The creation of a playoff in college football rectified decades of irrational tradition, but the sport still needs so much fixing.
There's the unresolved matter of schools making billions of dollars off of an unpaid workforce, those athletes receiving health coverage long after they leave campus and the waste that is so much of the first month of the season, when powerhouse schools are scared to schedule anyone but the puny and pathetic.
Least understandable is the continued value placed on preseason polls. After all these years, voters remain unable to disregard mostly unfounded opinions from August and replace them with actual evidence in the fall. Who cares if a player has regressed or a Heisman-winning quarterback continues to prove that common sense doesn't come with athletic gifts or a coach has lost a team or a fanbase has eroded the confidence of a 19-year-old who only has known greatness and assumed that's all that would ever come?
(Note: I'm aware the four playoff teams will be decided by a 13-person committee, but I would trust them to ignore long-established rankings and use original thought as much as I trust the governing body they're working for).
UCLA was a sexy preseason playoff pick, a storied school which hadn't been in the spotlight — even in its own city — for some time and had a Heisman candidate quarterback — Brett Hundley — who could lead an offense as powerful as any in the country, playing alongside a two-way star in linebacker/running back Myles Jack, a Charles Woodson for a new generation.
Then, the top-10 team started the season and Hundley only could lead the offense to one touchdown against Virginia. The next week, the Bruins held on for another one-possession win, allowing 35 points at home against Memphis, followed by Hundley getting injured against Texas and escaping with a three-point win.
Somehow, the Bruins are ranked No. 11 in the AP poll and No. 10 in the USA Today poll, the latter putting them ahead of actually impressive undefeated teams such as Ole Miss and Mississippi State, as well as clearly superior one-loss teams like Georgia and Stanford.
In its first real test of the season, UCLA faces No. 15 Arizona State on Thursday and catches two breaks with Hundley likely back and Sun Devils quarterback Taylor Kelly out with an injury.
Though junior Mike Bercovici is making his first start, he is one of the most talented backups in the country. There's no precedent for how he will perform, but we already know what the Bruins will do.
Take ARIZONA STATE (+4) at home as they erase the idea of UCLA as any kind of playoff contender.
Texas Tech (+14) over OKLAHOMA ST.: Coming off a bye, the Red Raiders still won't be able to make a stop, but will keep the shootout respectable.
Tennessee (+17) over GEORGIA: It's hard to believe in the Bulldogs when they don't believe in feeding the ball to their best player — running back Todd Gurley — who is averaging 9.8 yards per carry and fewer than 14 attempts per game.
WISCONSIN (-34) over S. Florida: Perhaps the Bulls should have started with a different opponent in their first road game.
RUTGERS (-12) over Tulane: The Green Wave's invisible defense outweighs the possibility of the Scarlet Knights looking ahead to their Big Ten schedule starting the following week.
N.C. STATE (+19) over Florida St.: The Seminoles need to look like the defending champions at least once before they're given this kind of respect on the road.
Texas A&M (-9) over Arkansas: All right Aggies, I'm late to the party. Hand me a drink. I've got a lot of catching up to do.
WASHINGTON (+8) over Stanford: Few things in life are more reliable than the home dog.
Cincinnati (+16) over OHIO ST.: A thrashing of Kent State didn't erase the issues the Buckeyes displayed in their first two games.
CLEMSON (-14½) over Unc: The Tar Heels can't stop the ball or take care of the ball. Good times.
S. CAROLINA (-5½) over Missouri: Steve Spurrier is understandably upset with how his team is playing, but the underachieving only will last so long. After a loss to Indiana, Missouri would love to have the Gamecocks' struggles.
Memphis (+19½) over MISSISSIPPI: The Rebels will be ready for Alabama. Unfortunately, that's next week.
IOWA STATE (+21) over Baylor: An upset at Iowa and near-shocker over Kansas State are enough reason to buy into a Cyclones squad with two weeks to prepare against the road-challenged juggernaut.
Notre Dame (-12½) over Syracuse: This seems like a trap, but it's not nearly as scary as the talent gap between the teams.
USC (-9) over Oregon St.: Too often, a highly regarded team is disregarded after one loss. The Trojans still can contend for a conference championship, with their cross-country loss at overlooked Boston College as understandable as any upset.
BEST BETS: Arizona State, Texas A&M, Memphis
Record: 29-29-1; Best Bets: 7-4-1
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