IT Roundtable: Peach Bowl predictions, College Football Playoff picks

ATLANTA — We made it to the last day of 2024, and 60 minutes for the rest of the Texas Longhorns’ lives awaits tomorrow afternoon in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. Inside Texas provides keys to the game, predictions, and more in the Roundtable.

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Cam Skattebo has been talking a big game. What’s the key to keeping him bottled up?

Eric Nahlin – Shut the O-line down in front of him. Texas has some good length advantages in the interior that should play to its favor. If the D-line does its job then it’s all about run fits and gang tackling. Simple?

Justin Wells – Setting the edge, don’t assume the guy in front of you makes the tackle, and rally to the ball.

Ian Boyd – Exactly that, keep him bottled up. Play numbers around the line of scrimmage and don’t give him any space to get going. Texas needs to make the ASU pass game prove it deserves any respect.

Joe Cook – First-tackler success. He’s a tough guy to bring down so if the guy who gets there before anyone else can get him to the ground, it’ll shut down a lot of what makes him an effective football player. Remember what you did to Ollie Gordon, Texas? Do that.

Charlie Williams – Hit him before he gets momentum running downhill, gang tackle, and hit him like Steve Atwater hit the Nigerian Nightmare Christian Okoye to prove that he bleeds like the rest of us.

Paul Wadlington – Tackling is key. If you just bring a shoulder or an arm, he will humiliate you. As well as understanding that their scheme is built to get blockers on the second level. They’re comfortable leaving a free defender in the backfield for Skattebo to take care of. It’s very important that the Texas edges, linebackers and nickel understand the angles and value of getting him on the ground early. Having the DL dominate blockers at the point of attack is always nice. It’s also pretty clear that they’ll throw to him a lot. His biggest receiving games have all where he was limited on the ground.

Evan Vieth – The key for each individual player is to respect what Skattebo is underrated at. Some teams have done a good job of not allowing the ASU O-line to create high percentage power run plays for him, but what can catch you off guard is his contact balance and strength in the passing game. Half-spirited tackles are what will lose Texas the game, and defensive coaches need to be drilling into the edge rushers and a player like Michael Taaffe to stay strong and wrap up.

RT Young – Gang tackling at first contact. Don’t make the defensive backs attempt to tackle him alone in the second level.

James Hayden – Not letting him get to the second level

Texas has a lot of former Longhorns on the Sun Devils. Which player were you most sad to see go?

Eric Nahlin – Zac Swanson. The way they broke into his room and flushed his goldfish down the toilet while telling him to GTFO made me feel terrible for him.

Justin Wells – Xavion Alford. Kid had some superstar to him.

Ian Boyd – Jake Smith, not necessarily because he was likely to help Texas by the time he left but because of the lost potential due to injuries. Smith not panning out was a fell blow to the Tom Herman era.

Joe Cook – I’ve been a fan of the 100 Yard Landlord, Xavion Alford, for a while. Happy he was first-team All-Big 12 this season.

Charlie Williams – Troy Omeire. The practice clips of the acrobatic catches had everyone excited. I wanted to see him pan out at Texas

Paul Wadlington – Xavion Alford is legit. Great range, sure tackler. Covers up a lot of their missteps.

Evan Vieth – I had a lot of hope for J’Mond Tapp coming out but the edge rush room has become far too clogged in Austin over the last two seasons.

RT Young – None of them were really contributors so I wouldn’t say I was sad about any of their departures. I wish we could have seen the mythical Troy Omeire of Summer 2020 practice reports in action though.

James Hayden – Jake Smith, what could’ve been if not for injuries!

What are you looking for out of the Texas offense against the Big 12 Champion?

Eric Nahlin – Run festival. If Texas has balance Quinn Ewers will make more than enough plays to keep Texas ahead.

Justin Wells – More of the same: steady passing attack that leads to a heavy run game.

Ian Boyd – Domination. Run the ball, throw it over their heads, run around them, etc.

Joe Cook – 200 total yards between Quintrevion Wisner and Jaydon Blue. I’ll be looking to see how Trevor Goosby fares but this isn’t the game he’ll be challenged in.

Charlie Williams – The ability to run the football at will and no third-quarter roller coasters

Paul Wadlington – Points. We should be able to run on them if we mess with their keys (and perhaps even if we don’t) and Ewers will have clean pockets. ASU is going to struggle to get pressure on him.

Evan Vieth – With Isaiah Bond back I’ll make a claim for something many of our IT readers seem to despise: getting back into the screen game flow. Teams know that Texas can only succeed when the run game is working, so there’s a world where Arizona State stacks boxes heavily and Texas can isolate Bond, one of the best utilizers of the screen game, with a poorer tackling cornerback. Gunnar Helm has been good in the TE screen game, but Wisner has struggled as an RB. Bond could bet the connecting piece.

RT Young – I hope it looks like a bigger, faster and more physical SEC powerhouse playing a crafty but limited Big 12 team with all motivations and aspirations on an equal playing field.

James Hayden – RUN THE DAMN BALL

Ohio State vs. Oregon prediction (with score)

Eric Nahlin – 30-27, Oregon. But I’m not confident in that in the least. Ohio State looked great recently and Oregon is coming off a long layoff.

Justin Wells – 36-31, Ohio State

Ian Boyd – 34-24, Oregon

Joe Cook – 30-20, Oregon. Pyongyang falls.

Charlie Williams – 31-27, Oregon

Paul Wadlington – No good feel for this one but 28-27, Ohio State.

Evan Vieth – 35-27, Ohio State

RT Young – 31-26, Ohio State

James Hayden – 34-31, Oregon

Penn State vs. Boise State prediction (with score)

Eric Nahlin – 31-20, Penn State. Ashton Jeanty is a great story and I hope he excels but I actually want PSU to win to make this game more compelling. I state this without a care for the hate mail I’ll receive from TrueLonghornFan.

Justin Wells – 24-20, Penn State

Ian Boyd – 27-26, Boise State

Joe Cook – 35-10, Penn State.

Charlie Williams – 27-24, Boise State

Paul Wadlington – 31-15, Penn State

Evan Vieth – 14-12, Penn State

RT Young – 24-14 Penn State

James Hayden – 31-20, Penn State

Georgia vs. Notre Dame prediction (with score)

Eric Nahlin – 20-17, Georgia. This should be a rock and stick fight.

Justin Wells – 20-17, Notre Dame

Ian Boyd – 21-13, Georgia

Joe Cook – 24-7, Georgia

Charlie Williams – 27-19, Georgia

Paul Wadlington – 22-19, Georgia

Evan Vieth – 23-21, Notre Dame

RT Young – 16-13 Georgia

James Hayden – 20-13, Notre Dame

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Texas vs. Arizona State prediction (with score)

Eric Nahlin – 34-17, Texas.

Justin Wells – 38-20, Texas

Ian Boyd – 34-17, Texas

Joe Cook – 31-10, Texas

Charlie Williams – 44-13, Texas

Paul Wadlington – 35-14, Texas

Evan Vieth – 31-14, Texas

RT Young – 52-19 Texas

James Hayden – 31-17, Texas