| 100% | BOWLGAME | 8 | Either of the College Football Playoff semifinals featured in this puzzle (2 wds.) |
| 52% | DEFENSIVELINE | 13 | Part of a football team featured in this puzzle: 2 wds. |
| 41% | EYE | 3 | Either of the circled letters in 4-Across, for this puzzle's face |
| 39% | ARMS | 4 | What are featured in the theme entries of this puzzle |
| 39% | SCARYHOURS | 10 | 2018 two-song Drake EP featuring the two tracks in this puzzle: 2 wds. |
| 39% | ESPN | 4 | Airer of the College Football Playoff National Championship |
| 38% | FIGHTINGIRISH | 13 | College football team that lost the BCS National Championship Game this past January: 2 wds. |
| 38% | CRIMSONTIDE | 11 | College football team that won the BCS National Championship Game this past January: 2 wds. |
| 38% | ITSOK | 5 | "___", song by Tom Rosenthal, featured in the trailers of "Comet" and "Anesthesia" : 2 wds. |
| 38% | EVALONGORIA | 11 | "Desperate Housewives" actress featured in season 4 of "Only Murders in the Building": 2 wds. |
| 38% | KUMAILNANJIANI | 14 | "Silicon Valley" actor featured in season 4 of "Only Murders in the Building": 2 wds. |
| 38% | RICHARDKIND | 11 | "Spin City" actor featured in season 4 of "Only Murders in the Building": 2 wds. |
| 36% | WALKINGTALL | 11 | Retired professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson plays a war veteran in this remake of the 1973 film: 2 wds. |
| 36% | NOTREDAME | 9 | Fourth seed in the 2021 College Football Playoff, who lost to 35-Across in the Rose Bowl (2 wds.) |
| 36% | POPES | 5 | 10 featured last names in this puzzle are also the names of these |
| 36% | SEANASTIN | 9 | "The Lord of the Rings" actor who played Notre Dame football player Rudy Ruettiger in "Rudy": 2 wds. |
| 35% | MARKRYLANCE | 11 | "Bridge of Spies" star featured in the 2017 WWII film "Dunkirk": 2 wds. |
| 35% | EARNEDIT | 8 | 2015 The Weeknd hit featured in "Fifty Shades of Grey": 2 wds. |
| 34% | FATHERSANDSONS | 14 | Relationships of the four sets of athletes in this puzzle: 3 wds. |
| 34% | SHINYNOSE | 9 | Feature depicted in the upper left of this puzzle |
| 34% | CHINESEZODIAC | 13 | Collection of animals featured in this puzzle |
| 34% | ANNARBOR | 8 | Home of the Big House in college football |
| 33% | TWENTYNINTHOFFEBRUARY | 21 | When the people featured in this puzzle were born |
| 33% | PERSONAL | 8 | Like the 52-Across featured in this puzzle |
| 33% | LITTLEMONSTERS | 14 | Fans of the "Born This Way" singer: 2 wds. |
| 33% | BUFFALOBOB | 10 | Host of the show featuring 18-Across: 2 wds. |
| 33% | VICTORFLEMING | 13 | Director of the eight starred films in this puzzle, who was born on 2/23/1889 |
| 33% | OHIOSTATE | 9 | Third seed in the 2021 College Football Playoff, who beat 28-Across in the Sugar Bowl before losing to 35-Across in the National Championship Game (2 wds.) |
| 33% | SUNBOWL | 7 | College football game played annually in El Paso: 2 wds. |
| 33% | WILLSMITH | 9 | Star of the "Men in Black" movie series: 2 wds. |