The College Football Playoff semifinals are set for New Year’s Day, but No. 2 Clemson will have to beat No. 3 Ohio State without their play-caller at the helm. Offensive Coordinator Tony Elliott tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be with the Tigers for the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
Elliott will communicate with the Tigers via Zoom until gametime, but quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter will call the offense from the coaches’ box. Elliott has been on Dabo Swinney’s staff at Clemson since 2011 and was a co-offensive coordinator for four seasons before taking over the role himself this season.
The Tigers are (-7) against the Buckeyes Friday night with a total of 66.5. The Clemson offense has an over/under of 47.5 with Heisman finalist quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne leading the way.
Playoff Committee Announces COVID Backup Plan
The College Football Playoff committee announced potential makeup dates for the semifinals and championship should COVID-19 impact the original dates. If the Rose Bowl cannot be played on New Year’s Day, it would move to Monday, Jan. 11, and still be at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. If the Sugar Bowl cannot be played on New Year’s Day, it would be made up on Tuesday, Jan. 12 in New Orleans.
The National Championship game is currently scheduled for Monday, Jan. 11 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. If the semifinals get pushed back, or if a team has a COVID outbreak leading up to the game, the title game would move back one week to Monday, Jan. 18.
The Rose Bowl will feature No. 1 Alabama (-17.5) against No. 4 Notre Dame at 4:00 P.M. Eastern on Jan. 1. The Sugar Bowl will follow at 8:00 P.M. Eastern with No. 2 Clemson (-7) playing No. 3 Ohio State. Alabama is -143 to win the title with Clemson at +175, Ohio State at +900, and Notre Dame at +3300.
Coastal Carolina’s Chadwell Named Coach of the Year
Most college football fans didn’t know the name Jamey Chadwell before the start of the 2020 season. That changed over the last three months as Chadwell led Coastal Carolina to a Sun Belt Conference championship and a top 10 ranking in the final regular-season AP Poll. Coastal Carolina transitioned from FCS to FBS in 2017, and Chadwell is in his third season as the Chanticleers head coach.
Chadwell is the first Sun Belt coach to be named Associated Press Coach of the Year and just the third to win it from outside a Power Five league. The Chanticleers were 5-7 in 2019 and were picked to finish last in the Sun Belt’s East Division this season. Instead, they went 11-0 before falling to Liberty in overtime in the Cure Bowl.
Chadwell received 16 first-place votes in the poll with 88 total points. He finished ahead of Indiana’s Tom Allen, who received 14 first-place votes and 66 points. Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell and Alabama’s Nick Saban finished third and fourth, respectively.
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