Georgia

Four Downs and a Bracket: Clemson is not as far from College Football Playoff as you think

Published

2 years ago

September 1, 2024

Press Room

Four Downs and a Bracket: Clemson is not as far from College Football Playoff as you think

Matt Hayes
| USA TODAY Sports Network

OK, stop this madness. Stop it right now.

Before we start throwing Dabo Swinney into the same deep end as Billy Napier, let’s take a deep breath and reassess. Relax, people.

First Down

Clemson is not as far from the College Football Playoff as you’d think.

“We certainly took one, punched right in the gut,” Swinney said in the press conference postmortem of yet another Georgia opponent limping away battered and bruised. “Didn’t play those last two quarters like we know we can.”

And that’s the key. Clemson traded blows for two quarters with Georgia, which in case you don’t know by now, is really good at tackle football. That doesn’t make an embarrassing 34-3 loss feel any better, but it absolutely shows all isn’t lost.

In fact, it shows Clemson can beat anyone in the shaky ACC — including Miami after its beatdown of Florida — with the same defensive intensity and a better game from quarterback Cade Klubnik. Because frankly, he can’t play much worse.

So while every television bobblehead will tell you Clemson’s undoing at the hands of the best team in college football over the last three seasons is a referendum on Swinney’s avoidance of all things transfer portal, think deeper. It’s easy to panic, to take one bad half and paint with a wide primer brush.

But there’s too much good on a defensive line that Georgia struggled to block in the first half. Too much good in the run game behind an improved offensive line. Too much potential with tailback Phil Mafah, and man-mountain defensive tackle Peter Woods and young wideout Antonio Williams. And too much average in the ACC outside of Miami.

Preseason favorite Florida State lost to Georgia Tech in Week 0, Playoff sleeper Virginia Tech lost at SEC tomato can Vanderbilt, and North Carolina State struggled with FCS team Western Carolina before pulling away late. So yeah, Clemson’s worst loss in a decade was difficult to swallow.

But who on the schedule will match up physically with the defense Clemson rolled out and gave up all of six points in the first half to the sledgehammer that is Georgia? That’s the anchor for the remainder of the season at Clemson, not a philosophical argument about using the transfer portal or the narrative that Swinney should’ve signed a transfer quarterback.

HIGHS AND LOWS Georgia, Clemson lead Week 1 winners and losers

There’s no sugarcoating it, Klubnik played poorly against the best team in the nation in the first game of the season. But we’ve seen this movie before, and know how it ends.

Bo Nix left Auburn after the 2021 season, and arrived at Oregon with new coach (and former Georgia assistant) Dan Lanning. His first game with the Ducks was against Georgia, in the same building and the same neutral site game ― and he played worse than Klubnik in another Georgia beatdown.

He then led the Ducks to 10 wins and had the then-best season of his career. Ten wins, everyone, will more than likely get Clemson in the playoff — and certainly if it wins the watered-down ACC and earns an automatic spot in the 12-team field.

“People are going to say whatever they want to say,” Swinney said of the looming criticism for Clemson’s perceived fall from the national elite. “When you lose like this, they got every right to say whatever they want to say.”

Second Down

You’ve heard the drill by now. If the new 12-team format were around since the birth of the playoff in 2014, Penn State would’ve played in six tournaments.

Which, of course, means nothing.

What does mean something ― a big something ― is the impact of new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. Specifically, his impact on uber-talented but still developing quarterback Drew Allar and the ability to get Penn State to its first playoff.

Don’t overlook the play of Allar in a difficult environment at West Virginia, against a one-time bitter rival coming off a nine-win season and playing in front of a wild home atmosphere. Those were the games that ate up Allar in his first season as a starter in 2023.

This time under Kotelnicki, Allar played nearly flawless. He threw for 216 yards and three touchdowns, and averaged 12.7 yards per attempt. The bloated yards per attempt number is significant because Penn State was among the worst teams in the nation in 2023 in long pass plays.

Kansas, where Kotelnicki worked in 2023, was among the best. Against West Virginia, Allar had completions of 55, 50, 20 and 19 yards, and stretched the field for an offense that was way too predictable in 2023.

Last season, Allar averaged a paltry 6.8 yards per attempt, and nearly doubled it Saturday against defense that did what every other Penn State opponent did last season: safeties creeping up to stop the run, and man coverage with zero respect for third-level throws.

This time, Allar made the defense pay for those decisions. The next big step is doing it against Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten on the way to the playoff.

Third Down

First, the obvious: it was a glorified scrimmage against FCS member Chattanooga. But did it ever look good in the much-anticipated beginning of Nico Iamaleava’s first season as starter at Tennessee.

Before he left early in the second half and after a majority of the damage had been done in a 69-3 rout, an NFL scout texted me and was raving about ― take your pick ― Iamaleava’s arm talent, poise, movement in the pocket and accuracy on the roll.

Maybe the best way to explain Iamaleava’s spotless performance (314 yards passing, three touchdowns, 11.2 yards per attempt) is how it looked. More like Hendon Hooker, less like Joe Milton.

Translation: accurate throws downfield, less throws to the perimeter.

HOT WATER: Tennessee fan gets into argument with wife live during postgame radio show

“(Iamaleava) looked really comfortable, in control,” the NFL scout said. “You can tell he understands pass game concepts, and he throws that thing effortlessly. It was uncomfortable watching (Tennessee) last year because the quarterback wasn’t a fit.”

We’ll get an idea of just how different the Vols are at quarterback with the former five-star recruit from California when Tennessee plays NC State next week in Charlotte. An NC State defense that ― despite what it showed in an ugly win over Western Carolina ― will be a significant test with defensive coordinator Tony Gibson and his exotic pressure packages.

Fourth Down

The big winner of Week 1 is Notre Dame ― if only because the Irish passed their most difficult road test of the season right out of the gate.

How easy is the remainder of the schedule? Notre Dame has only two more true road games.

If those two games (at Purdue and Southern California) are anything like the toughness and moxie the Irish showed in a 23-13 victory at Texas A&M, Notre Dame may not lose this season. Especially with the evolving play of Duke transfer quarterback Riley Leonard, who played in front of an inexperienced offensive line that had six career starts combined ― and against his former coach (Mike Elko) who knew his strengths and weaknesses ― and played smart and didn’t make mistakes.

The Irish rushed for 198 yards behind the patchwork offensive line impacted by injuries in fall camp, and Leonard threw for 158 yards and ran for 63. In the game-wining drive, Leonard had two carries for 20 yards, and completed two passes for 29 yards.

A critical early win, and a galvanizing game.

The Bracket

A 12-team Playoff bracket prediction if the season ended today:

1. Georgia (SEC champion)

2. Ohio State (Big Ten champion)

3. Miami (ACC champion)

4. Oklahoma State (Big 12 champion).

No. 12 Liberty at No. 5 Alabama

No. 11 Missouri at No. 6 Oregon

No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 7 Penn State

No. 9 Utah at No. 8 Texas

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Georgia

Georgia woman charged in abortion case granted bond as questions grow over murder charge

Published

5 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Georgia woman charged in abortion case granted bond as questions grow over murder charge

A Georgia woman facing a rare murder charge tied to an alleged abortion has been granted bond.

Alexia Moore, 31, was granted bond Monday by a judge in Camden County, according to the Georgia Public Defender Council. The court set bond at $1 on the malice murder charge and $2,000 total for two drug-related charges.

Prosecutors agreed Moore was entitled to bond and to an amount she could reasonably pay, the public defender’s office said.

Moore had been jailed since early March after police accused her of taking pills to end a pregnancy in violation of Georgia law, which bans most abortions after about six weeks.

Authorities allege Moore was about 22 to 24 weeks pregnant when she went to a hospital in late December, reporting abdominal pain. According to an arrest warrant, she told medical staff she had taken misoprostol, a drug commonly used in medication abortions, along with oxycodone. Investigators said the fetus was delivered alive and survived for about an hour.

The case has drawn national attention because it could be one of the first times a woman in Georgia is prosecuted for murder in connection with ending a pregnancy since the state’s 2019 abortion law took effect.

In a statement, the Georgia Public Defender Council said the bond decision reflects the importance of due process.

“Today’s decision is a reminder that justice is not served by accusation alone,” the agency said. “Our system works best when courts carefully weigh the facts, uphold constitutional protections, and safeguard the rights of every person.”

Moore also faces charges of possessing controlled substances, including oxycodone and misoprostol.

The case comes as states across the country navigate legal questions following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which allowed states like Georgia to enforce stricter abortion laws.

Moore’s attorneys have also filed motions seeking a speedy trial as the case moves forward.

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Georgia school weapons detector bill clears Senate committee vote

Published

17 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Georgia school weapons detector bill clears Senate committee vote

ATLANTA – A proposal to mandate weapons-detection systems at every public school entrance in Georgia is one step closer to becoming law following an emotional hearing at the State Capitol on Monday.

What we know:

The State Senate Public Safety Committee on Monday unanimously approved House Bill 1023. The move comes in response to the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at Apalachee High School that killed two students and two teachers.

“A place of nightmare”

What they’re saying:

The committee heard harrowing testimony from Apalachee High School students who survived the gunfire.

Daria Lezczynska, a junior, and Sasha Contreras, a senior, are members of “Change for Chee,” a group advocating for increased school safety measures.

READ APALACHEE SHOOTING COVERAGE HERE

“The place where we used to feel safe, turned into a place of nightmare,” Lezczynska said through tears.

She told the committee that the gunfire erupted directly outside her classroom.

“The fear, the blood and the chaos that is burned into my memory,” she said.

Contreras, who was locked down inside the school with her mother during the attack, remembered a teacher who was gunned down that day.

“I left feeling happy, not knowing it would be that last time,” she said. “No child should step into school anxious about coming out alive.”

A proactive step

The legislation, originally introduced by Georgia House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, R-Dacula, seeks to create a physical barrier against firearms entering school buildings.

“Ensuring that weapons cannot come into our public schools is a first step to make sure that students are safe,” Efstration said. “Georgia students deserve to know that they’re going to be safe at school. Parents need to know when they drop their kids off at school in the morning, they’re going to be able to pick them up safe at the end of the day.”

The student advocates believe the technology would have changed the outcome at Apalachee, where investigators say a student killed four people and injured seven others.

“If there had been weapons-detection systems in every place at every entry of the school on that day, that rifle never would have reached our hallways,” Lezczynska said, calling the proposal a “very good bill.”

Contreras added that the unanimous committee vote was a necessary step forward.

“This is a proactive measure that I think is necessary,” she said. “I’m glad that people today stepped up and were able to pass it.”

What’s next:

The bill now moves to the full Georgia Senate. Lawmakers have just over a week to pass the measure before the legislative session concludes.

The Source: This is a FOX 5 original report where Christopher King gathered information from Georgia State Capitol legislative proceedings, the text of House Bill 1023, and public testimony from students and state representatives.

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Republicans fear this Democrat in Georgia Senate race: ‘This guy’s no slouch’

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Republicans fear this Democrat in Georgia Senate race: ‘This guy’s no slouch’

Liz Goodwin
| The Washington Post

Rep. Buddy Carter warned a crowd of Republicans in Roberta, Georgia, in January that he faced an uphill battle in November to unseat Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff in the purple state, if he becomes the Republican nominee.

“Look, this guy’s no slouch,” the Georgia congressman said, according to a recording of the remarks obtained by The Washington Post. “He’s pretty sharp, he’s articulate, he’s young, he’s handsome, he talks well. You better have somebody who can go toe to toe with him.”

Publicly, Republicans in the state and in Washington continue to list Georgia as their top pickup opportunity in the Senate as they defend their 53-seat majority in a midterm year in which their party faces fierce political headwinds. Donald Trump won the state by more than two percentage points in 2024, and Republicans have painted Ossoff as too liberal for Georgia.

But behind closed doors, Republicans have tamped down their hopes of unseating the 39-year-old powerhouse fundraiser as he seeks another term. They’re lamenting their bitterly divided primary field made worse by a recruiting failure when popular Republican Gov. Brian Kemp declined to run for the seat. Carter, Rep. Mike Collins and Derek Dooley, a former college football coach endorsed by Kemp, are the main competitors in the May 19 GOP primary.

Collins – a close Trump ally with a blisteringly MAGA social media presence that could alienate moderate voters – leads in most polls of the Republican primary. The Cook Political Report rates the general election as a toss-up.

“I’m not feeling bullish about it,” said one Republican strategist who was granted anonymity to provide a more candid assessment. “[Ossoff] has wisely avoided the temptation of going on cable news for six years and playing to the base for social media likes. … I think he’s going to reap the benefits of that.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican retiring from his North Carolina seat this year, said Ossoff has done “a good job presenting as a moderate candidate,” although Tillis does not believe he actually is moderate.

Republicans risked ceding crucial independent and moderate Republican voters to Ossoff if they nominate a more hard-right candidate, Tillis said.

“If these people want a purity test and they put somebody forth that’s the darling of the MAGA base, but doesn’t resonate with unaffiliated [voters] and right of center fiscal Republicans, that’s a recipe for losing,” said Tillis, whose neighboring state shares similar political characteristics to Georgia.

The skinny former House staffer who won his Senate seat in a runoff election in 2021 did not always inspire the same fear from his opponents. Republicans believed Ossoff, then a political neophyte, had ridden the coattails of Sen. Raphael G. Warnock (D-Georgia), a charismatic preacher he shared the ticket with, and also benefited from an odd election season in which Trump depressed Republican turnout by falsely claiming widespread voter fraud. Just a couple of years earlier, Ossoff had lost a House special election that took place shortly after Trump was first sworn in, disappointing Democrats across the country.

“The first time I ever saw him was when he was running in that Georgia 6 special election and I was like, ‘Oh God, just what we need: Another former staffer,’” recalled Caitlin Legacki, a Democratic strategist. “But he has got game.”

When he got to Washington, Ossoff built a Senate office that prioritized responsiveness to constituents and a hyper focus on local Georgia issues. Inspired by the late Republican senator Johnny Isakson, Ossoff said he wanted his office to provide excellent constituent services to any Georgian, regardless of their political affiliation. In 2025, he joined the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, allowing him to steer more money to projects back home.

“I don’t crave attention. I’m not doing this for the spotlight,” Ossoff said in a brief interview in the Capitol. “I want to do a great job for the state.”

Attention is exactly what the senator has been getting, however, as he’s broken from his hyper-local focus in recent months to deliver stinging attacks on Trump and his administration that have won him admiration from national Democrats. A speech he gave in suburban Atlanta excoriating Trump for empowering a wealthy “Epstein class” to rule the country while slashing public services went viral. And in recent remarks at a Black church, Ossoff lashed out at the Trump administration’s actions as evil, criticizing Republicans from a biblical perspective.

“There’s a wickedness to the program,” he said earlier this year. “I don’t know, pastor, where it is in scripture that it says deny care to the sick, take from those with the least to give to those with the most, violate the house of worship to hunt down the refugee. Where in the scripture are those lessons taught?”

The rhetoric is not the standard, careful stump speeches many vulnerable lawmakers up for reelection in purple or red states stick to to avoid missteps or alienating middle-of-the-road voters. And it could add another element of risk to his strategy of winning over moderate voters in the state.

It’s also sparked speculation that he has an eye on a future presidential run that may be taking precedence over his reelection bid. But Ossoff’s fans believe his fiery approach makes him seem more authentic to voters in Georgia, who wouldn’t buy an election-year makeover from the senator.

“One of the biggest mistakes that vulnerable members make is that in an election year they all of a sudden start tacking to the middle, and that’s just transparently obvious to all the voters,” said Dan Pfeiffer, a longtime former Barack Obama aide who now co-hosts the “Pod Save America” podcast popular among liberals. “He’s standing strong.”

Pfeiffer called Ossoff “one of the best communicators in the Democratic Party.”

At a recent event Ossoff held in Savannah, several fans in the audience said they hoped Ossoff would consider a presidential run in the future.

“In his recent speeches, he’s sounded very presidential,” noted Ray Mosley, a Bulloch County commissioner.

But Ossoff brushed off that speculation as a “curse,” and said he is remaining focused on what he believes will be a bruising race in the state.

“The Republican field is a mess, but I’m running every day like I’m behind and I expect this to be an extremely close and competitive race,” he said.

Republicans are planning to pour millions into the race, and have already attacked him in ads on illegal immigration and for “chaos” at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, blaming the long security lines on his votes against funding the Department of Homeland Security.

They believe Ossoff has not broken enough from Democrats on key votes to adequately distance himself from the party in a purple state that voted for Trump just over a year ago. Ossoff broke with Democrats to support the Laken Riley Act on final passage, which expanded detention for immigrants accused of some crimes. (The bill is named after a college student in Georgia who was murdered by an undocumented immigrant.) But he usually votes with his party.

“His record is Joe Biden’s record,” said Rep. Brian Jack (R-Georgia), who added Georgians found Biden toxic. “I’m not sure what legislation he could advocate for that wasn’t a Biden priority.”

Ossoff is known to be extremely deliberative about votes – to the point of hand-wringing – and discusses legislation extensively with colleagues before making a decision.

“He’s incredibly methodical, but also thoughtful about the impact that the policies we pass or don’t pass have on the people he represents,” said Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), another swing state politician who campaigned with Ossoff in Georgia earlier this year.

Shortly after Trump’s election in 2024, Ossoff voted for a Sen. Bernie Sanders-backed resolution to block some arms transfers to Israel as the war in Gaza had devolved into a humanitarian crisis. Just 19 members of the Democratic caucus backed the resolution, and Ossoff faced a fierce backlash back home for his vote.

Jeremy Ben-Ami, the leader of the liberal Jewish group J Street, said he spoke with Ossoff ahead of the vote, and that the senator was under intense pressure to vote against the resolution. “He knew what he was getting himself into and he took a principled stand,” Ben-Ami said of the Jewish senator. Now, Ben-Ami said, as public opinion has turned against Israel’s actions in the war, “time has proven him right and the wind has shifted.”

Republicans in Georgia hope that the MAGA base will show up for whichever Republican emerges from their primary in the fall. “We won the state of Georgia for President Trump, proving that it is indeed a red state,” Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Georgia) said. “We just need to do the same thing for whoever our Senate candidate is going to be.”

Ossoff and his allies say he has the support of a coalition that extends beyond the Democratic base, however. Trump’s approval rating was only 43 percent in Georgia in a 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll.

“In order to win in Georgia, you need a coalition,” Warnock said. “The Democratic faithful, the base and reasonable people in the middle who want to see us focus not so much on the politics and more on the everyday concerns of ordinary people. That’s what Jon Ossoff is doing.”

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