At Disney World, you stomach exorbitant prices and mile-long lines for a taste of magic. College football has become no different, a beloved pastime that produces unmatched passion and exasperation.
Even if it respects individual freedom, it is off-putting to see players use the transfer portal as a first resort, switching schools once they’re ready to post a sad emoji.
Even if it is fair, it feels slimy to watch relatively unaccomplished teenagers sign with the highest bidders.
Between the lines, college football is the second-most popular sport in America, thriving on tradition. Off the field, it is the Wild West, void of leadership and regulation, powered by executives with no motivation to threaten their bottom line, operating on a calendar that results in the most successful coaches being poached before each season is done.
Even the sport’s greatest change this decade — the 12-team playoff — has brought havoc, with bloated leagues playing imbalanced schedules, forcing complex tiebreakers to select title game participants.
A four-way tie in the Mountain West saw Boise State and UNLV emerge because of computer rankings.
No. 12 Miami will sit home this weekend, while five-loss Duke could steal the ACC title, prevailing in a five-way tie despite defeating zero teams with a winning conference record.
In the Big Ten, there is no controversy, but no great stakes either, despite the clash between No. 1 Ohio State (12-0) and No. 2 Indiana (12-0) in Indianapolis.
It has been 16 years since the nation’s top two teams met in a conference title game. Then, Tim Tebow battled Nick Saban for a spot in the BCS championship. Now, the Buckeyes and Hoosiers will play for a top seed that may be of no benefit, with both locks to earn a bye.
The game’s greatest impact will come in the Heisman race between co-favorites Julian Sayin and Fernando Mendoza. Through three months, there has been little difference between the quarterbacks. There may be even less separating their teams. If the rosters traded helmets, the favorite would be unclear.
But after Saturday, Indiana (+4.5) could become the team to beat in the playoff.
Kennesaw State (+2.5) over JACKSONVILLE STATE
The Owls could complete a remarkable turnaround under first-year coach Jerry Mack — following a 2-10 campaign in their second FBS season — if they can avoid matching the four interceptions thrown in a 35-26 loss to the Gamecocks.
Troy (+23.5) over JAMES MADISON
Style points won’t be a springboard to a playoff berth. The Dukes could only get into the bracket if Duke steals the ACC crown — and even that might not be enough. But should James Madison sneak into the field, it’s fun to imagine Lane Kiffin seething, watching Bob Chesney lead the team despite already being hired by UCLA.
North Texas (-2.5) over TULANE
The winner of the AAC will play the role of Cinderella, and the Mean Green is fit for the part, in the midst of their best season in program history (since 1913). North Texas — which is 10-2 against the spread as a favorite, unbeaten on the road and top five in the nation in turnover margin — features the top-ranked offense in the nation, averaging more than 46 points per game, led by a former walk-on quarterback (Drew Mestemaker) whose only high school starts came for the Freshman B team. The Green Wave’s 60th-ranked defense faced two other Top-25 attacks and allowed a combined 93 points to Ole Miss and UTSA.
UNLV (+3.5) over BOISE STATE
For the third straight year, the Broncos and Runnin’ Rebels face off in the Mountain West title game. Boise State has won 10 straight meetings between the teams — including UNLV’s only two road losses of the past two calendar years — most recently producing October’s 56-31 beatdown. But much has changed. The Rebels defense has improved significantly, allowing an average of fewer than 14 regulation points in their past four games, while Boise State will start quarterback Maddux Madsen for the first time in a month. In a battle of two of the nation’s worst run defenses, UNLV owns the superior backfield, which ranks 11th in the nation (5.5 yards per carry).
BYU (+13.5) over Texas Tech (in Arlington, Texas)
Win or lose, the Red Raiders are in. The Cougars have far more motivation, knowing they’re headed to a meaningless bowl without an upset. Texas Tech — which won last month’s meeting in Lubbock, 29-7 — won’t benefit from another 3-0 turnover edge against an opponent that’s ranked in the top five in the nation in turnover margin. The Cougars are 22-3 in the past two seasons — and 7-2 against the spread as an underdog — and should be energized by the news that Kalani Sitake will be staying in Provo despite Penn State’s pursuit of the BYU coach.
Western Michigan (-2.5) over Miami (Ohio) (at Detroit)
The RedHawks took the regular season meeting, as Dequan Finn produced a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to cap a comeback in Ohio, resulting in the Broncos’ only loss since mid-September. But the MAC Championship will be held on a neutral field, and without Finn, that leaves freshman Thomas Gotkowski — who has a 53.2 completion percentage in his first two career starts — to face a top-15 defense, which ranks 10th in the nation in passing yards allowed and 11th in sack percentage.
Georgia (-2.5) over Alabama (at Atlanta)
With Nick Saban gone, the one-sided rivalry is due to become more balanced. Two-time national champion Kirby Smart enters at 1-7 in his career against Alabama — having lost back-to-back meetings against Kalen DeBoer — needing a win to clinch a bye, avenge the only loss of the season and potentially bounce Georgia’s rival from the playoff. In what should be another close game, the Bulldogs can bank on third-year kicker Peyton Woodring (93.8 field goal percentage) in the clutch. The Tide — whose kicker Conor Talty has hit 65 percent of field goals — won’t share the same confidence.
Betting on College Football?
Duke (+3.5) over Virginia (at Charlotte, N.C.)
The Cavaliers could save the ACC from the embarrassment of being leapfrogged by the Sun Belt champion, but they are no safe bet, having had six of their past eight games decided in the final minute. Duke’s Darian Mensah was uncharacteristically erratic in a recent loss to Virginia, but the ACC’s passing leader should fare better in the rematch against an untested secondary.
BEST BETS: Byu, Georgia.
SEASON: 95-115 (15-27).
2014-24 RECORD: 1,392-1,309-31.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Howie Kussoy has long been the New York Post’s main handicapper in college basketball (since 2011) and college football (since 2013).
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
