Will Kendrick Lamar sing Not Like Us during the Super Bowl halftime show?

Imagine if the whole crowd sang “a minor” at the same time.

If he wants to break the internet, Kendrick Lamar has an easy opportunity. All he has to do is sing “Not Like Us” at the Super Bowl.

Kendrick, who recently won several Grammy Awards for his diss track about Drake heard around the world. Kendrick is diabolical and if he wanted to do it, the rapper could use his platform at the Super Bowl to put one last nail in this purely metaphorical coffin of this beef.

All he would have to do is sing “Not Like Us” as the entire crowd sings “a minor” over the masterful production of DJ Mustard.

KENDRICK LAMAR SUPER BOWL: 15 guest stars we hope he brings out for the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show

While he has so many songs to choose from, Kendrick could also make the diabolical but brilliant decision to play the diss track more than once just like he did at The Pop Out concert last year. There, he played the song five times in a row.

Even though he can play a few of his other diss tracks against Drake as well, this is the one that would make the most sense on that stage. It would make a memory for a lifetime he makes that decision.

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A Terry Rozier gambling scandal would be a nightmare for the sports world

This could be catastrophic.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Happy Friday. Hope you’ve had a great week.

Let’s talk about this Terry Rozier gambling investigation.

The Miami Heat guard is being investigated by federal authorities who are looking into whether he manipulated his performance as part of a broader sports betting scheme.

Basically, without getting into the nitty-gritty, federal authorities have suspicions that Rozier tried to pull off the same thing Jontay Porter tried to pull off. The allegations involve the same group of co-conspirators, but the game in question for Rozier happened in 2023 instead of 2024.

The NBA launched its own investigation into the matter and reportedly found no rule violations, according to Chris Haynes, but federal authorities seem to have reason to believe they need to dig deeper into this.

EVERYTHING WE KNOW: Here are more details on the investigation into Rozier and everything at stake

A Terry Rozier gambling scandal has the potential to be destabilizing for the sports world. This should be considered a 10-alarm fire if investigators were to find any malfeasance on the Heat guard’s part.

This is the same as the Jontay Porter scandal, but it’s not.

Yes, if what is alleged is true, Rozier would’ve done the same thing Porter did in manipulating his stats to reach specific benchmarks to satisfy betting lines. That, in general, is a terrible thing to do and completely disregards the integrity of the game.

But it’d be different in that Porter made the league-minimum salary in the NBA. Whatever piece of the pie he was making off of fudging his numbers probably made a difference for him. That’s why sportsbooks no longer take bets on the lowest-paid players across the NBA.

But Terry Rozier? That dude’s current contract guarantees him nearly $100 million. He’s made nearly $134 million in career earnings throughout his time in the league. He doesn’t need the money. A betting scandal probably wouldn’t make much of a difference for him.

If he were to take part in something like this anyway? It’d be a huge blow to the sports betting industry. Detractors would point to this as proof that there’s no stopping temptation from winning over, no matter how many rules or regulations you put in place to stop it. The integrity of the game will always be in jeopardy.

Is that fair? It’s hard to say. On one hand, the regulations are doing what they’re supposed to do. One player has already been caught in a scandal and another one is potentially being investigated here. Nothing may come from this. And, even if something does, then that’s proof the system is working to catch wrongdoers in their tracks.

But, even if that’s the case, one could argue that the fact that we need a system for that in the first place makes the entire thing fraught to begin with.

Whatever you’re inclined to think about this, I’d probably hold off on any sweeping judgments. There’s an ongoing investigation and the results of that matter.

But, best believe, the sports world has its eyes on this one.


James Cook is a real one

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Everybody wants to chalk the Chiefs’ success up to the referees. And, look, I get it. They get a lot of calls that go their way. But the game comes down to more than that.

James Cook knows what’s good. If you give officials nothing to call, then they can’t call anything.

“At the end of the day, you got to come in there ready to go… [expletive] that ref [expletive]. You gotta come in there ready to go, ready to play. Don’t give a ref nothing to call.”

That’s honestly refreshing to hear. Maybe this is just Cook putting on airs so he doesn’t get fined by the NFL. Regardless, the officiating talk all season has gotten exhausting.

People hate the Chiefs, They have plenty of reason to hate the Chiefs and that’s totally cool with me. But, in the end, they win a lot because they’re just that good. Do they get the benefit of the doubt on some calls? Sure. When you’re that good, it happens.

But, usually, the game doesn’t boil down to that. We’d be better off acting like we know that.


Elly De La Cruz is so fun

And I’m so glad baseball knows it. This new commercial from Major League Baseball features a stop-motion Elly doing real-life Elly things.

Watch on TikTok

This spot is part of the league’s “Baseball is Something Else” campaign. It’s supposed to center the game’s young stars to get people excited about this upcoming season.

This commercial, in particular, features Elly as a created player who has come to life from a video game. MLB says it took 3,000 photos to bring the stop-motion animation to life, which seems extremely arduous. But it’s also totally worth it.

It’s always good to see baseball leaning in on its up-and-coming superstars like this. MLB is in a cool place right now.


Photo Friday: Kobbie Mainoo is floating

(Photo by Andrei PUNGOVSCHI / AFP)

Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo looks like he’s flying on this shot attempt. What an incredible athlete.


Quick hits: The Justin Tucker scandal … Angel Reese’s big surprise … and more

— Here’s everything we know about Justin Tucker’s sexual misconduct scandal so far. Charles Curtis has it covered.

— Angel Reese paid off her mom’s mortgage in one of the sweetest gestures you’ll ever see. Meg Hall has more.

— Bryan Kalbrosky has your snubs from the NBA All-Star game here.

— Cory Woodroof has the full NBA All-Star game rosters ready to go for you.

— Shoutout to the Wizards for letting Bronny James get MVP chants. Sheesh.

— Mary Clarke has more on the Bruins honoring the victims of the Potomac plane crash here.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for rocking with us this week. We appreciate you. Have a great weekend. We’ll chat again on Monday.

-Sykes ✌️

What’s at stake in the Texas Bowl between LSU and Baylor?

What’s really at stake in the 2024 Kinder’s Texas Bowl?

The Texas Bowl is on Tuesday, December 31, in Houston, Texas.

The LSU Tigers arrive at Tuesday’s matchup with an 8-4 record after winning their last two games, a welcomed sight after an unfortunate three-game skid knocked the team out of the college football playoffs. The Baylor Bears also arrive in Texas with an 8-4 record, including winning six straight to close out the season.

So, what’s really at stake in Tuesday’s head-to-head?

The Tigers’ program can win a third straight bowl game and reach nine wins.

If LSU walks away with a victory, it’ll be behind a slightly revamped team. While there haven’t been many changes to the defense, the offensive line will be practically new. Several players opted out of playing the bowl game.

For the Bears, head coach Dave Aranda has a chance to get a win over his former team.

Aranda spent the 2016-2019 seasons with the team and was on the staff that won a national championship. The matchup against LSU presents a unique challenge. Unfortunately, Baylor lost seven defensive players to the transfer portal, and that likely won’t help a Bears squad that allowed 34 or more points six times this season.

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What’s at stake in the Alamo Bowl between No. 23 Colorado and No. 17 BYU?

What’s really at stake in the 2024 Alamo Bowl?

The Alamo Bowl is on Saturday, December 28, in lovely San Antonio, Texas.

It’s a clash of some of the Big 12’s best between the No. 23 Colorado Buffaloes and No. 17 BYU Cougars. The Buffs arrive at Saturday’s matchup with a 9-3 record after winning five of their last six games, including a 52-0 rout of Oklahoma State. BYU enters the weekend’s game with a 10-2 record, including an impressive nine-game winning streak earlier this season.

So, what’s really at stake in Saturday’s head-to-head?

For the Buffs, it’s a chance to reach 10 wins for the first time since 2016 and to win a bowl game for the first time since 2004.

It’s also the last time fans will see quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman trophy winner and two-way standout Travis Hunter in a Colorado uniform. Sanders and Hunter were a huge reason the Buffs more than doubled the team’s win total under Deion Sanders in just his second season and why Colorado led the Big 12 in passing with over 327 yards per matchup.

For BYU, beating Colorado would give the program its 11th season with 13 wins or more. It would also likely hand BYU its 20th season as a ranked team in the end-of-season AP Poll and the third time under head coach Kalani Sitake.

There are also two more names to watch: quarterback Jake Retzlaff and receiver Chase Roberts. The pair helped BYU score 30 or more points against six Big 12 opponents this year, typically averaging 30.7 points in conference matchups.

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What’s at stake in the Birmingham Bowl between Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt?

The Commodores haven’t had a winning season in more than a decade. The Yellow Jackets are searching for new highs under Brent Pry.

Vanderbilt is back in the college football postseason for the first time in six years. Georgia Tech can reclaim a piece of the conference it left behind by handling the Commodores at the 2024 Birmingham Bowl.

While a showdown between a seven-win Yellow Jackets and a .500 Vandy squad isn’t especially appealing at face value, there’s plenty to watch when the two teams square off December 27 at 3:30 p.m. ET in Birmingham’s Protective Stadium.

The Commodores have Diego Pavia, the man who helped ruin Alabama’s College Football Playoff argument. He’s in search of Vanderbilt’s first bowl win — and winning season — since James Franklin left for Penn State after 2013.

Georgia Tech, on the other hand, is trying to build its own bowl streak following last year’s Gasparilla Bowl win over Central Florida. Head coach Brent Key has been a welcome breath of fresh air following the disastrous tenure of Geoff Collins. Beating the ‘Dores would give the Yellow Jackets eight wins — their most since 2016.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TURNOVER:

Two intriguing subplots remain. Both teams played spoiler to blue chip programs with big 2024 aspirations. Vandy beat Bama. Tech started Florida State’s descent to 2-10 and knocked Miami out of the ACC title game. Who is the ultimate Power 4 ruiner?

But more important to fans with fond memories of pre-war football, this is a revival of a rivalry between SEC founders. Both the Commodores and Yellow Jackets were charter members of the juggernaut conference in 1932. Georgia Tech left in 1964 and hasn’t lost to Vandy in the six decades since (6-0-1).

Can Pavia snap a losing streak old enough to qualify for AARP membership and continue to thrive in Alabama-related situations? Can Haynes King keep the GT offense humming without top wideout Eric Singleton, who entered the transfer portal at the conclusion of the regular season? And which old-school SEC nerd school will reign supreme two days after Christmas?

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What’s at stake in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl between Florida and Tulane?

The 2024 Gasparilla Bowl will pit Florida against Tulane.

The Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl will kick off on Friday in Tampa, pitting Florida and Tulane against each other for a trophy treasure trove of pirate booty.

The 7-5 Gators will try to close the season, a highly uneven one for coach Billy Napier, on a high note.

Napier did enough to stick around in Gainesville for another year, but a bowl game win against Tulane would give his athletic department just a bit more confidence that he’s the guy to return Florida to national prominence.

While all teams are playing for pride in these bowl games, at least Florida has the chance to do so in front of a friendly Tampa crowd.

As for 9-4 Tulane, coach Jon Sumrall recently earned a major contract extension with the Green Wave after a season where his school was ranked for multiple weeks. Winning the bowl game is a cherry on top for Sumrall.

Tulane being able to close the 2024 season by sticking it to an SEC team in its home state would have to feel great for Sumrall’s group going into 2025. Even if it loses, this team has a lot to be proud of for how the season went.

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Big Ten championship: Players to know, predictions and more

Oregon can lock up the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff with one more win.

No. 1 Oregon has been the unquestioned top team in the country for weeks now and still has so much to gain on Saturday.

With a victory over No. 3 Penn State in the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis, the Ducks would finish off a 13-0 regular season, win the conference in its first season and lock up the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff, which comes with a first-round bye.

If Penn State wins, the Nittany Lions’ first Big Ten title since 2016, steal the first-round bye from Oregon and force the Ducks to host a playoff game on campus.

Which is to say nothing of helping Penn State coach James Franklin defeat his demons in big games. Here’s what we’re watching in this one.

Players To Watch

Oregon: Matayo Uiagalelei, DE

If Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty didn’t exist, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel would probably be the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. But let’s turn to the other side of the ball here, and to the leader of a Ducks’ defense that’s ninth nationally in points allowed per game (16.2). Uiagalelei was somehow erroneously snubbed by the Big Ten’ coaches for first team all-conference honors, despite leading the league in sacks with 10.5, which also ranks seventh nationally.

Penn State: Tyler Warren, TE

Warren is a contender for the Mackey Award this year for the nation’s top tight end. And he’s a superb pass catcher and blocker, but he does a lot more for the Nittany Lions in Andy Kotelnicki’s unique offense that is full of motions, trickery and smoke and mirrors. We’ve seen Warren run the ball, throw the ball and even snap the ball. He’s totaled 1,167 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns this season. Warren is 10th nationally in receptions with 81 and is definitely a guy that you’ll see playing on Sundays next year.

Staff Picks


Opening Line: Oregon -3.5

Blake Schuster: Penn State +3.5

What if I told you the big game James Franklin finally wins is the only one Penn State didn’t care about?

Mitchell Northam: Oregon -3.5

This is a big game, and James Franklin does not win big games.

Christian D’Andrea: Oregon -3.5

We all know how James Franklin does against top-5 teams.

Michelle Martinelli: Penn State +3.5

Oregon wins and keeps its undefeated season intact, but the Nittany Lions — even in a big game, I know, I know — keep it closer than this.

Tyler Nettuno: Oregon -3.5

The Ducks haven’t really faced a tough test since the win over Ohio State, and there have been a couple instances of shakiness. If Penn State looked just a bit more dangerous, I’d be more intrigued here.

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ACC championship game: Players to know, predictions and more

The most consequential conference championship game kicks off in Charlotte on Saturday.

The ACC championship is by far the most consequential of all the title games on Saturday. When No. 8 SMU and No. 17 Clemson meet in Charlotte, there are multiple playoff spots on the line.

In the most simple terms: if SMU wins, both the Mustangs and Alabama Crimson Tide will punch their ticket to the 12-team College Football Playoff. If Clemson wins, the Tigers will earn the ACC’s automatic berth, leaving the committee to decide between Alabama, SMU and South Carolina for the final at-large bid.

Of course, there’s also a ton of pride at stake, too. Clemson won the conference championship in 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. The Tigers feel they own the ACC and it’s tough to argue that point. SMU waltzing into the ACC and winning the conference in Year 1 would be quite an ego bruise for the more long-time members.

Players To Watch

Clemson: Cade Klubnik, QB

Klubnik has taken a step forward as a junior, cutting his interceptions nearly in half and piling 10 more scores on his total from last season. Klubnik has thrown for 3,041 yards and 29 touchdowns to just five interceptions. He’s also been more aggressive as a runner this year, totaling 437 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, including his game-winning scramble against Pitt earlier this season that kept the Tigers’ CFP hopes alive.

SMU: Brashard Smith, RB

Smith does it all for SMU’s offense and has proven to be potent as a runner and receiver. He leads the Mustangs’ offense with 1,426 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns, the latter of which leads the ACC. After having a supporting role at Miami for the previous three seasons, Smith has become a star for SMU and has them on the cusp of making the College Football Playoff for the first time ever.

Staff Picks


Opening Line: Clemson -1.5

Blake Schuster: SMU -2.5

I was all set to pick Clemson until South Carolina turned the Tigers’ defense into Swiss cheese.

Mitchell Northam: Clemson +2.5

I think SMU is good and deserves a CFP spot. Whether the committee agrees with me is another matter. But this is turf that Clemson dominates on, and I think we’re about to witness a classic, “Screw you, we’re still Clemson” type performance. The Tigers are 8-0 in ACC championship games since 2011. Their only loss in Charlotte in that span was in 2021 to Georgia — and SMU ain’t Georgia.

Christian D’Andrea: Clemson +2.5

SMU AIN’T PLAYED NOBODY, PAWLLLLLL.

Michelle Martinelli: Clemson +2.5

I am begging SMU to make me wrong on another pick involving Clemson.

Tyler Nettuno: SMU -2.5

The Mustangs truly have skated by on a weak schedule; there’s no denying it. But they’re also a well-rounded team, and I think this is a good matchup for them.

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American Athletic Conference championship: Players to know, predictions and more

Here’s what to know about Friday’s AAC title game.

College football fans were so close to a world where both the Mountain West championship game and AAC championship had playoff implications.

Then Tulane lost to unranked Memphis at home in Rivalry Week and killed that dream for good. The Green Wave still get to play for a conference title, but now they’ll do so on the road in West Point against a dynamic Army team. The Black Knights, meanwhile, arguably play a more important game next week in the annual Army-Navy contest.

Tune in to see two strong offenses battle each other in the cold as Army seeks to stop Tulane from winning its second AAC title in three years while winning the Black Knights’ first ever conference championship.

Players To Watch

Army: Bryson Daily, QB

Army and Navy spent the majority of the season running all over the American with variations of the triple-option, led by a pair of awesome quarterbacks. The man under-center for the Black Knights in Daily, who leads the conference in rushing yards (1,354) and rushing touchdowns (25). He can throw it a bit when asked, totaling eight passing touchdowns to just one interception this season, but Daily is more in the mold of your traditional option quarterback – which is to say that he’s damn good at running the ball.

Tulane: Darian Mensah, QB

Mensah leads a Green Wave offense that is sixth in the nation in scoring with 39.1 points per game. The 6-foot-3 redshirt freshman leads the American and is third in FBS in passing yards per attempt with a mark of 9.6, and he also leads the AAC in completion percentage with 65.6. The last time Tulane played a Service Academy, Mensah lit up Navy for two passing touchdowns and a rushing score.

Staff Picks

Opening Line: Tulane -4

Blake Schuster: Army +4.5

Army isn’t getting into the playoff whether it wins or loses this game, and the troops are probably more worried about the Navy game next week. But the home field makes a big difference when a team from the south has to go way north.

Mitchell Northam: Tulane -4.5

Y’all remember how Notre Dame’s games against Army and Navy went pretty similarly? I think we’ll see the same against the Green Wave.

Christian D’Andrea: Army +4.5

TROOPS.

Michelle Martinelli: Army +4.5

I think Tulane will win, if for no other reason than to make up for the Memphis loss. But Army is tricky and should force this one to come down to the end.

Tyler Nettuno: Tulane -4.5

The Memphis game took a lot of wind out of the sails, but this is still a Green Wave team I like a lot. Army has only faced one test tougher than this all year, and we all saw how that went.

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College football spread picks, conference championships: SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and G5 title games

Our picks for conference championship weekend with major College Football Playoff implications.

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It’s conference championship weekend time, and after the games end Saturday, the College Football Playoff committee will announce the first 12-team playoff field. And while some teams are clearly in already, conference championship weekend could have an impact on the remaining playoff spots, along with seeding, including who gets a first-round bye.

Conference title weekend is supposed to be the best of the best, and for our latest picks against the spread, we’re looking at the Power Four title games and the Group of Five title games with possible playoff implications.

So here are our six college football picks against the spread for conference championship weekend.

Tail responsibly, and best of luck out there.

Name Last Week YTD
Blake Schuster 5-5 71-73
Michelle Martinelli 4-6 70-74
Mitchell Northam 8-2 69-75
Christian D’Andrea 5-5 65-79
Tyler Nettuno 6-4 63-81

All odds via BetMGM

No. 20 UNLV at No. 10 Boise State, Friday, 8 p.m. ET on Fox


Opening Line: Boise State -5

Blake Schuster: Boise State -4

This game is in Boise. It’ll be Ashton Jeanty’s last chance to impress Heisman Trophy voters. And he’s already rushed for 128 yards against UNLV once this season on the road. Gulp.

Mitchell Northam: Boise State -4

The Broncos already beat UNLV on the road. Potentially at stake here is a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff, depending on how the ACC and Big 12 title games shake out.

Christian D’Andrea: BSU -4

That’s a small line for a home team who already beat UNLV on the road, right?

Michelle Martinelli: Boise State -4

Usually in a same-season rematch situation, I go with the loser of the first game winning the second. Not this time. The Broncos will win this rematch decisively with a stellar game from Ashton Jeanty.

Tyler Nettuno: Boise State -4

The Broncos have played some quietly not great football over the last month or so, but UNLV hasn’t looked like world-beaters, either.

Tulane at No. 24 Army, Friday, 8 p.m. ET on ABC


Opening Line: Tulane -4

Blake Schuster: Army -4.5

Army isn’t getting into the playoff whether it wins or loses this game, and the troops are probably more worried about the Navy game next week. But the home field makes a big difference when a team from the south has to go way north.

Mitchell Northam: Tulane -4.5

Y’all remember how Notre Dame’s games against Army and Navy went pretty similarly? I think we’ll see the same against the Green Wave.

Christian D’Andrea: Army +4.5

TROOPS.

Michelle Martinelli: Army +4.5

I think Tulane will win, if for no other reason than to make up for the Memphis loss. But Army is tricky and should force this one to come down to the end.

Tyler Nettuno: Tulane -4.5

The Memphis game took a lot of wind out of the sails, but this is still a Green Wave team I like a lot. Army has only faced one test tougher than this all year, and we all saw how that went.

No. 16 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Arizona State, Saturday, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, noon ET on ABC


Opening Line: Arizona State -1.5

Blake Schuster: Arizona State -2.5

CAM SKATTEBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Mitchell Northam: Arizona State -2.5

This is me sticking it to Iowa State fans after they flooded my mentions this week because I hurt their feelings with my AP Top 25 men’s basketball vote. Anyways, one team has Cam Skattebo, and the other doesn’t.

Christian D’Andrea: Arizona State -2.5

The Big 12 is such a mess this year, I genuinely have no idea how this one will turn out.

Michelle Martinelli: Arizona State -2.5

Ah, yes, the Big 12 title game everyone predicted… Cam Skattebo is a star, and Iowa State’s defense is giving up a lot of rushing yards this season. Skattebo will lead the winning charge on the ground.

Tyler Nettuno: Arizona State -2.5

This feels like a pretty evenly matched game. But the Sun Devils are the hotter team (I’m sorry), so I’m rolling with them.

No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 2 Texas, Saturday, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, 4 p.m. ET on ABC


Opening Line: Texas -1.5

Blake Schuster: Texas -2.5

Full disclosure, I jumped on this line at -1.5 but would still take this number. Texas still looks elite. Georgia is limping. This might as well be a home game for the Bulldogs, but the Longhorns have played at Michigan, Arkansas and Texas A&M. The environment won’t be a shock.

Mitchell Northam: Georgia +2.5

Didn’t we already see this game? And now it’s being played in the state of Georgia?

Christian D’Andrea: Texas -2.5

The Longhorns are simply playing better football right now.

Michelle Martinelli: Texas -2.5

Small but accurate spread, and I could have convinced myself either way. But on the theory that the loser of the first game wins the in-season rematch, going with the Longhorns, who also look better right now.

Tyler Nettuno: Texas -2.5

Picking against Kirby Smart in a rematch feels like fodder for looking real stupid, but Texas has been the more consistent team this season despite the result in Austin earlier this year.

No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 1 Oregon, Saturday, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, 8 p.m. ET on CBS


Opening Line: Oregon -3.5

Blake Schuster: Penn State +3.5

What if I told you the big game James Franklin finally wins is the only one Penn State didn’t care about?

Mitchell Northam: Oregon -3.5

This is a big game, and James Franklin does not win big games.

Christian D’Andrea: Oregon -3.5

We all know how James Franklin does against top-5 teams.

Michelle Martinelli: Penn State +3.5

Oregon wins and keeps its undefeated season intact, but the Nittany Lions — even in a big game, I know, I know — keep it closer than this.

Tyler Nettuno: Oregon -3.5

The Ducks haven’t really faced a tough test since the win over Ohio State, and there have been a couple instances of shakiness. If Penn State looked just a bit more dangerous, I’d be more intrigued here.

No. 17 Clemson vs. No. 8 SMU, Saturday, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, 8 p.m. ET on ABC


Opening Line: Clemson -1.5

Blake Schuster: SMU -2.5

I was all set to pick Clemson until South Carolina turned the Tigers’ defense into Swiss cheese.

Mitchell Northam: Clemson +2.5

I think SMU is good and deserves a CFP spot. Whether the committee agrees with me is another matter. But this is turf that Clemson dominates on, and I think we’re about to witness a classic, “Screw you, we’re still Clemson” type performance. The Tigers are 8-0 in ACC championship games since 2011. Their only loss in Charlotte in that span was in 2021 to Georgia — and SMU ain’t Georgia.

Christian D’Andrea: Clemson +2.5

SMU AIN’T PLAYED NOBODY, PAWLLLLLL.

Michelle Martinelli: Clemson +2.5

I am begging SMU to make me wrong on another pick involving Clemson.

Tyler Nettuno: SMU -2.5

The Mustangs truly have skated by on a weak schedule; there’s no denying it. But they’re also a well-rounded team, and I think this is a good matchup for them.

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