The spreads are out, and the College Football Playoff's semifinals' narratives have been written around them. The Indiana Hoosiers' undefeated run is expected to continue in their rematch with the Oregon Ducks, while the Miami Hurricanes have stolen the Ohio State Buckeyes' remaining invincibility and are expected to handle an Ole Miss Rebels squad that's losing several position coaches.
Yahoo Sports' Corbie Craig and Ed Feng certainly see no consensus with the two CFP semifinal matchups. They diverged on both games, though it was Craig who had the most explosive statement of the bunch:
It's Ole Miss that has the chance to control the tempo against Miami, which stunningly accomplished that against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Craig pitched the Rebel spread (+3) as a smart play against the Canes in the Fiesta Bowl.
"In one of the most entertaining playoff games we’ve seen, Ole Miss showed just how high its ceiling can be. After a turbulent final month, the Rebels came out composed — and, most importantly, allowed zero sacks. That matters as they now face one of the nation’s premier defensive fronts," Craig prefaced before saying, "That protection wasn’t accidental. Ole Miss mixed sharp play-calling with a running back capable of stealing yards against pressure looks, while quarterback Trinidad Chambliss' mobility consistently erased negative plays. When your QB can extend downs and your run game can punish blitzes, elite pass rushes lose their edge.
"Miami’s defense is built around that front, and if Ole Miss neutralizes it again, the matchup tilts. The Hurricanes’ offense is explosive, but it has shown stretches of stagnation when forced into longer drives.
"Coming off a statement win, Ole Miss’ balance and protection gives it a real path to control this game."
Meanwhile, Feng felt the Oregon spread (4+ or better) was a strong play in the Peach Bowl.
"Oregon is a championship-caliber team as well, and ranks 10th on offense and fifth on defense in my adjusted yards per play metric. They have the talent and coaching to win this game outright," Feng said.
CFP feels better because Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State aren't in it
The Buckeyes, Georgia Bulldogs, and Alabama Crimson Tide are not missed as the CFP enters its penultimate round. Not by the general College Football world, anyway. Obviously, they are in Columbus, Athens, Tuscaloosa, and the states those teams are in.
Those fanbases are intense and oftentimes irrational, and there's been so much winning by those teams that they brought a feeling of existential dread. Sure, when they'd be upset, it'd be fun reveling in it, mainly the Dawgs and Tide. The spotlight would be more on the loser than the winner, though. That's just toxic.
Whoever wins this year will have beaten another team that most would've been cool with seeing win. Of course, the team most across the country want to see win the least is Ole Miss, but even they have a great story in the wake of Lane Kiffin's unfathomable attempted sabotage.
Good riddance to those who always win. It's better when a new set of fans can feel what the mountaintop feels like.