Whether the expanded College Football Playoff comes as a blessing or a curse depends on which side of the break you’re on and what your rivals are up to.

It’s a grand development for a team like Penn State, which has finished inside the top 12 of the final playoff rankings six times in the past eight years but never qualified for a four-team playoff.

But, what about for a program like Florida? The Gators would’ve made a 12-team playoff in each of Dan Mullen’s first three seasons. The past three seasons, though, the Gators would’ve have been close to anything short of a 60-team playoff.

Meanwhile, Florida’s rivals would’ve marched into an expanded playoff one by one. It’s nauseating enough for Gators fans to stomach all that Dawg barking after Georgia won consecutive national championships. Now, imagine the feeling in Florida of seeing not only Georgia but also Tennessee making the 2022 playoff, or Georgia and Florida State piling into the playoff last season.

Now consider this season, when Georgia, Tennessee, LSU and FSU profile as a playoff hopeful, while the Gators are positioned for more mediocrity. Billy Napier serving a Mayo Bowl appearance Year 3 while four rivals piled into the playoff would come as some kind of sad consolation, indeed.

In the four-team playoff era, if your team plays for mayonnaise while your rival plays in the Citrus Bowl, a fan fluent in mental gymnastics can convince himself that’s about equivalent. That logic doesn’t hold, though, if your rivals take over the first round of the 12-team playoff. No one wants to see their coach slathered in a gross sandwich condiment while several rivals play for the big kids’ prize.

Are Gators fans really supposed to chant ‘S-E-C! S-E-C!’ while Georgia and Tennessee play in a playoff quarterfinal?

This possibility is not unique to Florida.

Since Tennessee won its last national title, rivals Alabama, Florida and Georgia each won multiple national championships throughout the BCS and four-team playoff eras while the Vols cycled through coaches who ranged from losers to brick masons to cheating losers. A maddening decade-plus for Tennessee, it was, before Josh Heupel’s arrival.

Watching Mullen’s Gators claim a few playoff bids would’ve been gasoline to Tennessee’s mattress fire.

Maybe, in this instance, it’s better to have fewer rivals than Florida or Tennessee – or at least weaker rivals. Missouri left its rivals behind when it left the Big 12. So what if Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss make the playoff while Mizzou heads to a Florida bowl game? The Tigers still can enjoy the reprieve from the snow with the comfort that Kansas won’t make the playoff either.

Lording superiority over the Jayhawks wouldn’t be a salve for LSU fans. Consider this possibility: LSU narrowly misses the playoff in Brian Kelly’s third season, while Alabama qualifies in Kalen DeBoer’s first season and the Lane Train powers Ole Miss into the first round, as well.

In a four-team playoff, there wouldn’t be room for Alabama and Ole Miss. There might not be room for either this season. With 12 qualifiers, ample room exists for both.

Of course, it also increases the possibility that Kelly’s Tigers will qualify.

So, I reiterate: 12-team playoff, blessing or curse?

“More spots in the playoff creates opportunity,” Kelly told me last month in response to that question.

It’s an opportunity, sure.

It’s an opportunity to either make the playoff, or be relegated to an even more irrelevant bowl game, while rivals revel at the real party.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s SEC Columnist. Follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers followed a down-to-the-wire win in Game 3 with a nearly wire-to-wire blowout in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, hammering the New York Knicks 121-89 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday to tie the series at 2-2 after falling behind 2-0.

That sets up a pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Madison Square Garden and guarantees a Game 6 on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Here are four observations from Game 4:

Pacers defense swamps Knicks

The Pacers gave up more points than all but three other teams in the NBA in the regular season, surrendering 120.2 per game to finish 27th in the league in scoring defense. They were also 24th in defensive rating, giving up 117.6 points per 100 possessions.

Prior to Sunday, they were one of the worst defensive teams in the playoffs. Of the 16 teams who reached the first round, they ranked 15th in scoring defense (113.1 points per game) and defensive rating (119.9 points per 100 possessions). Only the Phoenix Suns were worse in both categories and they were swept in four games in Round 1 by the Timberwolves.

But on Sunday it was defense that the Pacers used to overwhelm a Knicks team that seemed to finally run out of gas after two series worth of playing their starters crazy minutes and relying heavily on their stars.

The Pacers held the Knicks to just 14 first-quarter points — matching the 14 they allowed in the third quarter of Game 1 against the Bucks for fewest they allowed in a playoff game and for the fewest they’ve allowed in any quarter regular season or postseason since they held the Cavaliers to just 12 points in the second quarter in a win at Cleveland on Oct. 28. They held the Knicks to 6 of 23 shooting, including 1 of 8 from 3-point range as the Knicks posted just 0.57 points per possession for the period. Meanwhile the Pacers scored 34 points in the quarter on 14 of 23 shooting, posting 1.45 points per possession.

The Knicks scored in the 20s in the next two quarters but never fully recovered. With forward Aaron Nesmith and guards Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell leading the charge, the Pacers held All-Star guard Jalen Brunson to just 18 points on 6 of 17 shooting. Sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo made just 3 of 13 field goals, including just 1 of 6 3-pointers and scored seven points. The fourth quarter was played between the end of the two teams’ benches, but the Knicks finished 30 of 89 from the floor (33.7%), 7 of 37 from 3-point range (18.9%) and posted a paltry .88 points per possession.

Getting stops allowed the Pacers to spend much of the game in transition. They scored 22 fast-break points to the Knicks’ five, but that figure didn’t capture just how much time the Pacers spent on the run scoring against a defense that wasn’t set. The Pacers shot 56.8% from the floor including 45.2% from 3-point range, scoring 60 points in the paint and posting 1.25 points per possession.

Pacers get what they need from their stars

Sunday’s blowout score allowed the Pacers to sit their starters for the whole fourth quarter, but in the minutes they played they were every bit as efficient as the team could have asked for.

All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton didn’t need to take anywhere near the 26 shots he took in Game 3. Even dealing with a sprained ankle, lower back spasms and a sacral contusion, he scored 20 points on 8 of 15 shooting including 4 of 10 3-pointers to go with five assists and six rebounds. All-Star forward Pascal Siakam took advantage of the continued absence of Knicks forward and former Raptors teammate O.G. Anunoby with a hamstring strain and scored 14 points on 7 of 9 shooting. Center Myles Turner made all five of his field goal attempts and all three of his 3-pointers for 13 points, He also grabbed five rebounds and had three assists.

Nembhard also scored nine points on 4 of 5 shooting and had five assists. Nesmith had eight points and 12 rebounds to round out the starting five.

Pacers bench recovers from rough Game 3

After the Pacers’ Game 2 loss, fans and even national media were wondering why the Pacers didn’t have some of their substitutes in at the end of the game as all four bench players who appeared had plus-minus figures of +9 or better and they outscored the Knicks’ bench 46-12 while all five starters were -9 or worse with guard Andrew Nembhard and center Myles Turner posting -21 figures.

However, no such discussion was had after the Pacers’ Game 3 win. The bench scored just 14 points on 7 of 22 shooting. Second-unit point guard T.J. McConnell was -19 in Game 3 after being +10 in Game 2.

On Sunday, the bench flipped the script back again. They outscored the Knicks 27-14 in the first half alone with McConnell and forward Obi Toppin posting 10 points each before halftime. McConnell added four assists before the break and played gritty full court defense and was +20 before the break.

McConnell finished with 15 points and 10 assists and was +27. Toppin had 14. Adding in the end of the bench that got to play the fourth quarter, the Pacers’ bench outscored New York’s 57-50.

Pacers win again on boards

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has continued to say the game will be won on rebounds and loose balls, and the Pacers were strong in that regard in Game 3 and 4 after struggling on the road in Game 1 and 2.

The Pacers won the rebounding battle 52-43. The Knicks got more offensive rebounds, but they also got more chances with all their misses. Through three quarters, the two teams were even on second-chance points with eight. The Knicks finished with 12 to New York’s eight, but that difference was inconsequential.

The Florida Panthers scored twice in the third period to cap a comeback from a two-goal deficit, giving them a 3-2 win over the host Boston Bruins on Sunday in Game 4 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Anton Lundell posted a goal and an assist while Sam Bennett and Aleksander Barkov both scored in the final frame to lift the Panthers to a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Evan Rodrigues dished out a pair of assists for Florida.

The Panthers, who posted the fifth multi-goal comeback win in their postseason history, have an opportunity to clinch the series on Tuesday in Game 5 in Sunrise, Florida.

‘Sometimes you don’t get the breaks around the net,’ Florida coach Paul Maurice said. ‘They were up two, but our game was right. Mentally, it’s very important that we would stay with it and we wouldn’t see a change in our game.’

Sergei Bobrovsky made 16 saves in Florida’s net.

David Pastrnak and Brandon Carlo scored Boston’s goals, and Jeremy Swayman stopped 38 shots.

The Panthers had a 41-18 edge in shots and went 1-for-6 on the power play.

Bennett tied the game at 3:41 of the third when a bouncing puck came to him at the left crease for a tap-in on the power play. Bennett appeared to cross-check Charlie Coyle into Swayman to create the open lane to the goal, but Boston’s challenge for goaltender interference was unsuccessful.

‘This is a tough building to play in, but we just stuck with it,’ Bobrovsky said. ‘In the first period, even though they had two goals, we liked our chances and we just kept going, kept pushing and getting better.’

The Bruins now must do something they’ve never before accomplished in their long history in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs: overcome a 3-1 series deficit in a best-of-seven series.

The score flipped Florida’s way for the first time at 7:31, as Barkov slipped down the slot after corralling a deflected puck at center ice and beat Swayman over his blocker.

Two Boston power plays went by the boards after Florida’s go-ahead goal, including a six-on-four with Swayman pulled following an Aaron Ekblad interference call in the final minute.

Boston led 2-0 after one period despite being outshot 15-5.

After Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy set the physical tone with a heavy hit on Sam Reinhart just 15 seconds into the game, Swayman made key stops throughout the opening five-plus minutes, including one on Vladimir Tarasenko’s attempt to sneak the puck past his far pad.

Boston wasted little time converting on its first power play, scoring at the 8:53 mark of the first, only eight seconds into a man-advantage opportunity stemming from an Ekblad interference call. Pastrnak took a Jake DeBrusk feed to the right circle and stepped into a one-timer that beat Bobrovsky to his blocker side.

‘(Bobrovsky) won’t like the second goal, but everything after the second period was world-class,’ Maurice said.

Carlo doubled the Bruins’ lead at 15:12, corralling a bouncing puck at the center point and firing it through traffic for his third goal of the postseason.

Lundell put Florida on the board with 5:12 left before the second intermission, taking a Rodrigues pass out of the corner and slipping a quick shot from the left circle over Swayman’s shoulder.

‘I think we missed four odd-man rushes in the second that could have really extended our lead,’ Bruins coach Jim Mongomery said.

Facing a 3-1 series deficit, the Bruins now hope to turn the tables on the Panthers, who rallied from the same deficit against the top-seeded Bruins in the first round of last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs.

‘My mind isn’t on (moving forward) right now,’ Montgomery said. ‘It’s a tough loss and we’ll start looking at ways to improve again tomorrow.’

And there was debate about the legality of Sam Bennett’s hit on him in the first period of the Florida Panthers’ 6-2 victory during Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Marchand was attempting to check Bennett when the forward delivered a reverse hit, sending the Bruins’ leading playoff scorer to the ice. He was able to play the rest for that period and the second period before sitting out the third period.

There was question about whether Bennett had delivered a punch to Marchand on the play.

‘There’s a history there with Bennett,’ Bruins coach Jim Montgomery told reporters. ‘He’s a good hard player but there’s clearly evidence of what went on. People can say it wasn’t intentional, but we have our view of it.’

In last year’s second round, Bennett left the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Matthew Knies with a concussion with a shove into the boards. He also was fined for $5,000 for a cross-check on Michael Bunting in the same game. He previously was suspended twice in his career.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice disagreed with interpretations of slowed-down videos of Friday’s hit.

‘It was just a collision,’ he told reporters on Saturday. ‘In a perfect world, every team has everybody healthy. Nobody likes to see anybody hurt.’

Bennett, a speedy, hard-hitting forward who had 15 points in 20 games during the Panthers’ run last season to the Stanley Cup Final, returned Friday from a five-game injury absence. He had an assist and seven hits as the Panthers took a 2-1 lead in the second-round series.

‘He’s been itching to come back for a while now, and he brings so much energy to the team and just the excitement to be back in the playoffs from him is awesome,’ Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe told reporters Saturday.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson is the latest athlete to get her own signature shoe, announcing the news Saturday as the two-time defending champions were preparing to play a preseason exhibition against the Puerto Rican national team.

Wilson joins New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu as WNBA players to have a Nike signature shoe in recent years. Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark reportedly signed a deal worth $28 million that would also include her own signature shoe with Nike.

‘It’s been incredible working with Nike toward a dream of having my collection, and it really is an honor to take this next step and become a Nike signature athlete,’ Wilson said in a statement. ‘From my logo to the look of the shoe and the pieces throughout the collection, we’ve worked to make sure every detail is perfectly tuned to my game and style.’

 Wilson’s shoe will hit the market in 2025.

On Nike’s website announcing the deal, it came with this message:

‘You thought we’d sleep on an SEC champion, national champion, #1 draft pick, five-time All-Star, U.S. Olympic gold winner, WNBA Finals MVP, a statue-having, New York Times Best Seller, TIME 100 Most Influential People in 2014, two-time WNBA champion, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time WNBA MVP and the prettiest hooper on the internet? You thought. Of course, A’ja’s got a shoe.’

Wilson averaged 22.8 points and 9.5 rebounds last season for the Aces, who go for a three-peat when the regular season begins Tuesday against the Phoenix Mercury.