College football Week 10 predictions: Best bets, picks against the spread

The one upside of the College Football Playoff’s expansion to a 24-team field is the subsequent defanging of a committee guided by a lack of transparency, consistency and logic.This is the group that dropped TCU from No.3 to No.

6 in 2014’s final rankings after a 52-point win.It excluded undefeated Florida State from a playoff because its quarterback was injured.

And last season, it duped Notre Dame, which sat above Miami for five straight weeks then lost the final playoff spot to the Hurricanes after both teams were on a bye.On Tuesday, the committee struck again, placing Notre Dame at No.11 in the initial rankings despite the Irish being No.

4 in the AP Poll and holding a near-identical résumé to Indiana, which is No.4 in the playoff rankings.“They don’t have that signature win right now,” said College Football Playoff committee chairman Hunter Yurachek.Saturday is Notre Dame’s only remaining opportunity against a ranked team — No.

1 Miami.More than three decades removed from the “Catholics vs.Convicts” win that propelled them to their most recent national title, the Irish will host another top-ranked team from Miami in a game that could make them the national title favorite or kick them to the wrong side of the playoff bubble.Notre Dame is the rightful favorite, playing at home and in the cold, led by CJ Carr (18 passing touchdowns, one interception), facing the nation’s 128th-ranked pass defense.

The Hurricanes have remained unbeaten behind the nation’s highest-scoring offense, especially with star receiver Malachi Toney headed for surgery and has largely feasted on subpar defenses, having faced nothing resembling the top-ranked Irish unit.Notre Dame (-6.5) will not blow its chance to avenge last year’s season-opening loss at Miami, sticking it to the committee that continues to pick fights with them.The Irish will get their signature win.The balanced Hokies are capable of pulling the upset coming off a bye.James Franklin is a mis...