Sports Illustrated picks. LOL, again

For supposedly doing all the deep research, having reams of data and analyses at their disposal, and a panel of "experts" to evaluate same, Sports Illustrated sure seems to get it wrong a lot.

In this year's college football playoff for the national championship, the boneheads have struck again.

In the Rose Bowl, and how the hell did two teams like Georgia and Oklahoma wind up in what has long been a venue for the best of the Big Ten (or fourteen) to square off against the best of the Pac Ten (or twelve)?

Nevertheless, to their credit, they got it right. Though SI had Georgia winning 38-37, the Dawgs did indeed prevail 54-48 over the Sooners, in double overtime. Close enough. #3 beat #2 in a nail-biter.

Yet this is where the long tradition of SI prognostications being laughable once again comes into play.

They had #1 Clemson edging #4 Alabama by a score of 27-24.

They got half of it right.

The Crimson Tide did indeed score 24 points.

The problem? They were off by a whopping 21 points, as in three touchdowns worth -- a bunch -- when it came to Clemson. The Tigers could only manage a measly 6 points for the entire game. Bama spanked Clemson 24-6.

That, of course, makes their prediction for the championship game moot, and a bit laughable. The geniuses at SI had Clemson repeating as national champions by defeating Georgia 21-19.

So next Monday night, Georgia and Alabama will square off for all the proverbial marbles.

I have wondered why my next issue of SI seems to be a bit late coming. Perhaps they're holding it back until they saw the results of the semi-finals. Or maybe it will show up in tomorrow or the next day's mail when, at press time, they still didn't know the results of those semis.

One thing's for sure. They'll never eat any crow over getting yet ANOTHER one wrong. Oh no, they're still gloating over how they predicted the Houston Astros would become World Series champions soon way back in 2014. Something about a blind squirrel and an acorn comes to mind.

But yours truly has a not so bold prediction.

Alabama's going to kill Georgia. By a bunch.

Men against boys. Mentor Sabin against former disciple Smart.

And I don't like Alabama (or Nick the prick) one bit. In fact, I root against them. Always have and always will.

But this a no-brainer.

Not even SI could get this one wrong.

Maybe.