INDIANAPOLIS Doing the weekly SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag from the scouting combine, and here’s part 3.From Tony Paradise (@TonyParadise3):Is Tua Tagovailoa going to remain the team’s Quarterback for the 2022 season and how does the new coach view him?Hey Tony, yep, it would Lance McCullers Jersey be a major, major surprise at this point if anybody other than Tua was the starting quarterback for the 2022 season after GM Chris Grier said at the combine he had closed the door on the idea of pursuing a trade for Deshaun Watson and followed that by saying that Tua was the guy. And, based on everything hes said, Mike McDaniel loves Tagovailoas accuracy and is confident he can develop a scheme that will suit Tuas strengths although it says here thats exactly what the 2021 coaches did also in the second half of the season. But, yes, McDaniel seems to be excited about the po sibilities for Tagovailoa in his offense.From John Fiorino (@jtwin17):Which do you believe is the best policy? Picking the best player available at 29 or trading back? In my opinion get the BPA when its time. Thanks for all the great content.Hey John, thanks for the kind words. The one reason its difficult to answer your question is that, to me, it always depends on the offer. For example, as a hypothetical, Id have a hard time turning down an offer of, say, the 37th overall and a third-round pick for that 29th pick unle s theres somebody as 29 I just have to have. So I dont think I can make a blanket statement other than to say you always should go with the best player if theres a clear difference, but if the difference is microscopic, then Id rather have the extra pick and move down.From Showtime (@Showtime_Mia):How different will free agency signings and drafting be under Mike compared to the Flores era?Scroll to ContinueHey Showtime, that is one fabulous question, and one I can easily answer in about a month Yuli Gurriel Jersey . Ha! All kidding aside, other than finding players to fit McDaniels scheme, I dont envision there being a drastic difference because Chris Grier remains the GM. Oh, though I would say that the Dolphins no longer will be looking at Patriots players in free agency but might instead look at 49ers players.From EVERYTHING305 (@EverythingCANE):Why does Grier still have a job?Hey, while I genuinely like Grier because hes a very nice man, that is an absolute fair question to ask considering the lack of succe s the Dolphins have had since he officially became general manager in 2016. The best Anthony Gose Jersey way to answer that question is that owner Stephen Ro s just likes him. Its also fair to wonder exactly how much of the teams personnel moves since 2016 have been done solely by Grier and not in a collaborative manner, therefore taking some of the blame away from Grier.From Robert Fuller (@Robtrickfull75):What are the odds the Phins get a top 3 RB and a top 5 WR in this draft?Hey Robert, given the Dolphins well-documented recent history at running back, Id say its a hell of a lot more likely they end up with a top 5 WR than a top 3 RB in the draft. And even then Im not totally sure thats going to happen.From Joe Lopez (@mountaindewed):With all McDaniel has said and done, the offense and the OL now being the focus, Daboll leaving the Bills, and McDaniels leaving the Patriots, I feel better about next season than I did a month ago. I’m a lifelong Dolphins fan, so offseason denial is my jam. How deep is it?I absolutely think youre right to feel better now than a month ago, particularly when it comes to the Patriots and losing Josh McDaniels. If Im being honest, though, Im not sure Id expect much of Carlos Lee Jersey a drop-off from the Bills offense and Josh Allen because they lost Brian Daboll because I think new OC (and former UM quarterback) Ken Dorsey is going to do just as good a job.
Could Ohio State really do this again?With two weeks to go until the College Football Playoff pairings are finalized, it might seem impo sible for Ohio State to claim one of those coveted final four spots,given the Buckeyes are ranked No. 9 in the Week 13 rankings. But there’s a plausible scenario that makes such an outcomepo sible.MORE: “What Ohio State needs is Alabama to win out,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit told Sporting News on Tuesday. “Beyond that, Clemson and Miami are going to play each other. Then you need Oklahoma to win out. If all of those things happen, which by the way is not far-fetched, Auburn will be below Ohio State, Georgia will be below Ohio State. … If (the Buckeyes) beat Michigan and Wisconsin, they’ll go by Notre Dame.”Ohio State will also have Dick LeBeau Jersey a hell of a case for the playoff if that scenario pans out. Just look at the board and the top 12 teams the teams most likely to reach the College Football Playoff.1 Alabama (11-0)2 Miami (10-0)3 Clemson (10-1)4 Oklahoma (10-1)5 Wisconsin (11-0)6 Auburn (9-2)7 Georgia (10-1)8 Notre Dame (9-2)9 Ohio State (9-2)10 Penn State (9-2)11 USC (10-2)12 TCU (9-2)Break that scenario down piece by piece:Ohio State wins the Big TenThat would give the two-lo s Buckeyes the drop on Wisconsin who, despite theone lo s, would have a le s impre sive resume. Ohio State would have victories against Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan and Wisconsin at that point.Alabama wins outThat would give Auburn three lo ses, eliminating it from contention. That would give Georgia two lo ses and no conference championship to hang its hat on. Ohio State would have the drop on the Bulldogs.MORE: Oklahoma wins outThat knocks out TCU. So if that happens, No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Oklahoma would be in, with two spots remaining. The head-to-head lo s against Oklahoma on Sept. 9 wouldn’t keep the Buckeyes out.Notre Dame and USC don’t have enoughThat leaves three teams the Buckeyes have to leap to get in. How do we do that? Ohio State, in theory, would hop Notre Dame no matter what it does against Stanford and would have a two-spot advantage over T J Hockenson T Shirts USC. That leaves the board looking like this with one major question: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame or USC. it’s a discu sion the Buckeyes would seem to have the advantage of at that point, based on resume.1 Alabama (13-0)2 Miami (?)3 Clemson (?)4 Oklahoma (12-1)5 Wisconsin (12-1)6 Auburn (9-3)7 Georgia (11-2)8 Notre Dame (10-2)9 Ohio State (11-2)10 Penn State (10-2)11 USC (11-2)12 TCU (10-3)MORE: The ACC championship questionWould the committee take two ACC teams over one Big Ten champion?If Clemson wins, the Tigers would be in. Would the committee take a one-lo Jessie Lemonier Jersey s Miami team over a two-lo s Ohio State team?If Miami wins, then the Hurricanes would be in. Which two-lo s team would go: a two-lo s, Big Ten champion Ohio State, or a two-lo s, defending national champion Clemson without a conference title?”The debate will be the loser of the Clemson-Miami game and Ohio State,” Herbstreit said. “That’s a nasty debate because if Miami loses, Miami would be 11-1 and their only lo s would be to Clemson in the ACC championship game. If Clemson loses, and their lo ses would be to Miami and that Syracuse game on the Friday night where they lost.”That would get nasty because it involves Ohio State, which seemed left for dead after a 55-24 lo s to Iowa on Nov. 4. The Buckeyes, however, have defeated Michigan State and Illinois by a combined score of 100-17 the last two weeks and have two marquee victories remaining in Wisconsin and Michigan.We’ve seen it before, too. Ohio State jumped from No. 5 to No. 4 and bumped TCU out in the final rankings of2014. The Buckeyes also made the College Football Playoff in 2016over Penn State, despite losing head-to-head and not making the Big Ten championship game.If any team can leap from No. 9 to the top four in Aidan Hutchinson Jersey the final two weeks, then it’s the Buckeyes. If that last spot comes down to two-lo s Georgia, Notre Dame, USC and Ohio State teams, there’s a good chance the Big Ten comes out of it.Then you get the Clemson or Miami vs. Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl and Ohio State vs. Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.So, yes, the Buckeyes should root for the Tide to win out. The reward could be a rematch of that legendary 2015 semifinal game.It’s not as far-fetched as it seems.