CFP Team Selections, Assad Government Falls in Syria, More Betting Markets....

Politics

Syria Government Collapsing, Assad Gone?

It's been 13 years since a civil war began in Syria. 

In a shock offensive, insurgents breached Syria’s largest city of Aleppo for the first time since 2016.

At the time, a mere 7 percent of gamblers believed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's government would be toppled by month's end.

By this weekend, with greater than $700,000 wagered at Polymarket, 87 percent of gamblers were backing Assad to be gone by month's end, if he's not out of there already.

By Sunday morning, there were countless reports that Assad had already fled and his government collapsed along with confirmations that Israel seized its border region.

Earlier on Sunday, rebel forces declared victory against the Assad regime, ending his 24-year rule.

Syrian state television aired a video statement by a group of men saying that President Bashar Assad has been overthrown and all detainees in jails have been set free.

The conflict in Syria has killed an estimated half-million people. Some 6.8 million Syrians have fled the country.

College Football

Georgia Jumps to No. 2 Behind No. 1 Oregon in AP Top 25 as CFP Determined

Georgia moved up to No. 2 behind Oregon in the Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday, Texas and Penn State remained in the top five after losing conference championship games, and Arizona State appeared in the top 10 for the first time in a decade.

Unbeaten Oregon, with its win over Penn State in the Big Ten title game, will go into the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 team for the eighth straight week and the unanimous choice for the sixth in a row. The poll was released shortly before the CFP rankings.

Alabama and SMU, both hoping for the final at-large spot in the playoff, were Nos. 11 and 12, respectively, in the Top 25.

Notre Dame, idle Saturday and in line for an at-large playoff bid, rose one spot to No. 3 for its highest ranking since late in the 2020 season.

Clemson is ranked well below the others and will slot in as the No. 12 seed in the bracket. Texas lands at No. 5 despite its second loss to Georgia in the SEC title game.  These two teams will face one another in the CFP.

Tennessee to play Ohio State in Columbus.

Alabama and Miami were both out.

Four byes: Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, Arizona State.

Politics

South Korea's President Yoon Survives Impeachment But is Likely to Go

With just over a million dollars bet at Polymarket, only a quarter of the gambling public believed Yoon Suk Yeol would be out as South Korea's president by the end of this month.

South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law, as most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers.

Yoon Suk Yeol shockingly declared martial law last week before the parliament quickly voted against it. Calls for his impeachment were swift.

After the motion fell through, members of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party rallied inside the National Assembly, chanting slogans calling for Yoon’s impeachment or resignation.
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The party’s floor leader, Park Chan-dae, said it will soon prepare for a new impeachment motion. Opposition parties could submit a new impeachment motion after a new parliamentary session opens next Wednesday.