2025 College Football Playoff Thread

[Thunder 57]

ND got jobbed, but shit has gotten hilarious. All because the CFP had some dumb rule where James Madison gets to sneak in as the last auto qualifier.

Notre Dame AD: ACC caused 'permanent damage'

Notre Dame's AD ripped the ACC after its CFP snub, saying the conference that houses almost every Fighting Irish team has caused "permanent damage" to the relationship.

www.espn.com

I'm OK with Miami being in over ND. They beat won against them earlier. I anything Alabama should be out. They already lost to OU and are currently losing to them again badly, and I'm lovin' it. Plus Alabama got beat bad by a 5-7 Florida State, that has to mean something, right?

Paul Finebaum nailed it:

“[The committee] got it right, and the crying from Notre Dame is quite frankly embarrassing,” Finebaum stated. “Everything Notre Dame has done since the moment this was announced is really beneath a great institution that should stand for principles.

“Instead, they cried. They didn’t get their way, and then they said, ‘You know, we’re going home. We’re taking our ball like a 5-year-old on the playground by not going to a bowl game.’ Why did they get it right? Because Notre Dame had very little to show on its resume. They’re not in a conference. That’s their own fault. They think they’re too good to be in a conference.”

Agreed. but if they went to a bowl they may have a had a situation like FSU who got left out in 2023 despite being undefeated, have 1/3 of the team prepare for the NFL or transfer, and get beat up badly which is what happened to FSU. That was another year Alabama got the benefit of the doubt. Georgia also got screwed that year IMHO.

I don't believe a 9-3 team should be in.
Alabama got in because......
they are Alabama.

Alabama should have been dropped and then ND would be the next choice in.

But all this was agreed upon before, meaning last year. Duke won the ACC championship but they were not ranked at all so they're out. James Madison was ranked (24th), so they got the auto qualifier. Can't blame James Madison. If they didn't get in, another conference champion would be in. Not ND. They were one of the Five champions. The seven others were at large qualifiers. So the committee picks their seven choices. Someone is always going to cry.

From AI
"For the 2025-2026 College Football Playoff (CFP), there are five automatic qualifiers (AQs) for the 12-team bracket, given to the five highest-ranked conference champions from any conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, AAC, C-USA, MAC, MWC, Sun Belt), not specific Power conferences"

ND isn't in any conference. Never has been and in the end, it hurt them here. Along with their shitty scheduling.

I'm glad ND got bit in the ass for not being in a conference. They always want their special treatmeant. Next year they are guaranteed a spot if they finish in the Top 12. Why?

If I had my way I'd gack to the old BCS system where there are computers and humans involved and pick the Top 12 from there with the top five conference champions getting auto-qualifiers. The Committee has been garbage IMHO. But, as has been said here, someone will always be unhappy.

Somewhat related, I think it's nice to see the first round games played at the higher seeded home stadiums. Brings some of the college feel back a sport that has lost a lot of it since NIL, thranser portal, etc.

 

[zinfamous]

ahahahaha FUCK YOU NOTRE DAME you fucking assclowns! what a fucking garbage program

I was kinda pulling for Conception (transferred from NC State), but one: fuck anything Texas, and 2, hahaha fuck Notre Dame!

 

[Thunder 57]

So the two lower seeded teams won so far. Despite the other teams having more yards. Self inflicted injuries.

Alabama 34-24 Oklahoma (Dec 19, 2025) Game Stats - ESPN

Complete team stats and game leaders for the Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Oklahoma Sooners NCAAF game from December 19, 2025 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

Miami 10-3 Texas A&M (Dec 20, 2025) Game Stats - ESPN

Complete team stats and game leaders for the Miami Hurricanes vs. Texas A&M Aggies NCAAF game from December 20, 2025 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

As expected Tulane is getting its ass kicked.

 

[Chaotic42]

Good thing they let Tulane in

 

[Chaotic42]

Good thing they let JMU in

 

[Thunder 57]

The problem is Divison I is far too large. And only a limited number of teams have a chance of winning it all. I asked ChatGPT for help with this one. In the past 50 years, only 20 different teams have won the national championship:

Here are the college football teams in the NCAA Division I FBS (major college football) that have won at least one national championship in roughly the past 50 years (about 1975 – 2024), based on the NCAA’s historical championship lists which include champions recognized by major polls (AP/Coaches), the BCS, and the College Football Playoff: Wikipedia

🏆 Teams That Have Won an FBS National Championship (~1975 – 2024)​

1. Alabama Wikipedia
2. Auburn Wikipedia
3. Clemson Wikipedia
4. Colorado Wikipedia
5. Florida Wikipedia
6. Florida State Wikipedia
7. Georgia Wikipedia
8. LSU Wikipedia
9. Miami (FL) Wikipedia
10. Michigan Wikipedia
11. Nebraska Wikipedia
12. Notre Dame Wikipedia
13. Oklahoma Wikipedia
14. Penn State Wikipedia
15. Southern California (USC) Wikipedia
16. Tennessee Wikipedia
17. Texas Wikipedia
18. Washington Wikipedia
19. Georgia Tech Wikipedia
20. Pittsburgh (Pitt) Wikipedia

So the total number of distinct FBS teams that have won at least one national championship in that ~50-year period is:


👉 20 different teams. Wikipedia

The problem they have is trying to provide the illusion of fairness. That is pretty much impossible as it is much more difficult to have a Cinderella football team than basketball team.

 

[jpiniero]

JMU beat the spread, if you can believe it. Vegas must have made some calls.

 

[Chaotic42]

I've always thought they should do something like have something like 20 teams in D1 and each year the bottom 4 teams in D1 move down to D2 and the top 8 from D2 move up to D1. Maybe have some wild card thing where if you're undefeated in D2 you get to try for the D1 playoffs. No matter what, someone is going to be unhappy.

 

[Thunder 57]

I've always thought they should do something like have something like 20 teams in D1 and each year the bottom 4 teams in D1 move down to D2 and the top 8 from D2 move up to D1. Maybe have some wild card thing where if you're undefeated in D2 you get to try for the D1 playoffs. No matter what, someone is going to be unhappy.

So some kind of relegation? I don't see how that would would work with conferences involved. I did read someone say conferences should do it though. So after x years teams can go up/down to the two different tiers. With the hughe conferences we have that might work, though the powerful schools would never go for it.

On a side not, conference realignment has borked the sport. the Atlantic conferences havin Pacific teams? The Big 10 spanning from NJ to CA/OR? It must be a logistical nightmare for non-revenue sports.

 

[manly]

So some kind of relegation? I don't see how that would would work with conferences involved. I did read someone say conferences should do it though. So after x years teams can go up/down to the two different tiers. With the hughe conferences we have that might work, though the powerful schools would never go for it.

On a side not, conference realignment has borked the sport. the Atlantic conferences havin Pacific teams? The Big 10 spanning from NJ to CA/OR? It must be a logistical nightmare for non-revenue sports.

I suppose it was inevitable, but we have two Pac-12 schools to blame: USC and UCLA. In some ways, I blame UCLA more because they were inept and their athletic debt load all but forced them to flee to the Big-10. Covid kind of put a gun to their head. IMHO, the Pac-12 would have maintained the status quo if these two fuckers hadn't bolted first. (To be fair, realignment had preceded the demise of the Pac-12 and conference commish Larry Scott steered the ship into an iceberg.)

Relegation or not, there is already a de facto 2-tier system in NCAA football. The top tier is the SEC & Big-10. Then, there's everybody else fighting for table scraps. It's already gotten to the point where legacy bowl games don't matter any more, and it's CFP or bust. I'm actually a little surprised we still have all these random bowl games. Although Americans still love college football in general, I don't perceive much viewing interest in these lesser games.

Unfortunately the first weekend proved to us that ND can't talk shit about Bama and Miami.* I actually don't dislike Bama, but I'm hoping Indiana does not lay an egg in the quarterfinals.

* But we all agree they clearly fucked up by letting in two weaker conference champs auto qualify. Whoever came up with that idea is a dufus. It doesn't take a PhD to see that winning the SEC, or the ACC, or the AAC/SBC are three entirely different things.

 

[Thunder 57]

I suppose it was inevitable, but we have two Pac-12 schools to blame: USC and UCLA. In some ways, I blame UCLA more because they were inept and their athletic debt load all but forced them to flee to the Big-10. Covid kind of put a gun to their head. IMHO, the Pac-12 would have maintained the status quo if these two fuckers hadn't bolted first. (To be fair, realignment had preceded the demise of the Pac-12 and conference commish Larry Scott steered the ship into an iceberg.)

Relegation or not, there is already a de facto 2-tier system in NCAA football. The top tier is the SEC & Big-10. Then, there's everybody else fighting for table scraps. It's already gotten to the point where legacy bowl games don't matter any more, and it's CFP or bust. I'm actually a little surprised we still have all these random bowl games. Although Americans still love college football in general, I don't perceive much viewing interest in these lesser games.

Unfortunately the first weekend proved to us that ND can't talk shit about Bama and Miami.* I actually don't dislike Bama, but I'm hoping Indiana does not lay an egg in the quarterfinals.

* But we all agree they clearly fucked up by letting in two weaker conference champs auto qualify. Whoever came up with that idea is a dufus. It doesn't take a PhD to see that winning the SEC, or the ACC, or the AAC/SBC are three entirely different things.

Honestly I liked the BCS or four tem playoff better when there were still major bowls that mattered. And I'd say three tier system. 2nd tier undefeated Florida State got left out a few years ago over SEC teams. 3rd tier is the G5 that they throw a bone to only for them to have no chance as we saw yesterday.

 

[KLin]

CW best not get the Dogs name wrong like ESPN did last year

 

[Chaotic42]

"Wow Fred, they really penetrated the defense on that scoring drive"
"You know what they do Steve, and they're doing it"

 

[manly]

Honestly I liked the BCS or four tem playoff better when there were still major bowls that mattered. And I'd say three tier system. 2nd tier undefeated Florida State got left out a few years ago over SEC teams. 3rd tier is the G5 that they throw a bone to only for them to have no chance as we saw yesterday.

2 or 4 teams is not enough. Personally I like 8, because that left room for other bowl games (and teams) to have their brief moment in the sun.
Once they expand to 16, all the lesser bowl games become irrelevant.

You're right, and I was going to mention there are roughly 3 tiers but I really wanted to emphasize the outsize influence of the SEC and Big-10 on CFB. The Big-12 is still feasible as a "power" conference, but the ACC also flops if FSU and Clemson could break out of their grant of rights.

 

[Thunder 57]

2 or 4 teams is not enough. Personally I like 8, because that left room for other bowl games (and teams) to have their brief moment in the sun.
Once they expand to 16, all the lesser bowl games become irrelevant.

You're right, and I was going to mention there are roughly 3 tiers but I really wanted to emphasize the outsize influence of the SEC and Big-10 on CFB. The Big-12 is still feasible as a "power" conference, but the ACC also flops if FSU and Clemson could break out of their grant of rights.

They are already irrelevant. I liked it better when there were the big four, than six bowls.The Big 12 is already kind of a joke without Texas and Oklahoma. The ACC will be without FSU and Clemson as well should that happen.

 

[Chaotic42]

If Miami wins this, people are going to go nuts.

 

[Thunder 57]

OSU has looked like hot garbage so far, except for that last stop.

 

[Chaotic42]

lulz as the children are wont to say.

 

[KLin]

Poor Ryan Day

 

[KLin]

 

[Chaotic42]

This Oregon/Texas Tech game is both interesting and hard to watch at the same time

 

[Thunder 57]

It's crazy Oregon only has 6 ponits. What's with the bad snaps? And Texas Tech outside of one play has about zero offense.

 

[zinfamous]

i keep forgetting the playoffs are unwatchable w/o cable. lulz

 

[KLin]

i keep forgetting the playoffs are unwatchable w/o cable. lulz

COUGHCOUGHbuffstreamsdotplusCOUGHCOUGH

 

[KLin]

Texas Tech is sucking it up on offense. Then just went offsides on 4th and 2 when the Ducks were punting LoL.