News

Commissioners predict Clemson v. Alabama outcome

By Bill Moss, Published: January 4, 2017

The annual college football national championship predictions was a rerun of last year’s, when Henderson County commissioners broke 4-1 for Clemson and only one got it right. This time three commissioners said Clemson would win and two went for Alabama.

Only Grady Hawkins called it a year ago, predicting Alabama's win over the Tigers in the national championship game. The same two teams play on Jan. 9 for the college football championship.

Chairman Michael Edney, a South Carolina graduate with a son who roots for Clemson, said this year the matchup was "close enough that I can go for the Clemson Tigers this one time,” Edney said. (Actually, he also predicted Clemson a year ago.)

“All I can say is my money and my no. 3 son went to Clemson so I have to go with Clemson,” said Commissioner Bill Lapsley.
Hawkins again went with Alabama. “I’m going to pull for Alabama because I haven’t seen them play yet,” he said.

Commissioner Charlie Messer, the only commissioner to predict Florida State’s win over Auburn in the 2015 championship, said, “My heart is with Alabama and my brain is with Clemson so I’m going to go with Alabama."

Commissioner Tommy Thompson, who likes to say that he knows fishing better than football, was the only one to predict a point spread. "I say Clemson my 3 points," he said.

County Manager Steve Wyatt, the instigator of the annual picks, suggested it's Clemson's time.

"If they play five times Alabama wins four but I think Clemson’s going to win this one," he said.