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CFP national championship: Washington maintains underdog status ahead of Michigan matchup

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CFP national championship: Washington maintains underdog status ahead of Michigan matchup

It has been a wild year in the world of college football, as the seeds of change have been planted. 

It began when the College Football Playoff announced that it would go to a 12-team format starting in 2024, ending the 10-year run of the four-team edition. Conference realignment took over the summer, as the Pac-12 disintegrated as a major conference before Deion Sanders and Colorado were headlining news for the first part of the season. 

ESPN takes video footage of the NCAA football national championship trophy before the Tax Act Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023 in Houston. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

The Michigan sign-stealing scandal was all anyone could talk about a month before an undefeated Florida State was left out of the CFP, sparking a massive debate over who belonged in the four-team playoff. 

That is all in the past now. 

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Washington and Michigan have emerged from all the stories as undefeated teams vying for the national championship on Monday night in Houston. 

Let’s take a look at some of the betting lines for the CFP national championship as of Thursday from Caesars Sportsbook. 

Michigan Wolverines:

Money line: -190 Spread: -4.5

Michigan needed a fourth-quarter comeback and overtime to beat Alabama in the Rose Bowl, but they are now one win away from the program’s first national title since 1997. 

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Jim Harbaugh went for it on fourth down at the Alabama 40-yard line late in the fourth quarter, and quarterback J.J. McCarthy rewarded Harbugh’s faith with a completion to Blake Corum that went for 27 yards. 

The Wolverines punched it in to send the game into overtime, scored on their first possession and stopped Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe on fourth down, sending Michigan players streaming onto the field in celebration.  

“I wouldn’t say the Michigan win was pretty,” Caesars Sportsbook college football lead Joey Feazel told Fox News Digital. “They had a very dominating first half, but it didn’t really reflect on the scoreboard just because of some turnovers and really bad special teams play. But they fought until the very end [and] scored quickly in overtime to get the touchdown. 

Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy, #9, celebrates with the winner’s trophy after the Michigan Wolverines defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in overtime of the CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1, 2024, at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. (Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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“And then we’re able to stop them. Maybe a poor play call by Alabama, but it was enough to get it done. Taking on Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide in a playoff scenario is nothing easy to do.”

The Wolverines have been favored to win the national championship for the majority of the year, according to Caesars. 

Michigan’s defense has been their calling card all season, allowing the least amount of points per game (9.5) in the country and the second-fewest yards (239.7). 

They will face their greatest challenge of the year against a Washington offense that gets the ball downfield and forces defenses to pay sideline to sideline. 

Washington Huskies 

Money line: +158 Spread: +4.5

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The Huskies find themselves in the CFP final for the first time and are looking to complete a magical season. 

Washington enters the national championship with a record of 14-0 and sporting the top passing offense in the country (350.0 passing yards per game). 

The Huskies dominated Texas in the second half of the Sugar Bowl before allowing the Longhorns to make it a game in the final minutes. 

“Really a dominating performance on offense throughout that whole game against a pretty talented Texas defense [that] was impressive,” Feazel told Fox News Digital. “[It] got close at the end, but that’s fun to see. [It] could have gone the other way but [it’s] just like it’s been for Washington all year long. [They’ve] been in close games, able to get it done.” 

Michael Penix Jr., #9 of the Washington Huskies, celebrates after a 37-31 victory against the Texas Longhorns in the CFP Semifinal Allstate Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome on Jan. 1, 2024 in New Orleans. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

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Washington’s last 10 games of the season have been decided by 10 points or fewer. 

“Before the game, we had this matchup look-ahead at 7 [points],” Feazel said of the spread. “Given the circumstances with how good Washington played, it kind of drifted down. 

“Despite only winning by six, it was still, we thought, a dominating performance with Washington playing a very good Texas team,” Feazel continued. 

The Huskies were the underdogs in their last two games against Oregon and Texas. 

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Total points: Over/under 55.5

The over/under is set at 55.5 total points, according to Caesars Sportsbook, despite the Huskies scoring the 10th-most points per game in the country (37.6). 

The dominance of the Michigan defense is playing a very large role here after holding Alabama to just 288 total yards in the semifinals. 

“The strength of this Michigan team, the strength that it’s been all year long, is that defense and being able to stop a lot of power offenses,” Feazel told Fox News Digital. “We saw Penn State [and] Ohio State not be able to do much. There hasn’t really been anybody that’s been able to do much against this Michigan defense.”

“We saw last year another dominating defense with Georgia. Their offense was able to put up a bunch of points, but TCU really couldn’t do much against a dominating defense,” Feazel added. “And that’s really what this total is reflecting is the respect for Michigan’s defense, especially against a highly talented offense like Washington.”

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Michigan and Washington play for the national championship on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium, which is the home of the Houston Texans.

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Ole Miss staffer references Aaron Hernandez while discussing ‘chaotic’ coaching complications with LSU

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Ole Miss staffer references Aaron Hernandez while discussing ‘chaotic’ coaching complications with LSU

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The chaos between LSU coaches who left Ole Miss alongside Lane Kiffin but are still coaching the Rebels in the College Football Playoff is certainly a whirlwind.

Joe Judge, Ole Miss’ quarterbacks coach, has found himself in the thick of the drama — while he is not headed for Baton Rouge, he’s had to wonder who he will be working with on a weekly basis.

When asked this week about what it’s like to go through all the trials and tribulations, Judge turned heads with his answer that evoked his New England Patriots days.

 

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Aaron Hernandez sits in the courtroom of the Attleboro District Court during his hearing. Former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge in the death of Odin Lloyd in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, on Aug. 22, 2013. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

“My next-door neighbor was Aaron Hernandez,” Judge said, according to CBS Sports. “I know this is still more chaotic.”

Hernandez was found guilty of the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, which occurred just three years into his NFL career.

“If you watch those documentaries, my house is on the TV next door,” Judge added. “The detectives knocked on my door to find out where he was. I didn’t know. We just kind of talked to the organization. But it was obviously chaotic.”

Aaron Hernandez was convicted of the 2013 murder of semipro football player Odin Lloyd. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

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Judge, though, was able to compare the two situations to see how players can combat wild distractions.

“Those players that year handled that extremely well. Came out of that chaos, and we had some really good direction inside with some veterans and some different guys. You have something like that happen — how do you handle something like that? How do you deal with something like that? So you keep the focus on what you can handle, what you can control, which at that time was football for us, and we went through the stretch, and we were able to have success that year,” Judge said.

Judge also compared this scenario to the 2020 NFL season when he was head coach of the New York Giants, saying he would have “no idea” who would be available due to surprise positive COVID-19 tests.

Head coach Joe Judge of the New York Giants looks on during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. The game took place in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 19, 2021. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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The Rebels face Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, the College Football Playoff Semifinal, on Thursday night.

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Prep talk: Calabasas basketball team is surging with 11 wins in last 12 games

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Prep talk: Calabasas basketball team is surging with 11 wins in last 12 games

Calabasas pulled off a huge win in high school basketball on Tuesday night, handing Thousand Oaks its first defeat after 16 victories in a Marmonte League opener.

The Coyotes (13-5) have quietly turned around their season after a 2-4 start, winning 11 of their last 12 games.

One of the major contributors has been 6-foot-3 junior guard Johnny Thyfault, who’s averaging 16 points and has become a fan favorite because of his dunking skills. He also leads the team in taking charging fouls.

He transferred to Calabasas after his freshman year at Viewpoint.

As for beating Thousand Oaks, coach Jon Palarz said, “We got to play them at home and had great effort.”

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This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

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Hawks trade 4-time All-Star Trae Young to Wizards in blockbuster deal: reports

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Hawks trade 4-time All-Star Trae Young to Wizards in blockbuster deal: reports

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The Atlanta Hawks have parted ways with four-time NBA All-Star point guard Trae Young, trading him to the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster move, according to ESPN.

The Hawks will reportedly be receiving veteran shooting guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert in the deal. 

Washington was Young’s preferred destination, and the two sides were working on a deal to get the 27-year-old point guard to the nation’s capital.

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Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round 1 Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2023 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.   ( Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Young’s agents were having conversations with the Hawks, who sit at 17-21 so far this season, about trading their client out of Atlanta.

There is a mutual connection in Washington, too, as executive Travis Schlenk drafted Young fifth overall in 2018 out of Oklahoma.

It marks the end of an era for the Hawks. Young has been the focal point of their offense since he was taken in that draft. He is the team’s career leader in three-pointers and assists, having led the team to the postseason in three of his eight seasons. The Hawks went the furthest in 2021, where they made the Eastern Conference Finals.

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However, the new era was brewing already in Atlanta, with forward Jalen Johnson taking the next step in his career, averaging 23.7 points per game this season. The pickup of Nickeil Alexander-Walker also helps, as he’s averaged 20.5 points per game in 36 appearances.

Meanwhile, Young has played just 10 games this season, as he’s been dealing with leg injuries, most notably a right MCL sprain.

Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on after the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Five of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Hawks also get some flexibility on their books, as they could make some more moves. Anthony Davis is reportedly available from the Dallas Mavericks, making him a good target for Atlanta.

Young has $95 million remaining on his deal that runs through the 2026-27 season, which includes a player option this offseason.

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Atlanta will be taking on McCollum’s contract, though the veteran guard has a $30.6 million expiring deal.

Through his 10 games this season, Young is averaging 19.2 points, 8.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.5% from the field.

Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks drives down the court during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at State Farm Arena on April 7, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Over his career, Young has dropped 25.2 points and 9.8 assists per game, while leading the league in the latter category last season with 11.6 per contest.

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