We’ve officially reached the “oppressive heat” portion of the summer, and boy, is it scorching across most of the West, Midwest, South and Southeast.

Hopefully, you’re staying cool wherever you are. It’s supposed to be 95 in Omaha on Saturday and 98 on Sunday, so stay hydrated if you’re going to the College World Series to support 1 of the 3 SEC teams still in the hunt for a national title!

Personally, I think Vanderbilt has the best chance to take home the CWS trophy among the SEC squads, but I’ve been wrong before! It wouldn’t be wise to count out the red-hot Vols or the hard-hitting Mississippi State Bulldogs.

All I know is it should be an exciting week of baseball. So, stay cool, drink lots of water, and enjoy!

Now, let’s dive into your questions for this week’s Mailbag:

Robert:

If you had to pick the Week 1 matchup of Clemson vs. Georgia right now, who do you think would win? Final score?

That’s the matchup the country is going to have its eyes on when Sept. 4 rolls around. Since we’re still in the 4-team Playoff era (the 12-team format wouldn’t start until at least 2023 if it passes, it seems), this game could decide which of these squads is a contender and which is a pretender.

Georgia has its starting QB — JT Daniels — returning this fall. Meanwhile, Clemson is replacing superstar QB Trevor Lawrence, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. DJ Uiagalelei is a rising star, but he might need a year to develop. Each team has question marks at receiver, too, as Clemson’s Justyn Ross is returning from injury, while Georgia’s George Pickens suffered an ACL injury.

The DraftKings Sportsbook currently has Clemson as a 4-point favorite in that game. I have to say I disagree with that. I’d take Georgia to cover all day. In fact, I like Georgia at +145 on the moneyline to improve your winnings.

Georgia’s defense has been boosted by a couple of recent transfer portal finds in ex-Clemson DB Derion Kendrick and ex-West Virginia DB Tykee Smith. With those guys on board, if they’re eligible, I think Georgia has the talent to beat the Tigers in Week 1 in Charlotte.

As for a final score, right now I’ll go with Georgia 27, Clemson 20.

@SChinni12:

If you could take over as the coach of any Power 5 college football program, which one would you choose?

That’s a question that could go in any number of ways. I’ll answer it with 2 criteria. First, I’ll go with the program I think would be the most prestigious for me to take over and have success at. Then, I’ll go with a program I think I could have the longest tenure at without having any level of success on my resume.

So, first, the school I think it would be best for my “legacy” to take over and bring success to is Georgia. Texas, USC and Tennessee also fit that bill, but I wouldn’t want to deal with the boosters at those programs. If I could take over the Bulldogs and lead them to their first title since 1980, though? Legacy sealed.

As for which program I could take over and remain at the longest without having any discernible level of success at? How about Oregon State? The Beavers haven’t won a conference title since 2000. Before that, you have to go back to 1964 to find their last conference championship. And that was in the “Athletic Association of Western Universities.”

They seem content with just simply existing in the Pac-12, and I am the sort of coach who could oversee a team with 0 expectations. As long as we beat Oregon every 4 years or so, I’d probably get to keep my job.

Michael:

Are the Bears really going to start Andy Dalton over Justin Fields?

When it comes to the Chicago Bears, expect them to always make the wrong decision when it comes to quarterbacks. Jay Cutler is arguably the best quarterback in franchise history. Let that sink in for a minute.

Cutler was a solid quarterback. I’m not trying to slander him. But if you have him as your franchise’s all-time greatest quarterback, and you’ve been around since the NFL was formed, you have some major problems.

So, to sum up, I absolutely expect the Bears to start Dalton in Week 1. Coach Matt Nagy has said Dalton is QB1 on the depth chart now, with Fields as the backup. Nagy is facing a make-or-break year as far as his future in Chicago goes.

The second that Dalton struggles, Chicago fans are going to turn on him. We’ll see if Nagy digs in his heels with Dalton as his guy or if he is willing to make the switch. Again, count on the Bears making the wrong decision either way.

@Dobbe8:

Any good summer beach read recommendations?

Lots! I’ve been on a tear when it comes to reading this year. I can’t recommend Wright Thompson’s Pappyland highly enough. It’s the inside story of the uber-popular Pappy Van Winkle bourbon, which often sells for 4 figures. Thompson is one of my all-time favorite writers. He could write about a brick wall and I’d still read it.

I also really enjoyed Outlaw Ocean by Ian Urbina. It’s a book about what happens in international waters, which are hard to police and often ignored by countries. Pollution, trafficking, smuggling, piracy — the ocean is a scary, savage place. The adventures he went on while reporting the book are absolutely enthralling.

If fiction is more of your thing, I really enjoyed Camino Island by John Grisham. There’s also a follow-up called Camino Winds. Both are easy reads and are set on a Florida coastal island, so they fit the mood of the beach. I also breezed through The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James earlier this year. It’s like a Stephen King book meets a true-crime podcast.

Those recommendations should get you through a couple of beach days, at least! Also, please let me know what you recommend in the comments! I’m always looking for new things to read.

Have a question for next week’s Mailbag? Tweet at us using #SDSMailbag or email me at ASpencer@SaturdayDownSouth.com.