2025 College Football Playoffs

[IrishTusker]

Would the deal in question conference commissioners signed last year not have been brought to the member schools?

The MOU is completely meaningless; it's the equivalent of signing a contract promising to give you a sweater for Christmas "if I feel like giving you a sweater for Christmas." It's not worth fighting with ADs over that. Switch to a BCS-style computer system and rank teams based on merit. And/or expand to 16.

 

[Irish du Nord]

Would the deal in question conference commissioners signed last year not have been brought to the member schools?

Oh no is Iowa State gonna freeze us out

 

[notredomer23]

In all of sports media, Dan Wolken is the biggest chode of them all. O/U 0.5 ADs he actually spoke with? I'd take the under.

 

[Rudy89]

Is there any credible teams going to try and freeze us out or is it just mid level power 4 schools like Iowa State, TCU, Arkansas, etc?

 

[RDU Irish]

Ole Miss not dropping is egregious too. FSU jobbing was just two years ago.

Another example of SEC blinders -

- Ole Miss vs Kentucky was a one score game up until they made a FG with 1:10 to play. Kentucky just lost to Louisville by 40.

- Ole Miss gave up 526 yards of offense to Arkansas beating them 41-35 AT HOME two weeks before Notre Dame dismantled the hairy sows 56-13 at Arkansas.

- Miami jail sexed Florida 26-7 on September 20th - two weeks later Florida beat Texas. Never mentioned in their favor. Same with their win over common opponent FSU who controlled Alabama all the way to a 31-17 win even though they lost the turnover battle 1:0. Getting dog walked in the first game by a team that only won 2 ACC games doesn't count. Criminal to rank Bama ahead of ND OR Miami even before they got smoked by UGA.

What exactly is the case for SEC over ACC SoS again?!?

ACC may only have one bid in the CFP but they sure have a lot of fired SEC coaches linked to embarrassing ACC over SEC losses this season. Lose all you want in the SEC but don't go and embarrass us out of conference.

 

[ozzman]

Ole Miss not dropping is egregious too. FSU jobbing was just two years ago.

Another example of SEC blinders -

- Ole Miss vs Kentucky was a one score game up until they made a FG with 1:10 to play. Kentucky just lost to Louisville by 40.

- Ole Miss gave up 526 yards of offense to Arkansas beating them 41-35 AT HOME two weeks before Notre Dame dismantled the hairy sows 56-13 at Arkansas.

- Miami jail sexed Florida 26-7 on September 20th - two weeks later Florida beat Texas. Never mentioned in their favor. Same with their win over common opponent FSU who controlled Alabama all the way to a 31-17 win even though they lost the turnover battle 1:0. Getting dog walked in the first game by a team that only won 2 ACC games doesn't count. Criminal to rank Bama ahead of ND OR Miami even before they got smoked by UGA.

What exactly is the case for SEC over ACC SoS again?!?

ACC may only have one bid in the CFP but they sure have a lot of fired SEC coaches linked to embarrassing ACC over SEC losses this season. Lose all you want in the SEC but don't go and embarrass us out of conference.

Don't forget how close ole miss - wazzou was, too. Such a joke

 

[Huntr]

I like Wolken bitching about ND getting preferential treatment like we didn't just watch what happened w/Bama.

That dude's a joke.

 

[RDU Irish]

Don't forget how close ole miss - wazzou was, too. Such a joke

Ole Miss doesn't suck but the only resume they have is 1-1 vs UGA/Oklahoma, next best win is probably Tulane. Should be punished for even scheduling Citadel and Georgia State. True record is 9-1 but the SEC dopes throw shade at ND's SoS? Gifted a first round re-host of Tulane is to prop up SEC playoff record.

Pete B should have been up on all the shows for a month ripping off the names of all he FCS schools on playoff team schedules and challenging the manhood of Arkansas the minute that hack was promoted to the chair position.

 

[Dale]

Oh no is Iowa State gonna freeze us out

“I’ll tell you this Dan, we are NEVER scheduling Notre Dame.”

- Oklahoma State AD

 

[irishff1014]

2026 Schedule we have 3 good teams on the schedule. Navy, Miami, and USC. No one else i would consider as good.

Does anyone remember how the schedule is picked for the ACC schedule? I plan on trying to find it and re-read. It but i don’t have the time right now.

 

[Irish du Nord]

Ole Miss doesn't suck but the only resume they have is 1-1 vs UGA/Oklahoma, next best win is probably Tulane. Should be punished for even scheduling Citadel and Georgia State. True record is 9-1 but the SEC dopes throw shade at ND's SoS? Gifted a first round re-host of Tulane is to prop up SEC playoff record.

Pete B should have been up on all the shows for a month ripping off the names of all he FCS schools on playoff team schedules and challenging the manhood of Arkansas the minute that hack was promoted to the chair position.

Citadel yes, but scheduling a Sun Belt team that beat Vandy last year isn't crazy imo. Yes they suck this year but GSU has been decent in recent seasons they just can't retain talent (G5 problem in general)

 

[DomeFieldAdvantage]

I feel like the outrage over the automatic bid for top 12 should be something we use. We should really be hammering the backroom dealing aspects of the committee and advocating for a more transparent system. We could easily say that we would give up our guarantee if we had more surety over the process during the season, hopefully meaning something like the old BCS where you know where you stand with most people and can more easily track week to week changes and their justifications.

I think that would be a worthy tradeoff because as it stands, the guarantee doesn't mean much because the backroom dealing aspects of the committee means they could very easily just put us at 13 if they don't want us in. And while it would be good to have the guarantee and a better system, we are taking such a PR hit right now that I think there are probably too many negatives with the guarantee deal that we might end up getting rid of it for nothing, so we might as well try to get something for it instead.

 

[thekid33]

Didn't we have a guaranteed spot in the first version (last year) as long as we were ranked in the Top 12? How is this really any different?

 

[FWIrish4]

Didn't we have a guaranteed spot in the first version (last year) as long as we were ranked in the Top 12? How is this really any different?

We had this rule when the BCS was in place. The CFP and Conferences signed the MOU. Like what are people complaining about?

 

[ab2cmiller]

We had this rule when the BCS was in place. The CFP and Conferences signed the MOU. Like what are people complaining about?

That ND gets a special rule. They complained back then and they will complain now.

 

[tecateparty]

The rankings are dumb and fake so the MOU doesn't really mean a thing when the committee can drop out us out as they see fit.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

That ND gets a special rule. They complained back then and they will complain now.

Right. It's stuff like this that people point to when they claim "ND gets special treatments. They get to have their cake and eat it too." Of course this isn't true and it's more nuanced that that, but it doesn't matter. Propaganda and gaslighting commences. Blind sheep continue to pound the table for their hatred of all things ND. Rinse. Repeat.

 

[KMac151993]

I never understand all the talk - does ND get to "play" by special rules and have all its cake...sure...are they also not a HUGE brand that brings in $$$ and at least currently are playing elite football...yes...do you not want the best teams playing from not only a $$$ but a competitive point of view?

 

[NDQuebec]

I'm not sure this question was asked to the committee: Why is the CFP the only one to leave ND out when all the other polls have them in?

NCAA College Football Coaches Poll | USA Today Sports

The US LBM Football Coaches Poll, published by USA TODAY Sports, is conducted weekly throughout the NCAA college football season. See the latest Top 25 rankings from the game’s best head coaches.

sportsdata.usatoday.com

AP Top 25 poll: Indiana makes history at No. 1 ahead of CFP bracket reveal

AP voters spoke after conference championship weekend across college football

www.cbssports.com

Here's how the final CFP bracket compares to simulated BCS rankings

How would a College Football Playoff bracket based on a simulated BCS ranking system compare to what's in place today?

www.saturdaydownsouth.com

Has anyone seen anything about it being asked to the committe?

 

[IrishTusker]

I'm not sure this question was asked to the committee: Why is the CFP the only one to leave ND out when all the other polls have them in?

$$$$$$$$

 

[jprue24]

Well, would you look at this... from two years ago...

"Last week, the nine FBS commissioners and Notre Dame agreed the playoff will include at least 12 teams in 2026 and beyond. The CFP has complete authority to determine the format.

While multiple sources have told ESPN the CFP is leaning toward a 14-team field, the number of teams and how they will qualify for the CFP hasn't been determined beyond the next two seasons. There are protections in place for the ACC, Big Ten, SEC and Big 12 conference champions, Notre Dame and the highest-ranked Group of 5 champion in the new contract."

Before agreeing to the media rights deal with ESPN, the nine FBS commissioners and Notre Dame leadership had to first agree to sign a memorandum of understanding last week that outlined in broad terms what the next contract would look like. They agreed to move forward with a new revenue distribution plan that will codify the further financial separation of the expanded Big Ten and SEC from everyone else in college athletics.

College Football Playoff, ESPN agree to deal through 2031-32

ESPN remains the sole media rights holder for the expanded College Football Playoff under a new six-year, $7.8 billion deal that runs through the 2031-32 season.

www.espn.com

Edit - Missed Dale had already posted

Conferences, Notre Dame agree to new playoff deal

An agreement has been reached on a new contract for the College Football Playoff. The new deal begins in 2026, with a 14-team playoff still a possibility.

www.espn.com

- The memorandum of understanding guarantees that the field will have at least 12 teams in 2026 and beyond

- The commissioners and Notre Dame agreed that the conference champions from the ACC, Big Ten, SEC and Big 12 and the highest-ranked Group of 5 champion would earn playoff berths, and Notre Dame will have protections that will survive regardless of the ultimate format. With those ironclad guarantees, the other commissioners and Notre Dame leadership surrendered the bulk of the control over the format to the SEC and Big Ten as "part of the give-and-take," according to a source.

- The financial distribution for the expected 14-team playoff will look radically different. On an annual basis, for example, Big Ten and SEC schools will each be making more than $21 million, up from the nearly $5.5 million that schools in Power 5 conferences are currently being paid. In the ACC, the schools will get more than $13 million annually, and Big 12 schools will get more than $12 million each. Notre Dame is expected to get more than $12 million as well, and sources told ESPN there will be a financial incentive for any independent team that reaches the CFP.

- The vast disparity in revenue between the top and bottom has already elicited discontent and pushback from schools outside the Big Ten and SEC. To help alleviate some of those concerns, sources said a "look-in" clause for 2028 has been added to give the commissioners and Notre Dame leadership a chance to reevaluate the contractual agreements based on how every league has performed to that point. There's also a clause that permits that timeline to be accelerated if there is "material realignment" again.

 

[burmafrd1944]

and NO one is talking about the clear preferential treatment Alabama got....

 

[sfk324]

2026 Schedule we have 3 good teams on the schedule. Navy, Miami, and USC. No one else i would consider as good.

Does anyone remember how the schedule is picked for the ACC schedule? I plan on trying to find it and re-read. It but i don’t have the time right now.

The issue with schedule prediction at this point is nobody knows what the transfer portal is going to do to anyone's rosters. There don't appear to be any true Tier 1 games on the schedule (which I am defining as good chance of being a Top 10 team over the course of the season). But there are a few teams with a reasonable chance to be better than last year.

SMU has been a good (not great) team the past two years and would have been in the ACC CG if they hadn't blown their last game against Cal (an outcome that screwed us just as much as the Duke-UVA outcome). I would put them in whatever category you have Navy in, especially since nobody gives ND any credit for beating Navy.

MSU is losing their best player, but they have a new coach that is generally well respected, so maybe they put together a solid but not spectacular team as opposed to the dumpster fires they've had the past few years. Syracuse was looking like a good (not great) team until Angeli went down, if he comes back healthy, that's not a bad road game.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a great schedule and like I said, there are no true Tier 1 games on it. The ACC being dogshit is a substantial anchor around the SOS. It would be cool if they spent half as much time and energy on improving their product as they did shitting on us for the past 3+ weeks. But I'm not holding my breath.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

2026 Schedule we have 3 good teams on the schedule. Navy, Miami, and USC. No one else i would consider as good.

Does anyone remember how the schedule is picked for the ACC schedule? I plan on trying to find it and re-read. It but i don’t have the time right now.

”on paper” which is the same qualifier that ESPN & the CFP use to prop up the SEC in the NIL era (sorry SEC homers, this is no longer the BCS era…take your own medicine & quit living in the past).

No one can predict 100% which teams on any given schedule will be good, bad or average until they play some games. Remember we thought Arkansas & Pitt would be tough road games before the season? South Carolina was pre-season ranked yet finished 4-8. You just never know. Definitely doesn’t look like a gauntlet & ESPN will definitely ridicule it before one game is played but we’re used to that.

 

[Bane]

”on paper” which is the same qualifier that ESPN & the CFP use to prop up the SEC in the NIL era (sorry SEC homers, this is no longer the BCS era…take your own medicine & quit living in the past).

No one can predict 100% which teams on any given schedule will be good, bad or average until they play some games. Remember we thought Arkansas & Pitt would be tough road games before the season? South Carolina was pre-season ranked yet finished 4-8. You just never know. Definitely doesn’t look like a gauntlet & ESPN will definitely ridicule it before one game is played but we’re used to that.

And no matter what a team is or looks like before ND plays them, after we win by multiple scores ESPN is sure to report that they were never that good to begin with.

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

No, Notre Dame Doesn't Owe College Football a Bowl Game

Notre Dame's decision to skip bowl games raises questions about college football's playoff integrity.

townhall.com

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

Does anyone know of a single ranking system which had both Miami and Bama ahead of ND? Honestly question, I dont know of one other the CFP rankings.

 

[IrishLax]

Is there any credible teams going to try and freeze us out or is it just mid level power 4 schools like Iowa State, TCU, Arkansas, etc?

There is no evidence at all, but a lot of SEC teams are trying to re-jigger their OOC scheduling with the conference moving to 9 games (finally) so that is something to watch.

The other schools ND is scheduling with are regional Big Ten schools and the required ACC so the idea that you could "freeze" ND is retarded. The ACC is definitely trying to play hard ball now that it is clear that ND wants out of the conference and if they don't have leverage the whole thing might go up in flames.

 

[irishff1014]

”on paper” which is the same qualifier that ESPN & the CFP use to prop up the SEC in the NIL era (sorry SEC homers, this is no longer the BCS era…take your own medicine & quit living in the past).

No one can predict 100% which teams on any given schedule will be good, bad or average until they play some games. Remember we thought Arkansas & Pitt would be tough road games before the season? South Carolina was pre-season ranked yet finished 4-8. You just never know. Definitely doesn’t look like a gauntlet & ESPN will definitely ridicule it before one game is played but we’re used to that.

I agree with you 100%. You have to take the SOS with a grain of salt.

If recall the acc schedules our teams not ND picking who the want to play.

 

[FWIrish4]

Does anyone know of a single ranking system which had both Miami and Bama ahead of ND? Honestly question, I dont know of one other the CFP rankings.

LITERALLY NONE