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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Greg McGarity had reason to be concerned. The Gator Bowl president kept a watchful eye on College Football Playoff scenarios all season and understood the fallout might affect his postseason matchup in Jacksonville. What if the Southeastern Conference got five teams into the expanded CFP? What if the Atlantic Coast Conference landed three spots? It was a math problem that was impossible to truly answer, even into late November. Four first-round playoff games, which will end with four good teams going home without a bowl game, had the potential to shake up the system. The good news for McGarity and other bowl organizers: Adding quality teams to power leagues — Oregon to the Big Ten, Texas to the SEC and SMU to the ACC — managed to ease much of the handwringing. McGarity and the Gator Bowl ended up with their highest-ranked team, No. 16 Ole Miss, in nearly two decades. "It really didn't lessen our pool much at all," McGarity said. "The SEC bowl pool strengthened with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma. You knew they were going to push traditional SEC teams up or down. Texas ended up pushing just about everyone down." The long waiting game was the latest twist for non-CFP bowls that have become adept at dealing with change. Efforts to match the top teams came and went in the 1990s and first decade of this century before the CFP became the first actual tournament in major college football. It was a four-team invitational — until this year, when the 12-team expanded format meant that four quality teams would not be in the mix for bowl games after they lose next week in the first round. "There's been a lot of things that we've kind of had to roll with," said Scott Ramsey, president of the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee. "I don't think the extra games changed our selection model to much degree. We used to look at the New York's Six before this, and that was 12 teams out of the bowl mix. The 12-team playoff is pretty much the same." Ramsey ended up with No. 23 Missouri against Iowa in his Dec. 30 bowl. A lot of so-called lesser bowl games do have high-profile teams — the ReliaQuest Bowl has No. 11 Alabama vs. Michigan (a rematch of last year's CFP semifinal), Texas A&M and USC will play in the Las Vegas Bowl while No. 14 South Carolina and No. 15 Miami, two CFP bubble teams, ended up in separate bowls in Orlando. "The stress of it is just the fact that the CFP takes that opening weekend," Las Vegas Bowl executive director John Saccenti said. "It kind of condenses the calendar a little bit." Bowl season opens Saturday with the Cricket Celebration Bowl. The first round of the CFP runs Dec. 20-21. It remains to be seen whether non-CFP bowls will see an impact from the new dynamic. They will know more by 2026, with a planned bowl reset looming. It could include CFP expansion from 12 to 14 teams and significant tweaks to the bowl system. More on-campus matchups? More diversity among cities selected to host semifinal and championship games? And would there be a trickle-down effect for everyone else? Demand for non-playoff bowls remains high, according to ESPN, despite increased focus on the expanded CFP and more players choosing to skip season finales to either enter the NCAA transfer portal or begin preparations for the NFL draft. "There's a natural appetite around the holidays for football and bowl games," Kurt Dargis, ESPN's senior director of programming and acquisitions, said at Sports Business Journal's Intercollegiate Athletics Forum last week in Las Vegas. "People still want to watch bowl games, regardless of what's going on with the playoff. ... It's obviously an unknown now with the expanded playoff, but we really feel like it's going to continue." The current bowl format runs through 2025. What lies ahead is anyone's guess. Could sponsors start paying athletes to play in bowl games? Could schools include hefty name, image and likeness incentives for players participating in bowls? Would conferences be willing to dump bowl tie-ins to provide a wider range of potential matchups? Are bowls ready to lean into more edginess like Pop-Tarts has done with its edible mascot? The path forward will be determined primarily by revenue, title sponsors, TV demand and ticket sales. "The one thing I have learned is we're going to serve our partners," Saccenti said. "We're going to be a part of the system that's there, and we're going to try to remain flexible and make sure that we're adjusting to what's going on in the world of postseason college football." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Why do some consider the man accused of killing the UnitedHealthcare CEO a folk hero? A social worke While many condemn the murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, others consider the suspect a hero, saying Americans have long been angry about health insurance. WBZ-TV's Tiffany Chan reports.

Lifestyle Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. In this article Unpacking the TikTok-led viral boycott of seed oils What the research actually says about seed oils An Aussie nutritionist weighs in on which oils are best According to TikTok, seed oils are rife with health risks and shouldn’t be consumed at all. Here’s what the actual evidence and a qualified nutritionist want you to know. Every time you open TikTok or any major social media platform, you’re bombarded with information regarding what you should and shouldn’t be doing for your health. While there are plenty of wonderful health professionals creating and sharing useful content online, there are just as many (if not more) totally unqualified voices fuelling opinion-based – and often dangerous – trends. The latest? Apparently, seed oils – Rice bran, Safflower, Sunflower, Corn, Canola, Cottonseed, Soybean, and Grapeseed oil – need to be purged from our pantries and never consumed again. @seanmikekelly STOP USING CANOLA OIL! ♬ original sound - Sean Kelly - Sean Kelly The trend, accompanied by hashtags such as #seedoilbad and #boycottseedoil, initially surfaced on the video platform a few years ago, undergoing a resurgence in recent months thanks to some very vocal ‘experts’. To be clear, most creators on the app warning against people using seed oils don't have a problem with the pure substances themselves, but rather are criticising the industrially-produced commercial iterations widely available to consumers. As well-known biologist Gary Brecka explains in this TikTok , mass producers subject seed oils to several heating processes and added chemicals in order to achieve a commercially viable colour, consistency and odour. However, the theories and (loose) evidence contributing to this widespread cancellation of seed oils are largely based on industries in the US. Still, thanks to the video platform, viewers all over the world– Australia included – have grasped the issue of seed oils and whether they are safe to consume. But as Chloe McLeod, a dietitian specialising in advanced sports nutrition , says, these viral TikTok claims shouldn’t be confused with evidence-based findings. “There is plenty of evidence to show seed oils are completely safe for consumption and aren’t something we need to be fearful of. The main thing when looking at fats or oils is we ideally want a higher omega 3 to omega 6 ratio,” she explains, sharing we should all be aiming to include plenty of oily fish in our diets and plant-based sources like chia seeds, walnuts and linseeds. Oils and healthy fats are an important part of our diet. Image: Pexels What are the best oils for cooking? With so many options available in supermarkets, choosing the best oil to roast potatoes or crisp up a schnitzel can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. However, McLeod says there’s no questioning which one we should all reach for. “Hands down the best oil when it comes to its nutritional profile is good quality extra virgin olive oil,” she says. “It contains a diverse range of antioxidants and polyphenols that is unique to extra virgin olive oil and has good evidence to support its benefits for heart health, gut health, mental health and reducing inflammation.” Plus, extra virgin olive oil has quite a high smoke point and tolerates heat up to 210 degrees Celsius while maintaining its levels of antioxidants, meaning it’s totally safe to use with most recipes and kitchen appliances. In restaurants, oils are repeatedly heated to high temperatures and infrequently changed. Image: iStock But if you’re pantry has been cleaned out of extra virgin olive oil from your weekend attempt at Foccacia baking, reaching for other alternatives – including the seed oils – won’t do any major harm. Long before the TikTok experts started piling criticism onto seed oils, one 2022 report in association with Harvard University completely debunks the alleged health risk. According to Guy Crosby, ​​an adjunct associate of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the negative health outcomes associated with processed and packaged foods have less to do with seed oils and more to do with their higher percentages of refined carbohydrates, sodium, and sugar. “Sure, if you cut back on these foods, chances are you’re going to feel better,” Crosby explains, sharing that a food’s cooking environment also plays a big role in its health rating. When oils – seed or otherwise – are used to cook in restaurants or commercial kitchens, they are repeatedly heated to high temperatures and infrequently changed, “Cooking with seed oils at home isn’t an issue,” he says. More Coverage What is 'starvemaxxing'? The dangerous new TikTok trend explained Staff Writer Experts say you should probably ignore TikTok's tampon prosecco hack Ashleigh Austen Originally published as Are seed oils actually bad for you? More related stories Gold Coast ‘I see them having sex’: Luxury tower’s eye-catching flaw Residents of a new luxury tower in a swanky suburb can be seen “urinating, showering and fornicating” by neighbours. Read more Victoria Why Melbourne-themed cafes are popping up around the world? Melbourne-themed cafes are springing up around the world, from Budapest to Nantes. Here’s what they’re trying to capture about our local cafes and why they’re proving a hit. Read moreThe Matua Programme at Nabua Secondary School, outside Suva, is making a significant improvement in the lives of its students. Young people, mostly school drop-outs who were unable to complete their high school education due to personal circumstances, are given a second chance at the school, offering them a new lease on life. Nabua Secondary School is the only educational institution in Fiji offering this incentive. Since its inception two decades ago, hundreds of adult students have attended the programme to complete their secondary school education and pursue tertiary studies. Yesterday, more than 42 students graduated. One of the graduates, Lusiana Turaga, said the programme inspired them to pursue their educational goals. Ms Turaga said the programme renewed her hopes. “It was quite fitting that we had students from diverse back-grounds, which was a new experience for me,” Ms Turaga said. “Engaging in this programme fosters social inclusion for elder citizens by acknowledging their con-tributions to society and ensuring they are not left behind. “It offers seniors an opportunity to remain connected within their communities, enhancing their so-cial well-being.” Ms Turaga said the programme also helped provide financial stability and access to services, helping to improve life and ensured that students when they progressed in life, lived with dignity and comfort. She said the common goal of students who went through the programme was to become better versions of themselves. Feedback: sosiveta.korobiau@fijisun.com.fj