Of the many things worth hating about college football, most of them are at least tacitly associated with the most hated people in sports: television executives.

They fix games that hurt your team. They don’t fix games that should be fixed to help your team. They find a way to keep those games at four hours. They won’t let their employees say “two-minute warning” even though we all know it’s A TWO-MINUTE WARNING. They’re giving us 18-team leagues with teams that are 18-hour drives apart, and so much stiff Nick Saban acting. They say “harumph” under their breath a lot, when they aren’t breathlessly debating the 36 teams that will make up NFL Campus North and NFL Campus South.

They are, per previous reporting from The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee, “chuzzlewits and pecksniffs.” And by the way, add that World Series Hater’s Guide to the list of targets of this Hater’s Guide, because that one was much funnier. This one, however, does have a curveball in its repertoire: some love for the TV execs. Before getting into the 12 teams of the College Football Playoff and why each is uniquely worthy of deep resentment and scorn, let’s celebrate the one that isn’t here.

Thank you, media rights overlords, for not forcing Alabama into our living rooms when the Crimson Tide didn’t deserve it, even though so many were sure you would. We all know you can buzz into the selection committee deliberation room with a direct order, and I imagine it’s delivered at booming levels by an enormous hologram that gives off a scary “Wizard of Oz” vibe except with the visage of Lou Holtz. You held off this time, and maybe it’s because oil people are scarier than TV people, but whatever. Thank you.

Moreover, thank you for existing and making the resulting SEC administrator/coach/public relations — er, media — weeping such a hoot. Oh, you’re going to stop scheduling competitive nonleague games? Going Mercer-McNeese State-Maine-Murray State and keeping it at eight SEC games if that’s how they’re going to treat you? Here, let us reintroduce you to the people who run the sport.

Greg Sankey may tweet about schedule strength and have a humorous-yet-somewhat-tender anecdote for every coach he introduces at SEC media days, but check out his necktie collection and understand he’ll always side with team “harumph.” So good luck with that.

And good luck, Alabama, in the Spoon Makes Annoying Clinking Sound Against My Cereal Bowl. On to the games that mean more.

Tennessee at Ohio State, winner gets Oregon: Ducks, Bucks and Pilot Flying J welcomes trucks

Apparently, because Ohio State fans are spoiled brats who would rather fire their 66-10 coach and imprison Connor Stalions than win a national championship, more Vols fans are going to gather Saturday at Ohio Stadium than did on Nov. 26, 2017, in Knoxville. That’s the day a bunch of them got together to falsely accuse Ohio State’s defensive coordinator of heinous crimes because they didn’t want him to be their football coach.

Schiano shaming joins mattress burning, butt chugging and mustard bottle chucking in a tapestry of Tennessee embarrassments over the past two decades, but things are much better now thanks to Josh Heupel and his football team. These people are thrilled to be in the Playoff — the Vols are usually fighting for something like the How Much More Would You Trust Raiders Owner Mark Davis If His Haircut Wasn’t A Bowl — and they’re acting like it.

In an elite “X” matchup of fans who post awful things that no one should ever say to other humans, Vols fans have apparently duped Buckeyes fans into selling them their tickets. I’d say I’m surprised, but Ohio State fans also seem to think Knoxville is a tropical paradise in the winter and that temps in the high 20s will make the Vols turtle the way the Buckeyes do every time they see winged helmets.

Just understand, Vols: In Ohio, they actually have elected officials who make up crimes, and felonies at that. If you win, walk quietly to the locker room with your eyes down. If you so much as touch a flag, the punishment will be harsher than the things that Buckeyes Boosters members will be screaming at Ryan Day when he leads his team onto the field Saturday.

Ohio lawmaker proposes bill to make flag planting a felony | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/7PJLYaf2Xu

— WJCL News (@WJCLNews) December 12, 2024

Team we’d most hate to reach semifinals: Ohio State. Oregon and its fans can’t really hang. Too many goofy uniform combinations? Too much caffeine in Dan Lanning’s bloodstream? Sure. Phil Knight and Nike’s sordid history? Yes, and Tennessee’s got “Big” Jim Haslam and Pilot Company. But did you see the signs and tailgate props of Browns fans, most of whom are Buckeyes fans, when Deshaun Watson — signed by Jimmy Haslam to the worst contract in sports history — started his tenure? Those people deserve another decade at least of sports misery.

Indiana at Notre Dame, winner gets Georgia: Jimmy Chitwood and Rudy in a slap fight

Has anyone ever worn a visor and not looked like a dolt? Let’s do an online poll, write-in candidates only because I can’t for the life of me come up with a name: The person in human history who has looked coolest wearing a visor is ______.

On an unrelated note, say two things for Georgia coach Kirby Smart: He wins a lot of football games and he convinces his players no one thinks they can win any football games.

His next challenge is to find a way to turn these Bulldogs into underdogs against the winner of the state football championship of a state known for its basketball.

What tradition though, right? Indiana men’s basketball, with all of one Final Four in the past 32 years, having last won it all in 1987, a few months after “Hoosiers” introduced Jimmy Chitwood to movie audiences.

Goodness, the last time IU hoops got as close to a natty as the final 12 teams was in 2002, when Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman was a 16-year-old star linebacker, getting recruited hard by Notre Dame and realizing he’d prefer a program that could sell recent championships (Ohio State) over 1920s newsreels.

But coaching Notre Dame football? It’s a sweet deal — witness Freeman’s contract extension for following up a loss to Northern Illinois with a bunch of wins over teams not quite that bad. He’ll be hailed far and wide if he can beat the Fighting Curt Cignettis. Notre Dame’s last natty was in 1988, a few years before “Rudy” hit theaters. It keeps coming back to the late 1980s, which is fitting because much of that state seems to wish we still lived in the late 1980s.

Team we’d most hate to reach semifinals: Georgia. Sorry, but Sankey sort of Darth Vaders up the whole enterprise. Notre Dame is right there, though. At least 99.99 percent of unaffiliated fans would pick Indiana, which is about as likely as an Indiana Jones sequel in which Indy searches for Knute Rockne’s 1924 practice whistle and trades in his leather fedora for a visor.

SMU at Penn State, winner gets Boise State: Blue field, gold Trans Am, white out

One of the big things they’re watching in this 12-team Playoff is the logistics involved in the four programs that are hosting games. Does everything go smoothly? How does the hotel situation work out? Who do the bowl reps have to pay off to make sure this doesn’t happen again?

It’s especially daunting at Penn State, and not just because the nearest hotel room with a color TV is in Altoona, 44 miles away. Penn State representatives are working hard to fool James Franklin and his team into thinking this is actually a pre-conference game against an FCS opponent. Right down to signs at the local bookstores that read, “Beat Southwest Montana University.”

This means an extensive labyrinth of heaters in the stands, so fans can take part in the traditional “White Out,” but in shorts and T-shirts. No expense is being spared, because we all know how James Franklin and his team react to the words “big game.” If you get into big games against Ryan Day and lose those games, you might have a problem in big games.

One Week#WeAre x #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/TX7bkCpoHC

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) December 14, 2024

Now, Penn State fans sometimes go overboard on the Franklin criticism. I saw one after the Ohio State loss who posted that Franklin is “literally taking a blowtorch to this program,” and I had so many questions. Literally? How big of a blowtorch? More of a flamethrower? To the exterior of the football building, the weight room, the footballs themselves? I need more information, including on how the media got away with the cover-up.

Then again, Franklin is incredibly elusive with media, pretending to put on a Harry Potter invisibility cloak and slipping out when he gets tough questions. Big games, schmig schmames. Put my money on Franklin when it’s a big presser and you need a coach who says absolutely nothing.

Team we’d most hate to reach the semifinals: Penn State. It’s almost not worth mentioning. I mean, sure, Boise State has a blue field, which is the sort of thing you’d expect from a team with a postseason ceiling of the Need A Sharper Knife To Scrape The Resin Out Of This Bowl. But it also has Ashton Jeanty. Some of the SMU people are terrifying, but let’s give them some grace — they were missing their football program for a few years.

Speaking of not being able to get out of the late 1980s, we need some new joke fodder for the Mustangs if they’re actually going to be good now — Eric Dickerson’s gold Trans Am and the death penalty have jumped the shark. Figuratively.

Clemson at Texas, winner gets Arizona State: Oh God, You Sun Devil

Did Clemson coach Dabo Swinney already give away the result of the College Football Playoff? Gamblers, pay attention. Here’s what he said to ABC’s Molly McGrath in the moments after his three-loss Tigers beat SMU to claim the ACC title and automatic bid: “We all thought the door was closed on us. But this was God’s plan for us. That’s all I can tell you. God just opened the door and they fought their butts off.”

You know, another person with the same beliefs in the same situation might have kept it to his or her own personal faith and how much strength it has provided, or even how important God has been to certain individuals on the team. A person in that situation might have considered that not all people who root for Clemson have the exact same religious beliefs and that the other team probably has a lot of folks who do, which would make it difficult for God to pick one side or the other in a football game. Some with deep religious beliefs might even have a problem with the idea that God would care about the result of a football game.

But not Dabo! No sirree! Apparently that Clemson fire zone blitz is so good it’s holy, especially when deployed against heathenly opponents. Perhaps then it is written, and not just on Clemson message boards, that Dabo, armed with favor from above, having forgiven the transfer portal, is due for a natty and the resulting bonuses to take that salary higher than $12 million.

Team we’d most hate to reach the semifinals: Clemson. You’ve made Texas a sentimental choice and unworthy of being insulted in this piece, Dabo. For shame. The winner plays Arizona State, a great story, but also a team that might be best off in the Underrated Date In Which You Don’t Have To Spend Or Talk Much Is To Go Bowl.

(Photo of Dabo Swinney: Bob Donnan / Imagn Images)

Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher offered his political analysis of Aaron Rodgers as a potential candidate for public office during an interview on “Jesse Watters Primetime” on Tuesday.

Urlacher played against Rodgers twice a year from 2008, when Rodgers took over as the Green Bay Packers starter, until Urlahcer’s final season in 2012. But post-retirement, Urlacher finds himself on the same side as Rodgers on many political issues. One aspect of Rodgers’ reputation that Urlacher believes makes the quarterback a viable candidate for public office some day is that he refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Aaron would be a good one because of all the stuff he went through with the vax, not taking it, kind of standing up for the people who didn’t want to get it,” Urlacher said. “A lot of guys who played in the NFL didn’t have a choice because they were younger and if they didn’t get the shot, they’d probably just cut them.” 

Rodgers incited controversy over his vaccination status in November 2021, when he tested positive for COVID and had to miss multiple games for the Packers. Rodgers had previously said he was “immunized” when asked by reporters if he got the vaccine during training camp in August. 

The NFL fined the Packers $300,000 and issued $14,650 in fines to Rodgers for violations of league and players’ union protocols, deeming his comments about being immunized “misleading.” 

But while many fans turned against Rodgers after that, Urlacher believed it was a moment that may have also garnered support. 

“I like that he stood up for the people, kind of the smaller guy, kind of joined in with them… Aaron really stood up for them,” Urlacher said. “They put him through hell for it, they gave him a lot of flack in the media, the NFL made it hard for those guys who didn’t get the shot, they tested them every day, they went through a little more of a strenuous schedule than the other guys who actually ended up getting the shot.” 

COWBOYS OWNER JERRY JONES SAYS RACCOON, SQUIRREL ARE AMONG DIETARY PREFERENCES

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reacts after a missed throw against the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Dec. 15, 2024. (Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images)

After testing positive for the virus in November of that year, Rodgers clarified that he used the term “immunized” to describe a homeopathic treatment regimen and not a vaccine. Rodgers also said at the time he was allergic to polyethylene glycol, which is an ingredient in the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, and he was also concerned about potential adverse reactions to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

During an interview on “The Pat McAfee Show” that November, Rodgers apologized for “misleading” people about his vaccination status. 

Aaron Rodgers has firmly defended his decision not to get the vaccine. (IMAGN)

“I made some comments that people might have felt were misleading,” he said. “And to anybody who felt misled by those comments, I take full responsibility for those comments.”

However, Rodgers also firmly defended his decision not to get the vaccine. 

“I’m an athlete, I’m not an activist. So I’m going to get back to doing what I do best and that’s playing ball,” Rodgers said. “I shared my opinion. It wasn’t one that was come to frivolously. It involved a lot of study and what I felt was in my best interest for my body. But further comments I’m going to keep between myself and my doctors, and I don’t have any further comments about any of those things after this interview.”

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HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

TUESDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

Alhambra 52, Wilmington Banning 37
Anaheim Discovery Christian 51, Legacy College 39
Arleta 84, Bravo 42
Arroyo Valley 58, Cobalt Institute of Math & Science 53
Azusa 72, Southlands Christian 69
Banning 87, Entrepreneur 47
Bassett 87, Pomona 26
Big Bear 87, University Prep 43
Bishop Alemany 67, Eagle Rock 53
Canyon Springs 57, Ramona 50
Century 47, Santa Ana Valley 28
Chadwick 71, Rio Hondo Prep 48
Citrus Hill 71, West Valley 62
Coastal Academy 58, Samueli Academy 47
Coastal Christian 61, Cuyama Valley 18
Corona 80, Granite Hills 48
Desert Mirage 67, West Shores 10
Duarte 67, Webb 43
Garfield 48, LA Hamilton 47
Grace 60, Hueneme 52
Great Oak 70, Valley View 31
Harvard-Westlake 73, Windward 60
Hemet 78, Heritage 59
Hesperia Christian 54, AAE 48
Hillcrest 72, Norte Vista 69
Indian Springs 77, Miller 44
Jurupa Valley 52, Vista del Lago 48
Knight 60, Lancaster 35
Laguna Hills 65, Portola 55
Lakewood 73, Long Beach Cabrillo 56
LA Wilson 64, Triumph Charter 56
Liberty Christian 65, NOVA Academy 51
Lincoln 44, Locke 20
Millikan 69, Long Beach Jordan 61
Long Beach Wilson 89, Compton 21
Maricopa 60, Alpaugh 28
Moreno Valley 63, Paloma Valley 26
Murrieta Valley 82, Mayfair 73
North Hollywood 67, Math & Science College 58
Norwalk 55, Garden Grove 53
Oak Hills 68, Silverado 50
Palm Desert 66, Redlands 41
Perris 70, Tahquitz 53
Public Safety 61, River Springs 51
Quartz Hill 52, Eastside 40
Redlands East Valley 85, Apple Valley 57
Rise Kohyang 60, Esperanza College Prep 18
San Luis Obispo Classical 84, Coast Union 35
San Marcos 68, Oxnard 60
Santa Ana Foothill 62, Hesperia 54
Santa Barbara 91, Buena 50
Savanna 79, Paramount 50
Schurr 50, Mesrobian 35
Segerstrom 70, Loara 55
Silver Valley 79,. Riverside Prep 62
Sotomayor 64, Sierra Vista 56
South Hills 51, West Covina 46
Summit 63, Arrowhead Christian 52
Summit Leadership 69, Lucerne Valley 17
Thacher 63, Cate 49
Verdugo Hills 70, Gertz-Ressler 32
Village Christian 95, Taft 89
Vistamar 66, Animo Venice 62
Vista Murrieta 68, Linfield Christian 62
Workman 68, Edgewood 43

GIRLS

Alpaugh 47, Maricopa 20
Anza Hamilton 56, Borrego Springs 10
Arroyo Valley 33, Cobalt Institute of Math & Science 26
Beaumont 67, Corona 55
Bethel Christian 43, Norton Science & Language Academy 6
California School for the Deaf Riverside 60, California Military Institute 21
Canyon Springs 46, Linfield Christian 31
Coachella Valley 61, La Quinta 31
Coastal Academy 20, Capistrano Valley Christian 15
Corona Santiago 61, Vista Murrieta 29
Desert Christian 47, Palmdale Aerospace Academy 22
Edgewood 53, Workman 43
Elsinore 69, Liberty 28
Gahr 36, Katella 31
Godinez 47, Santa Ana 29
Harvard-Westlake 57, Windward 49
Hillcrest 55, Norte Vista 18
Irvine 50, Cajon 44
Jurupa Valley 36, Vista del Lago 13
La Canada 71, Bell Gardens 25
Laguna Beach 44, Tustin 41
Long Beach Wilson 67, Compton 22
Magnolia 52, Saddleback 30
Marlborough 69, Buena Park 61
Miller 46, Indian Springs 32
Orcutt Academy 68, Laguna Blanca 20
Pasadena 48, Village Christian 47
Pasadena Poly 67, Monrovia 28
Rancho Christian 94, San Jacinto 41
Rise Kohyang 45, Esperanza College Prep 6
Riverside King 56, Great Oak 47
Royal 37, Fillmore 36
San Fernando 42, Calabasas 33
Santa Ana Valley 42, Bolsa Grande 41
Santa Clarita Christian 52, St. Monica Academy 34
Savanna 60, Compton Centennial 34
Serrano 52, Granite Hills 30
Silver Valley 64, Riverside Prep 32
South Hills 43, Estancia 32
Southlands Christian 64, Vista Meridian 4
Temecula Valley 48, Desert Christian Academy 35
Temple City 55, San Gabriel 8
Torres 48, Academia Avance 14
Trinity Classical Academy 40, Agoura 31
University Prep 55, Big Bear 16
Upland 66, Patriot 45
Valley Christian Academy 70, Shannon 11
Webb 26, Azusa 22
Western Christian 36, Lucerne Valley 29
Yucaipa 52, Oak Hills 49