2025 College Football Playoffs

[DillonHall]

Isn't Texas Tech coach the one that made random fly by comments about NDs independence?

Is he going to lose on purpose to help get two big 12 teams in and bump ND out? Lol

It'd be dumb to give up a bye week in the Playoff to keep ND out

 

[MPClinton22]

Only conspiracy I genuinely believe is that LSU let OU score that TD to help OU make the field so they (LSU) could get their hands on part of OU's playoff payout. Zero downside for losing that game, all upside ($$$$$)

 

[Kingbish01]

I know anything can happen. But BYU is not beating Texas Tech. Best case is they play a perfect game and lose by 10

Game will open around TT -11.5 and get bet up to -14.5 almost immediately. Watch

 

[Irish Norseman]

Can we have a serious conversation about Oklahoma? That’s who Miami needs to be compared too. Why do people like them so much?

 

[forkbeard3777]

Only conspiracy I genuinely believe is that LSU let OU score that TD to help OU make the field so they (LSU) could get their hands on part of OU's playoff payout. Zero downside for losing that game, all upside ($$$$$)

😂 money the players won’t likely ever see?

 

[ab2cmiller]

Isn't Texas Tech coach the one that made random fly by comments about NDs independence?

Is he going to lose on purpose to help get two big 12 teams in and bump ND out? Lol

So many conspiracy theories on this board, but this is the worst of all.

The answer is no.

Can’t claim Conference Champions.
Risk losing hosting round 1
Would face tougher opponent in round 1.
Would face tougher opponent in round 2.

Unless Even if they are idiots, TT is not going to throw a game to BYU.

 

[MPClinton22]

😂 money the players won’t likely ever see?

They're young, doesn't take much to incentivize them. But the way that played out was so ridiculous, it would be MORE surprising if LSU wasn't on the take

 

[Kingbish01]

TT has never won the conference and the bye is huge.

 

[forkbeard3777]

Can we have a serious conversation about Oklahoma? That’s who Miami needs to be compared too. Why do people like them so much?

Strong defense, blue blood name / school. No real “bad” losses - the lost to UT was bad as it wasn’t competitive, but UT is a pretty respectable team attempting to vie for a playoff spot.

 

[forkbeard3777]

They're young, doesn't take much to incentivize them. But the way that played out was so ridiculous, it would be MORE surprising if LSU wasn't on the take

Blown coverage. Bad teams do that.

 

[irishfan]

Massey has us #5. Sagarin hasn’t updated but had us #2 last week. FPI still has us at #3.

Updated:

Sagarin #2
FPI #3
SP+ #5
Massey #5

 

[stlnd01]

Strong defense, blue blood name / school. No real “bad” losses - the lost to UT was bad as it wasn’t competitive, but UT is a pretty respectable team attempting to vie for a playoff spot.

All true but their offense is garbage. We'd hold them to six points.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

I hope we mucked up the OU game enough where the committee can see that — despite their record — they aren’t playoff worthy.

I mean, that was a home game against an LSU team without its HC (probably an upgrade), OC (again, probably an upgrade), starting QB, 2 starting WRs (Aaron Anderson, Nic Anderson), and 2 starting OL (Moore and Williams). The offense is bad enough as is much less that many out …

I said it yesterday, and I truly mean it, Vanderbilt should be in over Oklahoma …

The graphic they flashed at the end of the LSU/OU game was OU has a 99% chance of making the CFP. With an ND win last night, the graphic had a %age in the high 80s. Not sure where ESPN gets those numbers but they were quick to point them out.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

Updated:

Sagarin #2
FPI #3
SP+ #5
Massey #5

There is literally no way we get left out with those metrics.

 

[spoonidentity]

Updated:

Sagarin #2
FPI #3
SP+ #5
Massey #5

John Brice's article explaining the CFP ranking process suggests that these are the metrics the committee is looking at, not just wins and losses. That's very good for ND.

Remember, ND was the highest ranked 2-loss team for the entire CFP ranking stretch until Oklahoma beat Alabama, which gave them the best win. At some point, with Oklahoma's play the way it has been, that boost will run out because they haven't played well.

I'd be interested to see what happens after the Lane Kiffin fiasco. The guidelines say they can factor "significant" coaching changes or player loss into the rankings. I don't think they would drop out entirely, but Ole Miss to 10th or 11th seed and ND gets bumped up is not out of the question.

 

[NorthDakota]

Oklahoma reminds me a lot of ND in 2012
They win (not undefeated) but win ugly as shit and will get exposed when they play the big dogs

Idk about big dogs but their defense needs to be flawless which is asking a lot for sixty minutes. Their offense simply isn't good.

 

[NorthDakota]

Updated:

Sagarin #2
FPI #3
SP+ #5
Massey #5

This is helpful. I think the committee will do everything every can to get ND in.

 

[Bane]

No, "destroyed" has nothing to do with the spread, cetainly not when you get to 4-5 TD spreads.

My team got destroyed often in high school. No idea how often the metaphorical spread was covered, but being behind 42-3 in the second half is destruction pretty well regardless of what comes next

Committee already said they really like the Irish. They won’t punish the Irish after closing out Stanford the way they did.

Yeah, once the spread gets to above 4 touchdowns I don't think a team is "punished" for not covering against a P4 school so long as it's close. Now had we only won by 10 and looked uneven through that game that's totally different. This game was functionally garbage time going into half and we scored to make it 42-3 a few minutes into the third quarter, that was destruction.

I was pissy about the the scoring last night because when it comes to defense I'm a perfectionist. It irks me we gave up 20 to Stanford and that irritation isn't really connected to our CFP case at all. But at the end of the day, a 29 point win is destruction considering how the game went.

 

[CoachB]

I agree that it isn’t good to have 5+ teams representing one conference in the Playoff. Hopefully, the Committee will flip ND and OU.

That said, as much as I don’t think they’re worthy, that’s very much a product of recency bias — a few weeks ago, OU went into Tuscaloosa and won (they’re actually on a nice steak with wins @Tennessee, @ Alabama, Mizzou and LSU).

Only decent one of that group is Bama and Alabama completely outplayed them. And Alabama is one dimensional themselves. OK is a paper tiger.

 

[Bane]

So many conspiracy theories on this board, but this is the worst of all.

The answer is no.

Can’t claim Conference Champions.
Risk losing hosting round 1
Would face tougher opponent in round 1.
Would face tougher opponent in round 2.

Unless Even if they are idiots, TT is not going to throw a game to BYU.

TT has never won the conference and the bye is huge.

Correct, and it's not like TT and BYU are blood brothers or something. BYU just joined the conference like 2 years ago. Those people in Lubbock take their ball seriously, zero chance they just throw a game. Plus, they believe they have a Heisman contender in that LB Rodriguez, they've been stat padding for him for a month. Wouldn't helping to captain a program to its first conference title be a nice resume boost for a Heisman?

 

[1776]

Notre Dame’s independence has never been more vindicated than it has under the mega conference format.

These conferences got rid of divisions but have 20 teams, so the schedules are totally whacked. This results in tons of ties, which are resolved by totally convoluted tiebreakers that the lay fan cannot possibly decipher without someone laying out each of the 25 different combos of outcomes for each team involved.

And even then, making the conference title game is totally worthless. It means next to nothing. There are no stakes at all.

Look at Texas A&M’s conference schedule vs. Texas. It’s hard to believe they are both in the SEC.

It’s an absurdity, and because everybody needs a scapegoat, they point at us for not participating in their rouse. The know they are in an upside down system and hate that we refuse to join them.

ND is the last bastion of what college football is supposed to be, and what it was for all of us until the last 5 or so seasons. The identity of the United States of America IS independence. Notre Dame is America’s team, we will be vindicated as time wears on. Truth is undefeated.

 

[IrishLax]

It's always hard to beat a team twice but TT is VERY good and BYU is just OK. On paper they should win comfortably.

 

[Bane]

Blown coverage. Bad teams do that.

And again, as seriously as LSU takes themselves and their football, I go back to the point above re: TT, why would those kids just lay down? Some of those kids have dreamed their entire lives to wear the yellow and white for LSU and they're gonna purposely lose a chance at capping their athletic careers with a ranked win on the road for Oklahoma? I just don't see it.

Even if you just say the coaches were in on it and put the team in a bad spot, why did they coach the rest of the game to win? I mean it wasn't 40-0, LSU led at one point in the second half. They just decided on the spot to throw the game for some potential playoff money?

 

[Bane]

Idk about big dogs but their defense needs to be flawless which is asking a lot for sixty minutes. Their offense simply isn't good.

Yeah that's the thing about being an unbalanced football team, at some point you find a team that can exploit your weaknesses. OU can't win in multiple ways, the game at Missouri and last night are the only way OU can win: turnovers and low scoring slugfests. The thing about ND is we can win anyway really. A straight up brawl, a shootout, etc.

 

[Kingbish01]

I'm in a group text hot debate about Bama right now and I'm the only one saying if UGA blows them out...they should be left out. So everyone on the planet besides me has Bama a lock??

 

[Irishdawg]

I'm in a group text hot debate about Bama right now and I'm the only one saying if UGA blows them out...they should be left out. So everyone on the planet besides me has Bama a lock??

King, you more than anyone should know that Bama always beats George in SEC championship game. 😉 I certainly think Georgia should win this one but not in a blowout.

 

[DCDomer]

This could be a factor at some point if the Ole Miss staff completely folds

 

[ab2cmiller]

This could be a factor at some point if the Ole Miss staff completely folds

If this is true, I’m assuming most would follow unless they are confident that they can get a similar job at a similar college of prominence.

 

[Rudy89]

I'm in a group text hot debate about Bama right now and I'm the only one saying if UGA blows them out...they should be left out. So everyone on the planet besides me has Bama a lock??

Bama should be left out with three loses one of them being a mediocre at best FSU team.

 

[thekid33]

Bama should be left out with three loses one of them being a mediocre at best FSU team.

They should. 100% agree. But, the committee didn't punish teams last year for losing in the conference championship games...