College Football Betting: Three Things To Know Heading Into Week 12 of the 2022 Season

“AND HERE. WE. GO.” While Heath Ledger never got to see the impact his role in the Dark Knight had on the world, the performance is absolutely iconic (not really a hot take, but let me get to the point before you judge). In particular, he delivered a number of fantastic lines like the one above that I use on a regular basis, both because they work so well and there are a surprising number of similarities between Prospector Sam and The Joker (a love for arson, incredible one liners, and, of course, a desire to take over an destroy Gotham).

So what’s the connection between a psychotic super villain and an article about college football headlines? Well, much like that crucial moment in the movie where chaos and uncertainty rule, college football has hit a point where we may see the CFP Committee make decisions that truly do not have a good answer. With Bama knocking off Ole Miss and the remaining viable Pac-12 teams falling on their face, we’re left with some truly odd scenarios that I do not have an obvious solution for. Wild times are ahead, and the next three weeks will be anything but simple. I love it and so should every true sports fan.

Let’s jump on in!

1. Maybe The Best Heisman Is No Heisman At All

I haven’t touched on the Heisman recently because I was waiting for someone to really step up and make a case for themselves. At the very least, I figured a couple of big performances in crucial games would push someone, or maybe a couple of people, forward as a superior and deserving candidate. That simply hasn’t been the case.

Aside from a few hopelessly biased Ohio State fans, I don’t think anyone sees CJ Stroud as a runaway star despite some of the numbers he’s put up. The Buckeyes struggle in big games, largely because he makes poor decisions, and I’d argue that Marvin Harrison Jr. is more important and impressive than Stroud. After that, you have a smattering of QBs from good teams who are in the race pretty much as the figurehead for those programs, and Blake Corum as the lone running back.

To be honest, I’d probably say nobody deserves it this time around. None of these leaders has looked like the guy to take their team to the next level, and it feels like we’re going to just have to pick a winner by default. Maybe someone jumps in these last few weeks and grabs the trophy by the balls, but nothing so far has shown me it’s going to happen. If that’s the case, I vote we just give it to Stetson Bennett as a Make-A-Wish type situation for undersized people achieving large things.

MORE: College Football Week 11 Predictions

2. Tennessee vs. Big Ten Bridesmaid

There are tons of contingencies and weird outcomes that we could see, but, for the purposes of this exercise, let’s assume that UGA, TCU, and the winner of Mich-OSU finish the year undefeated and lock in a playoff spot. That leaves us with a small number of options for fourth, only two of which are legitimate in my opinion. I don’t give one damn if Clemson wins their next three games by 40, they haven't had to beat anyone and an ACC title is no better than an AAC title at this point. As for USC, I have no faith in them winning out but even if they do I can’t say they’re really good enough to earn a playoff bid.

That leaves us with one spot for Tennessee and the loser of Mich-OSU, and then the decision gets scary. As a very important side point, this issue is a perfect example of why divisions in college football are stupid. Rather than a rematch between Tennessee and Georgia or Michigan and Ohio State to settle their conferences, we get to watch Illinois, Iowa, Purdue or Minnesota get their doors blown in, and, though admittedly not as bad, a likely matchup between UGA and a two-loss LSU team without the resume to deserve a spot even if they win.

As I see it, the SEC has clearly earned the benefit of the doubt here and I’m not sure how you could leave the Volunteers out with their resume, but it’s not going to be an easy call to make. Maybe this will all be for naught, but it’s an issue to start looking ahead at.

3. A Weekend For Gamblers

In fairness, every Saturday is “for the gamblers” (to steal Barstool’s old trope), but this week’s slate feels particularly good for us degenerates. Why? For one, with the season getting close to its end, we have all the information at our fingertips to dig into the numbers and trends to try to find winners if that’s your style. We’ve also hit the point where bye weeks are a thing of the past, so you can take a whack at any team your little heart desires. 

Oh, and the slate also sucks. Unless you have high hopes for a surprising upset, there aren't any marquee matchups aside from “big” games in the aforementioned (and rightfully ridiculed) Pac-12. But, while we may not learn much unless the Horned Frogs slip, we can still rest easy knowing there will be lots of opportunities to make money. We’ll have to settle for that, I suppose.