It won’t be long before helmets swap out logos for sponsors.
asserted
helmets → swap → sponsors
Any year now, a commercial will run as a team lines up for a game-winning field goal.
asserted
team → run → goal
Money is all that matters — now more than ever.
asserted
that → matter → ?
There is no other reason for this week’s finalization of a 24-team playoff that will begin next season and bring irreparable damage to the most American of sports, watering down four-plus months of the best regular season for one extra weekend of mediocre playoff games.
asserted
that → be → games
It is fitting that ESPN and conference executives ignored the wishes of the masses shortly after the NCAA officially took a bulldozer to its once-unblemished bracket, introducing a 76-team field that will lead to greater expansion and greater damage to the best postseason in sports.
asserted
that → ignore → sports
For decades, college football was content to let polls crown champions.
asserted
polls → let → champions
Now, only three years after featuring a four-team field, the sport has accelerated through a logical middle ground, killing conference title games and much of the meaning in being a member of leagues in their bloated forms.
asserted
sport → feature → forms
But it may come one year too late for Lane Kiffin.
uncertain
it → come → Kiffin
Despite featuring the top-ranked offense and defense in the SEC, No. 21 LSU is 0-3 against ranked teams this season, needing to run the table to have a chance at reaching the playoff for the first time in seven years.
asserted
LSU → feature → years
No. 6 Texas is 4-0 against ranked opponents this season — including wins at Tennessee and Missouri — but playing under the lights in Death Valley is a different beast, amplifying the pressure on Arch Manning in his return to Louisiana.
asserted
playing → include → Louisiana
Without All-American left tackle Trevor Goosby, Manning — who has taken the third-most sacks in the nation this season — will be forced into multiple turnovers, while getting knocked around by a defense with the nation’s highest sack percentage.
asserted
who → take → percentage
LSU (-4.5) will wait at least another week to learn if it must wait ‘til next year.
asserted
it → wait → year
I have now lost all four games picking against the Bruins since Nico Iamaleava suffered a season-ending injury.
asserted
Iamaleava → lose → injury
There is no turning back now, especially with the Illini on a four-game winning streak and having gone 23-11 against the spread as an underdog under Bret Bielema, including all three opportunities this season.
asserted
Illini → be → opportunities
MIAMI (-13.5) over Duke
The Hurricanes will miss Malachi Toney, but their near comeback at Notre Dame showed they still have plenty to work with against an overrated Duke defense that hasn’t faced a top 40 offense.
asserted
that → miss → offense
Blue Devils star running back Nate Sheppard will have nowhere to run against a Miami defense allowing 2.5 yards per carry
asserted
Sheppard → run → carry
OHIO STATE (-12.5) over Northwestern
Even if Aidan Chiles returns for Northwestern, the Buckeyes defense is too talented to get burned for a third consecutive game.
asserted
defense → return → game
If the Wildcats are without their starting quarterback, Ohio State will look like a juggernaut again.
asserted
State → look → juggernaut
SMU (-1.5) over Wake Forest
Last year, the Mustangs missed out on returning to the ACC Championship because of a last-second loss at Wake Forest.
asserted
Mustangs → miss → Forest
SMU can earn redemption and a shot to make this year’s title game by winning its 19th straight conference game at home.
asserted
SMU → earn → home
VANDERBILT (+16.5) over Alabama
The Tide are a playoff lock, closing the season at home against Chattanooga and Auburn.
asserted
Tide → close → Chattanooga
Tennessee (-2.5) over TEXAS A&M
It is dangerous to lay points at Kyle Field, but the Vols’ elite pass rush will make Marcel Reed (three passing touchdowns and seven interceptions in SEC play) and his 98th-ranked offense look even worse than usual.
asserted
Reed → lay → play
GEORGIA (-15.5) over Missouri
The Bulldogs are not just the best team in the nation, but 6-2 against the spread as a favorite, having won their five conference games by an average of nearly 22 points per game.
asserted
Bulldogs → win → game
The Tigers are in the wrong weight class, having won just one of their past 12 games against ranked opponents, while going 1-6-1 against the spread as an underdog in the past two seasons.
asserted
Tigers → win → seasons
USC (+10) over INDIANA
The champs have gone to overtime in back-to-back games against unranked opponents.
asserted
champs → go → opponents
Their five Big Ten games against teams that don’t own a share of last place — Hi, Rutgers! — have been decided by single digits.
asserted
that → own → digits
They are averaging less than 12 points in regulation in their past four games.
asserted
They → average → games
USC — for better and worse — offers a higher ceiling, coming off its win over Ohio State.
asserted
USC → offer → State
Boston College (+29.5) over NOTRE DAME
It is impossible to separate Notre Dame’s 1993 “Game of the Century” win over Charlie Ward and No. 1 Florida State from the championship-crushing upset the Irish suffered at home to Boston College one week later.
asserted
Irish → separate → College
It is impossible to ignore the potential for another letdown against the Eagles after Notre Dame’s season-saving win over No. 1 Miami.
asserted
It → ignore → Miami
Michigan (+11) over OREGON
The nation’s highest-paid offensive coordinator (Jason Beck) is gone.
asserted
Michigan → pay → OREGON
Kyle Whittingham’s first season in Ann Arbor looks increasingly likely to be his last.
asserted
season → look → Arbor
But even amid this embarrassing campaign, the Wolverines — who are 2-0 against the spread as an underdog — still have the nation’s third-ranked defense, allowing less than 17 points per game.
asserted
who → have → game
Ole Miss (-1.5) over OKLAHOMA
Buy low on sixth-year senior Trinidad Chambliss, who hasn’t lost back-to-back games since he was in high school.
asserted
he → lose → school
The Sooners haven’t beaten a top 40 offense this season and have dropped both of their home games in SEC play.
asserted
Sooners → beat → play
KENTUCKY (-3.5) over Florida
The Wildcats are 3-0 against the spread as a favorite, 4-1 at home and won last year’s meeting in Lexington, 38-7.
asserted
Wildcats → win → Lexington
The Gators are now 1-4 and averaging less than 16 points per game since rolling through four soft defenses in September.
asserted
Gators → average → September
The No. 2 Utes have benefited from playing their only tough games at home, barely scraping by against BYU and Houston.
asserted
Utes → benefit → BYU
Utah has faced just one strong passing attack this season and brings the 108th-ranked pass defense to a matchup with Arizona’s Noah Fifita, who ranks fourth in the nation in passing yards (2,794) and third in completion percentage (73.0).
asserted
who → face → percentage
Coming off one of the biggest Holy War wins of all time, Utah will struggle to find the same intensity on the road against the No. 23 Wildcats, who are 5-0 at home.
asserted
who → come → home
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
