But it should be a couple of pretty good games to watch nevertheless.

Hey, what better way to sober up, at least temporarily, than kick back and watch four really good teams slug it out on New Year's Day?