NEW ORLEANS — The College Football Playoff Selection Committee has shown no hesitation in sending teams against the same opponent twice. According to research by the Tulsa World, there had been 105 rematches in the history of the sport since World War II before this year’s CFP — which has already featured two (Alabama vs. Oklahoma and Tulane vs. Ole Miss). After first-round results, the team that won the initial meeting is 9-28 in bowl or playoff rematches. Most rematches historically occur in conference championship games, which only began in 1992.
It’s a dynamic Ole Miss quarterbacks coach Joe Judge knows well from his time in the NFL, where postseason meetings can result in teams facing each other three times in one year.
“It’s actually a whole lot more fun,” Judge said. “The first time around. There’s a large emphasis on Xs and Os schematics, systems and how they match up and all stuff. By the time you get the second time, personnel is the main focus. You have to look at the tape and say they’re watching the same tape we are. Where do we struggle? What matchup do they have on us? What are they gonna try to expose again? How do we protect that? And then, also, where do we mismatch them? How do we really feature that matchup and find a way to get to it again, and then knowing they’re gonna have a plan for it as well, you look situationally. What do you think they’ll adjust within their game plan? Maybe some things you had left over from your game plan. How can you dress that up.”
There is always a chess match at play — the “I know that you know that I know” dynamic. The key for both sides will be avoiding the “overthinking” trap.
One significant personnel change favors Georgia. Bulldogs deep threat Colbie…
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