What is wrong with College Football?

Regardless of how the committee handled the final ranking show of the 2025-26 season, controversy and a plethora of unhappy fans were sure to ensue. Going into conference championship weekend, there was a slight probability that many of the committee’s problems would solve themselves. If UVA, BYU, and Alabama won their conference championships, there was a significant chance that the rankings would sort themselves out, and the committee would be exempt from having to pick teams that would make it with an at-large bid.

However, the committee’s desired outcome went 0/3, and real decisions had to be made. They now had two at-large bids with mainly four teams in contention:

1. Notre Dame
2. Miami
3. Alabama
4. BYU

Also, with UVA’s loss against 7-5 Duke, the James Madison Dukes earned a college football playoff berth in just their third season as an FBS program. Going into the show, many assumed the committee would pick Notre Dame and Alabama to enter the college football playoff; however, there was still some relative uncertainty on how the committee would handle it.

As an unbiased enjoyer of college football, I will go over why each team should or shouldn’t make the playoff and key parts of their resumé. In my opinion, there needs to be a balance between a team’s resumé and eye test to make sure the best teams make it. After, we will take a look at what the committee decided and what that shows us as fans.

Notre Dame

Key Wins:

vs. #20 USC

@ #22 Pittsburgh

Losses:

@ #10 Miami

vs. #16 Texas A&M

My Thoughts:

Notre Dame is an anomaly to me. Usually, I would say if you’re an independent team that lost two games, you should not be anywhere near the playoffs. However, if you have watched college football at all over the last five weeks, it is tough to ignore how good Notre Dame has looked. Looking at their losses, CJ Carr made his first-ever start in Miami against a defense that has looked fantastic all year. In addition, Jeremiyah Love rushed for a measly 33 yards due to the scheme Miami’s defense played. Miami’s entire scheme was to make Carr throw the ball, and he did. But, as previously mentioned, it was his first-ever collegiate start, and he did not look impressive. Carr has since improved tremendously, and there is simply no stopping Love with the way he has looked. This is why a mix of resumé and eye test is essential. I, personally, would take Notre Dame over any top 12 handily outside of Ohio State and Indiana. However, Notre Dame lost the head-to-head against Miami, so it would be extremely difficult to put them in and not Miami.

Miami

Key Wins:

vs. #6 Notre Dame

vs. #18 South Florida

@ #18 Florida State

@ #22 Pittsburgh

Losses:

vs. Louisville

@ SMU

My Thoughts:

I may be a hater, but every time I have watched Miami play, I have finished the game feeling unimpressed. I love their defensive front with Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr., but their offense can sometimes be lackluster. Malachi Toney is an absolute star, and Carson Beck has shown flashes of some of the greatness he showed at Georgia. Both of Miami’s losses are to pretty average opponents; however, they have plenty of wins against good teams, including Notre Dame. Overall, the only teams I would take Miami over are Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Alabama.

Alabama

Key Wins:

@ #5 Georgia

vs. #16 Vanderbilt

@ #14 Missouri

vs. #11 Tennessee

Losses:

@ Florida State

vs. #11 Oklahoma

vs. #3 Georgia

My Thoughts:

I am going to be very candid about this Alabama team. This team should not be in the playoffs. Quite frankly, Alabama barely squeaked by probably the worst Auburn squad this decade, and then got decimated in the SEC Championship. Ty Simpson hasn’t looked good in weeks. If Alabama had the name Minnesota, it probably would be ranked in the 20s. Sure, they beat four ranked teams in a row, but neither Tennessee nor Missouri is a particularly impressive win. 

BYU

Key Wins:

@ Arizona

vs. #23 Utah

Losses:

@ #8 Texas Tech

vs. #4 Texas Tech

My Thoughts:

As a BYU fan, I went into the Big 12 Championship with many angry thoughts toward the committee and how we basically had to win the game to make the playoff. However, my thoughts changed completely after the game. I felt like we got absolutely embarrassed and did ourselves no favors with how we played. Is the game different if Bear Bachmeier doesn’t sprain his ankle early in the game? Yes, no doubt. But our offense as a whole looked horrible, and ultimately, injuries are a part of the game. Also, if you can’t play a competitive game against Texas Tech in either of the games you play them, you probably don’t belong in the playoffs. 

What the Committee Did and My Thoughts:

The committee ultimately decided to honor the head-to-head and gave Alabama and Miami the last two at-large bids. This left Notre Dame and BYU as the first two teams that were left out.

My first gripe is the group of five rule. After UVA lost, a major flaw in the CFP was exposed. The rule is that the top four-ranked conference winners receive an automatic bid to the playoffs. Since UVA lost and Duke was 7-5, James Madison received an auto-bid because they are ranked. Don’t get me wrong, it is awesome that these teams now get a chance to play for a national championship; however, if the point of the playoff is to get the 12 best teams in, this rule needs to be abolished. If the group of five team is good enough, they will make the playoff regardless (2024 Boise State). Because of Tulane and James Madison occupying two spots, teams like Notre Dame, BYU, Vanderbilt, and Texas are not afforded the opportunity. 

My second gripe is with the SEC bias that the committee holds. Before the conference championship games, the committee made it very clear that they were not going to punish teams for making their conference championships. Basically, they said that a team can only be affected positively by their performance in the game. However, in their rankings, they decided to drop Ohio State and BYU, who both lost their conference championship games. Alabama, which also lost its championship game, was not dropped from its ranking and stayed put. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it is wrong to move Ohio State down since they lost to the only other undefeated team in the country; however, why did Alabama not move at all? Again, BYU got absolutely boatraced, but so did Alabama. Why did only one drop in the rankings?

In conclusion, everyone needs to keep in mind that the committee is taking this step by step, as it is still a very new concept. Just like there were changes made last year, I am sure there will be some this year to make the playoffs more optimal. If there is one thing that the committee has done right, it is getting rid of the conference champions bye rule. 

Take some time and look at what Ohio State’s road to the national championship would be if last year’s format were here. 

In the end, all we want as college football fans is for the best teams to play against each other, and for the teams with the best resumé to be rewarded. 

May the committee come up with a method and format that allows for all of this to happen.