Ad Disclosure
Be honest. You want SEC angles to watch the Super Bowl.
Maybe you’re watching for commercials, maybe you’re watching for Usher, maybe you’re watching for gambling angles. Shoot, maybe you’re watching for Taylor Swift.
If you’re reading this, though, I know you want some SEC angles to watch Super Bowl LVIII.
I’ve got 5 for you:
1. Every time Deebo Samuel does anything, I get bummed about his South Carolina days
Sorry, but it’s true. That’s twofold.
Samuel’s usage at South Carolina wasn’t like what it is in the NFL in a Kyle Shanahan offense. That much, we know (Samuel only had 25 total rushing attempts in 4 college seasons and he has 160 attempts in 5 NFL seasons). As he goes, the 49ers’ offense goes. If you don’t believe that, go back to when he was hurt midseason and the 5-0 49ers dropped 3 consecutive games in his absence … and then ripped off a 6-game winning streak when he came back.
We know that Samuel is a star. We knew he was a star at South Carolina even though being that as an offensive player in a Will Muschamp-coached team can only take you so far. It didn’t help Samuel that injuries limited him to just 18 games in his first 3 seasons. Granted, he was excellent in that final season.
But it’s wild to think that a player of Samuel’s caliber as a pro was never a first-team All-SEC guy at season’s end.
2. A defensive player winning MVP? Mississippi State legend Chris Jones could be that guy
The casual fan might not realize that the best unit in this game has been the Chiefs’ defense. The Chiefs and Ravens were the only teams that allowed fewer than 20 points per game, and they were a full touchdown better than that at 13.7 and 13.5, respectively. After the Chiefs stymied the Ravens in Baltimore to get to the Super Bowl, yes, we can say that the defense is easily the best unit in this game.
Who is the best player on the best unit in this game? That’s former Mississippi State legend Chris Jones. He has Super Bowl MVP odds of +14,000. That’s a long shot. Of course it is.
I know what you’re thinking. When was the last time that a defensive player won Super Bowl MVP honors? It was Von Miller in 2016. The last time a defensive lineman took home the honor was defensive end Richard Dent on that famed Chicago Bears ’85 defense. That’s why Jones is No. 11 in the odds at 140-to-1.
But if this game follows a script like the one we saw in the AFC Championship, is it crazy to think that a guy who gets a couple of sacks and maybe forces a turnover could win MVP instead of Pat Mahomes? I don’t think so. Maybe the pending free agent cashes in on one more monster night.
3. A Clyde Edwards-Helaire anytime touchdown bet is intriguing
Yes, Edwards-Helaire has taken a back seat to Isiah Pacheco in that backfield. Since the latter returned to full form, Edwards-Helaire was limited to 3 touches in each of the past 2 playoff games. Plus, we know that Travis Kelce has a nose for the end zone like few in the history of the sport.
But if you’re getting 6 times your money for Edwards-Helaire to reach paydirt, that’s an intriguing play.
Super Bowl Anytime TD Scorer Odds
Christian McCaffrey-220
Isiah Pacheco -140
Travis Kelce +105
Rashee Rice +140
Deebo Samuel +145
Brandon Aiyuk +155
George Kittle +175
Patrick Mahomes +360
Marquez Valdes-Scantling +550
Clyde Edwards-Helaire +600*via @FDSportsbook pic.twitter.com/0DQQ2dck6F
— SportsBettingDime (@SBD) February 1, 2024
Edwards-Helaire is mostly being used as a change-of-pace back on passing downs. In the AFC Championship, he played on 16 passing downs. That’s a lot of opportunity in a Mahomes-led offense. There’s a world in which Edwards-Helaire is the benefactor of the screen game or in the flat to slow down those dominant 49ers defensive ends.
In what’ll very likely be the LSU great’s last game with the Chiefs — they declined his 5th-year option — maybe we see him go out with his first postseason touchdown since his playoff debut in the AFC Championship 3 years ago.
4. If Kadarius Toney plays … look out
Fireworks are coming. Recent history suggests that they’ll be the type of fireworks that take off a finger in the process. But it’s safe to say that the former Florida star will have plenty of eyeballs on him if he plays.
That’s a big “if” because we know that after an eventful season that included monumental drops and one of the wildest “lining up offsides” sequences in NFL history, Toney was inactive for the AFC Championship. While the Chiefs claimed that the scrutinized receiver was inactive because he was nursing an injury, Toney raised eyebrows when he went on Instagram live and claimed “Man, that (expletive) is cap.”
Andy Reid hasn’t said whether Toney will be active. If he is, watch your fingers.
5. If this game comes down to a 49ers Hail Mary attempt, all eyes should be on Jauan Jennings
I’ve been to 1 Super Bowl. It was the Giants-Patriots Part II game in Indianapolis. That game came down to a Hail Mary wherein Rob Gronkowski nearly made what would’ve been the greatest catch in Super Bowl history.
Ever since then, all I’ve wanted from a Super Bowl is for it to end with a walk-off Hail Mary catch. If there’s a man who can make that happen, it’s Jennings. How do I know that? Well, we’ve already seen the former Tennessee star do just that with the legendary “Dobbs Nail Boot” play against Georgia in 2016.
Josh Dobbs. Jauan Jennings. BALL GAME ?@Vol_Sports | #SECNTakeover pic.twitter.com/DFqtWFmBFX
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 27, 2020
Jennings would be the perfect type of player to come down with this because all eyes will be on stars like the aforementioned Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and even Christian McCaffrey. But Jennings, who was brilliant in the Divisional Round win against the Packers, might be the specialist needed in that all-or-nothing scenario.
Here’s hoping Brock Purdy has studied his SEC history.
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Down South. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.
