LITTLE ROCK — Concocting two numbers for the College Football Playoff championship before consulting the professionals, one was a breeze, the other a boondoggle.
Confident before halftime of Alabama-Oklahoma that the Crimson Tide would be favored vs. Clemson, the spread figured to be more than a field goal but less than double digits. Seven was a natural compromise and shortly after the Orange Bowl was final, Nevada-based Bovada.lv established Alabama by 6 ½.
However, the quest for an over-under total for points scored was abandoned after several attempts to calculate how two highly skilled quarterbacks - who are far more mature than first-year starters are supposed to be - and their slew of talented wide receivers would fare against the two best defenses in the country.