"It's time to ignore resumes and think about traits. Every team that survives playoff football has one defining feature that scales under pressure, or that one flaw that can erupt when the lights get bright. Strip away the records, and the postseason becomes a study in who can dictate style, withstand disruption, and who collapses the moment the game leaves their script."
"It's time to ignore resumes and think about traits. Every team that survives playoff football has one defining feature that scales under pressure, or that one flaw that can erupt when the lights get bright. Strip away the records, and the postseason becomes a study in who can dictate style, withstand disruption, and who collapses the moment the game leaves their script. This 12-team field is full of strengths but even fuller of fault lines, and that's where the separation starts."
After 14 weeks and a chaotic selection day, a 12-team College Football Playoff field features two Group of 5 teams, a new No. 1, and five SEC teams. Each playoff team shows a defining strength that performs under pressure or a fault that can fail under disruption. Postseason success depends on dictating style, resisting disruption, and maintaining performance when games deviate from planned scripts. Sportsbooks opened varied first-round lines, notably for Alabama-Oklahoma, with consensus near Alabama -1.5. Oddsmakers adjusted spreads after coaching changes, notably widening Ole Miss lines following Lane Kiffin's departure. Team outlooks include a strength and a fault and suggested bets for the playoff.
Read at ESPN.com
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