re: Class of 2019 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: That's a Wrap Edition

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Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s thought-provoking Three-Point Stance is here with some thoughts on some Top 10 uncommitted players, the odds certain teams will beat Alabama and some disappointing players.

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2. Odds are, no one is beating Bama

It’s time to play odds maker as Alabama is so good, it’s not who can beat them, it’s about what teams have the best chance to beat them. I’m including the remaining schedule for the Tide as well as the playoff contenders. Here it is…

Mississippi State – 30-1 odds – Mississippi State doesn’t have much of a chance with such a predictable offense. They have a good defense, but that doesn’t seem to matter as LSU showed. Alabama should roll by three touchdowns.

Citadel – 1,000-1 odds – No need to even comment on this.

Auburn – 18-1 odds – Auburn is not a very good football team but I’m making the odds this low because it’s a rivalry game. But I still think ‘Bama wins by 20 or more points.

Georgia – 6-1 odds – Georgia has a chance because of their run-pass balance and the fact that they almost beat them last year. The SEC title game will be a good one at least for a little while.

Clemson – 4-1 odds – Clemson has the best chance to beat Alabama out of everyone with their balance on offense and defense. Can a true freshman quarterback beat this Alabama team? Jake Fromm almost did it. This would be the best title game we could hope for.

Notre Dame – 12-1 odds – Notre Dame is undefeated but I don’t think they’d have much of a chance against Alabama. They have a solid defense for sure but I’m not sure they’d be able to put up many points against that defense.

Michigan – 5-1 odds – The Michigan defense is the best in the country and could keep them in this game, but I worry about the offense, especially if the run gets stuffed.

Oklahoma – 15-1 odds – The Oklahoma offense can score on anyone but that defense is so bad, I can’t see them stopping Tua and company at all. Alabama could hang 50 or more on them easily.

West Virginia – 20-1 odds – I like the offense, not as much as I like Oklahoma’s, but still I like it, but the defense can’t stop Alabama. They would lose and lose badly.

Ohio State – 18-1 odds – The defense isn’t great at all and would be gashed by Alabama while the offense would struggle with the pressure on Dwayne Haskins.

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FIRST TAKE: SAM SPIEGELMAN, TIGERDETAILS.COM

“One game does not help a recruit pick his school. That is most certainly the case with Sopsher. The Tide and the Tigers are certainly at the forefront for Sopsher, who is going to take so many other factors into account besides the final score.

"Orgeron has been selling the five-star on making an immediate impact along the defensive front and being a part of the LSU team that beats Alabama. That pitch still rings true after the loss and the public call for stronger, quicker defensive linemen — the type that Orgeron says will lift the Tigers to the same talent level as their arch-rival. LSU has lost too many battles on the recruiting trail to Alabama, and it showed on Saturday night.

“Sopsher offers Orgeron a chance to rectify that problem. The elite defensive lineman was on campus twice in a 72-hour stretch, spending quality time with the coaches and then taking in a raucous environment on Saturday night. Although the outcome favored the Tide, there is plenty of reason for optimism regarding LSU’s chances of landing Sopsher on National Signing Day.”

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Alabama quarterback commit Taulia Tagovailoa walked to midfield with LSU coach Ed Orgeron before Saturday’s game against Alabama, a moment shown to a national TV audience.

Alabama fans immediately asked an obvious question: Should LSU's continued interest and Orgeron's personal push to flip Taulia be a major concern?

LSU already has a quarterback commit in its recruiting class -- Central-Phenix City's Peter Parrish, a 4-star prospect -- but big brother Tua Tagovailoa's success definitely raised Taulia's national profile.

Throw in Taulia’s performance against Hewitt-Trussville on national TV, when he racked up 452 yards of total offense and accounted for five touchdowns while rallying Thompson from 28-0 deficit to a 64-49 victory, and it’s easy to see why his LSU visit raised an uproar online.

Even LSU lineman Breiden Fehoko, one of Tua's childhood friends and a longtime friend of the Tagovailoa family, joked with Tua after the game that Taulia would end up at LSU.

Until Taulia signs -- presumably when the early signing period begins Dec. 19 -- other schools are going to keep recruiting him. That’s how it works. Those millionaire college coaches don’t take no for an answer.

What does Taulia say? Multiple attempts to reach him Sunday failed.

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Why flip?

It's easy to see what LSU or Tennessee or any other school is selling, too.

LSU starter Joe Burrow has another year of eligibility remaining after graduating from Ohio State in three years and redshirting in 2015, but that doesn't mean Taulia wouldn't get a fair shot at the starting job, especially as an early enrollee.

If early playing time is paramount -- and what elite prospect wants to sit and wait? -- a place like LSU or Tennessee might appear attractive, too.

Tua definitely will be Bama's 2019 starter, barring some calamitous injury, so there's little pathway for Taulia to get immediate playing time at Alabama. Mac Jones also won't concede anything.

There's also the presence of fellow 2019 quarterback commit Paul Tyson, Bear Bryant's great-grandson, a formidable opponent in what's expected to be a future race for Alabama's starting job.

Taulia doesn't appear concerned of the impending competition. Neither does Tyson. In fact, they both seem energized by it. Big-time coaches crave, even demand, this level of swagger from every signee, especially at quarterback.

That's why I'm not buying any theory that says Taulia might go elsewhere because of Tyson. To paraphrase my Walker County buddies, he ain't skeered.

Tua has already become an Alabama legend, thanks to his game-winning touchdown pass to beat Georgia in last year’s national title game. Factor in his remarkable 2018 season and it’s hard to imagine Taulia doing anything but following his brother at the Walk of Champions.

Ed O is one of the nation's best recruiters, but it hard to believe the Crafty Cajun can somehow flip Taulia to the Tigers.

I’ve been fooled before. T.J. Yeldon showed no signs of wavering from his Auburn commitment before switching to Alabama just before he enrolled early. I never saw Darius Philon being left at the altar by Alabama, but it happened.

So, never say never.

But if Taulia jilts the Crimson Tide at the 11th hour, it'd be one of the most significant heel turns in college football.

Hard to imagine that happening to Nick Saban.

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4-Star tight end, Keon Zipperer, will take his official visit to Alabama on Saturday and will get a chance to watch the Tide take on Mississippi State.

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