Last night 34-27 Chargers win over the Broncos offered two ingredients for a great football game:

1. Playoff Implications: LA is now 9-6 overall against Denver and secures the tiebreaker. This will almost certainly be a wildcard team. We should give Jim Harbaugh lots of flowers for turning a five-win team into this one.

2. An obscure rules appearance: In this one-score game, one of the Chargers’ points was scored on a fair-catch free kick. a version of a field goal that a team can attempt after a fair catch. This is quite rare because a.) teams prefer to score touchdowns and b.) fair catches usually come well out of field goal range.

So last night another twist came into play: If there is no time left after a fair catch interference penalty, an offense can attempt an untimed free kick.

Here’s Cameron Dicker lining up from 57 yards out with no time left in the first half and taking the historic shot:

Cameron Dicker shoots the first free kick since 1976 from 57 meters away 🔥

🎥 @chargerspic.twitter.com/q0PLMs7QLP

– The Athlete (@TheAthletic) December 20, 2024

This is the NFL’s first successful fair-catch free kick since 1976 – and the longest ever. After the game, Harbaugh enthusiastically called the rule his “favorite rule” and said it changed the dynamic of the crucial night. Let’s continue:

It’s here: We have finally arrived in the future

It’s no exaggeration to say that we college football fans are on the precipice of history. The 12-team College Football Playoff begins tonight with the first-ever FBS tournament game at a campus stadium, marking the primary harbinger of an entirely new era of college football.

There were many legitimate criticisms of this new era. This weekend is our first glimpse of the reward promised by the sport’s offspring. Let’s hope it lasts.

Your first-round Pulse playoffs preview, with some good bets (odds via BetMGM, and we use seeds, not rankings):

No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame
Reader, I love this one. These teams are in the same state but have only played once since 1958. This is easily the best story in the league yet. And having it in South Bend? Splendid.

• On the field: The Hoosiers have been electric this season, but faltered in their only big game (though they were closer than the score indicated against Ohio State). The Fighting Irish have been on a roll since their loss to Northern Illinois. If Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke is at 100 percent, that should be close. Oh, and it might snow.
• Funniest possible outcome: Every Indiana win. Imagine the Notre Dame scare and national gloating. Our model gives the Hoosiers a 35 percent chance.
• Good bet: Notre Dame (-7). I think this is a great game for more than three quarters, but the Irish pull away late.

No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State
A blast that starts on Saturday. After nearly 40 years in the wild, this feels like a true reintroduction of the Mustangs to the top echelon of the sport. A game at Happy Valley is your prize. (Also, don’t forget that this and the next games are on TNT for business reasons.)

• On the field: I have no idea what to expect. SMU suffered 98 percent of its ACC title loss to Clemson, and so did Penn State mostly great this year. I don’t know who I trust.
• Funniest possible outcome: Penn State wins as time expires due to a missed field goal. James Franklin finally wins a big game, but everyone is still mad at him.
• Good bet: SMU (+8.5). I think Penn State wins, but it’s close.

No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas
Somehow these schools have never met in football. The combined orange in the crowd could be blinding in the sun tomorrow afternoon.

No. 7 Tennessee at No. 6 Ohio State
What a glory. Two highly touted programs on Saturday night at Ohio Stadium in late December. That’s what college football’s decision-makers had in mind when they developed this entire concept. I can barely wait for it.

• On the field: The big story here is simply Ohio State. An excellent season went wrong against Michigan and I’m excited to see how the Buckeyes respond. Of course, Tennessee is a good team too.
• Funniest possible outcome: Vols win a flagship blowout. Ohio State coach Ryan Day could actually be fired after one playoff season, no matter what athletic director Ross Bjork has said.
• Good bet: Tennessee (+240). The mood in Columbus is bad. I lean forward.

It’s going to be a fantastic weekend of football. Our staff’s full CFP forecasts can be found herewith everyone choosing chalk in the first round (boo). I also really liked Joe Rexrode’s Haters’ Guide to the CFP.

Overall heart rate record: 24-33-1

(Top photo: Gary A. Vasquez / Imagn Images)