Winning & Boozing: A 12-team CFP, smoked salmon and overpriced tequila

By Chris Marler

The first round of the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff is upon us! To help get you ready for four games with everything on the line, we present Winning and Boozing: Playoff Edition. Here’s your preview, prediction, and what drink you’ll need at each tailgate for the CFP First Round!

Indiana at Notre Dame 

The first game on the slate will be in a snowy South Bend, and from a scenic standpoint may be unrivaled. Indiana has been awesome all year in multiple phases of the game. THis game boils down to Indiana’s ability to score early and if the Hoosiers can stop the run.

I don’t trust Notre Dame. Not just because I was kicked out of Catholic school in sixth grade and not just because they lost at home to Northern Illinois. I don’t trust Notre Dame because I don’t think they’ve played anyone like Indiana all season. The Hoosiers will jump on them early and hold on for dear life.

The Winning: Indiana, 30-28

The Boozing: Malort. It’s disgusting. Just like these two teams getting to play schedules that were softer than Charmin and being guaranteed a spot in the playoff because they went 11-1.

SMU at Penn State 

I genuinely wish both teams could lose this game after hearing their coaches complain all week about the portal and transfers and whatever else. Both of these teams are dealing with first world problems and somehow still whining about it. Imagine being a program that was in the Group of Five last year and complaining about the disadvantages of transfer portal recruiting coinciding with your playoff game a year later.

Now imagine being a program who has beaten one Top Ten team since the Obama administration yet were a shoo-in for the playoff and complaining about…literally anything.

The Winning: Penn State 31-20

The Boozing: No booze, but still a tailgate food recommendation, Smoked Salmon. Follow me here.

I used to work at Houston’s in Atlanta, and one of my least favorite things that would happen was when someone would order smoked salmon as an appetizer and not realize it wasn’t supposed to be served warm like an actual salmon entree. The amount of times I had someone from Lenox Mall tell me to heat up their smoked salmon and complain to the manager not realizing they were the problem was unreal.

That’s James Franklin and Rhett Lashlee this week.

Clemson at Texas 

I don’t know why, but I have a weird feeling Clemson is going to be the first upset of the Playoff this year. I love Texas’ defense and they have been one of the more dominant teams this year against their schedule. Plus, almost every time we’ve seen Clemson against a good team this year, they’ve lost. That  includes an 0-2 mark against the SEC.

However, their defense will travel and Cade Klubnik has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country this season with 33 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He heads back to his home state and will leave it with a win.

The Winning: Clemson, 20-17

The Boozing: Blue Moon. It’s possibly the most fitting and perfect booze choice all season. A citrus-themed beer that’s best served with a orange garnish? Nailed it. There will be so much orange in Darrell K. Royal Stadium Saturday that it will look like P Diddy’s prison closet. Also, once in a blue moon, crazy things happen. Isn’t that how the saying goes? Well, if you want crazy, how about Dabo Swinney signing two players from the transfer portal this week? Apocalypse is coming soon.

Tennessee at Ohio State

Two of the best teams in America and two of the worst fanbases in the world. These two have been at it all week on social media creating an unbelievable amount of hype for what will be a generational hate watch for college football fans across the country.

Rumors of Tennessee invading Columbus and taking over the Horseshoe have been rampant. I will hold Ohio State’s 1-13 record in their last 14 games against the SEC over their heads as often as possible. However–and I hate to say this–I think they’re the best team in the country in this format. I think they squeak by Tennessee thanks to their suffocating defense and end up winning the national title.

The Winning: Ohio State, 24-23

The Boozing: Overpriced tequila. Don Julio 1942 if you got it. Why? Because the universal drink of choice for douchebags everywhere is overpriced tequila. As a former bartender, I can assure you that usually it wasn’t even for the taste. It was just the self-importance. It’s like people who drive an Acura. I’m not saying either isn’t nice. I’m just saying it’s not as great as you think it is. I can’t think of a better way to describe Ohio State and Tennessee fans, or their programs, better than that.