At the conclusion of this 68-car pileup, I remain convinced that UCLA would be cutting down the nets Monday night if it didn’t lose two indispensable starters to injury in March.

Why yes, I had been holding a Bruins futures ticket (22/1) since November. Why do you ask?

Gametime: 9:20 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

Live Stream: March Madness Live app, fuboTV, Sling, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

There is no team this century that has laid more points in a national title game, and there is no reason to believe the Huskies will slow down now, having won their previous five games by an average of more than 20 points.

A similar matchup in the second round against defensive-minded Saint Mary’s — which is still ranked higher than San Diego State on kenpom.com despite the Aztecs’ run — ended with a 15-point win, as Adama Sanogo dominated inside, and the Huskies lit it up from outside.

The Aztecs will try to fuel themselves with the overused rallying cry that no one believes in them outside their locker room.

So did Michigan (+7), in 2018, when Villanova ran away with a 17-point win. Most other big dogs have failed in recent history, too.

Four of the past five title game participants favored by six points or more won by double digits.

San Diego State is a respectable team.

Great defense.

Great physicality and poise.

But it is here because of great fortune.

The Aztecs’ first-round win against Charleston was sealed by a shaky foul call.

They benefited from a second-round matchup with No. 13 seed Furman.

Their best win, over Alabama in the Sweet 16, was clinched because the Tide got cold and missed 24 of 27 3-pointers.

They watched Creighton make just 2 of 17 from deep and then received another controversial foul call to reach the Final Four, where No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic choked away a 14-point lead and curled into a ball on every rebounding opportunity.

San Diego State won’t steal extra opportunities against the nation’s best team on the boards.

It won’t make many of its first chances against an equally imposing defense, which has shut down two of the nation’s best offenses (Gonzaga, Miami) in the past two rounds.

San Diego State does not belong on this stage.

A team that barely survived a historically easy path to the title game doesn’t deserve to be remembered alongside past champions.

An offense which shoots worse than 205 other teams doesn’t deserve a ring.

Only once since 1998 has a national champion not been among the nation’s top 20 most efficient offenses.

None of them finished outside the top 40.

The Aztecs currently rank 68th.

In an NCAA Tournament that will be remembered for absolute chaos, order will ultimately prevail.

UConn (-7.5) over San Diego State (BetMGM)

This season: 29-25-3

2011-22 record: 319-283-9