2025-2026: MIAMI HURRICANES: Miami will be the first team to play a national championship game (that goes back to 1998) at their home field. As you will see, we've had schools play virtual home games in the College Football Playoff national championship and the BCS title game. If we go back to 1980, there have been times a team who won a national championship played in a title game where one of the teams in that bowl were at home. All those instances were the Miami Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl.
2017-2018: GEORGIA BULLDOGS*: This is technically is a stretch because this game was in Atlanta and not in Athens, Georgia. So going further, I will add an asterisk on these kinds of games. It should be noted that Georgia lost this game to Alabama in one of the wildest games we've seen. This was the game Nick Saban benched Jalen Hurts at halftime and brought in Tua Tagovailoa who led the Tide to a win in overtime.
2019-2020: LSU TIGERS*: The Tigers were elite all season and dominated Clemson in New Orleans. Again, this wasn't technically a home game but New Orleans is pretty much an LSU town.
2011-2012: LSU TIGERS*: LSU is back in New Orleans, but this time they lost to Alabama, 21-0.
2007-2008 LSU TIGERS*: Again, LSU. New Orleans. This one was a win by Les Miles and the Tigers over Ohio State, 38-24.
2005-2006: USC TROJANS*: Now, this wasn't played at USC's Los Angeles Coliseum but their rival UCLA's Rose Bowl. Still, we're in the Los Angeles area. But it was Texas and Vince Young winning one of the greatest title games we've ever witnessed.
2003-2004: LSU TIGERS*: The Tigers beat Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl to bring Nick Saban his first national championship.
1994-1995: MIAMI HURRICANES: Now, this was before the BCS or College Football Playoff where we didn't have an actual national championship game. The polls were taken after the bowls to determine the national champion. This year had No. 1 Nebraska vs No. 3 Miami in Miami's Orange Bowl. The Huskers would win the game, 24-17, for a national championship.
1990-1991: MIAMI HURRICANES: The Canes would win this one over No. 11 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl for Dennis Erickson his second national championship.
1987-1988: MIAMI HURRICANES: No. 2 Miami slipped by No. 1 Oklahoma, 20-14, to win the national championship in Miami's Orange Bowl.
1983-1984: MIAMI HURRICANES: No. 5 Miami stuffed No. 1 Nebraska's two point conversion to beat the Huskers in the Orange Bowl. With other stuff that happened earlier in the day, the Canes climbed all the way up in the bowls to win the program's first national championship.
Friday, January 9, 2026
Miami Gets To Play a National Championship Game at Home -- Has That Happened Before Since 1980?
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Sportz NFL Uniforms Wishes
With the NFL now allowing for an array of uniform styles during the season, I'd like to take the chance to just pick what I would like every team to use as their primary uniforms. This is nothing more than just a dream post that needs no arguments. I'm not saying to not have alternative or throwback uniforms, but my picks are what I'd like as their normal unis. Just a preference. Let's go.
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys: Well, this is easy. Their long time uniforms don't need any changes. It is akin to the Yankees' pinstripes or the Canadiens sweaters.
New York Giants: The Giants have had their uniforms in place for a long time, with the only change being their helmets. I grew up with the entire GIANTS name on the helmet, which I really like. But I think the NY logo should be the one that stays.
Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles kelly green uniforms really pop. Like the Giants, that's the era of Eagles I grew up with. But also like the Giants, I think their current look is the one to go for. They've had this look for a long, long time and they've won two Super Bowls with it. The kelly greens are an outstanding alternative.
Washington Commanders: This one is a bit complicated because of the name change a few years ago. Having said that, merging the old uniforms with the new logo/name seems to be the popular look. It looks better than the ones they designed, and since I'm not using this exercise to create new unis, the helmet is the way to go.
NFC SOUTH
Atlanta Falcons: There are a lot of options. There are the red jerseys and helmets of the 80s, the all-black of the 1990s and a lot of combinations in between. But I'm going to land on the ones Julio Jones is wearing here. It has the nice mix of both the red and black.
Carolina Panthers: The Panthers have had pretty much the same look for their entire existence, with the exception of a tweak to their logo some years back. That look is great and should never be changed.
New Orleans Saints: The Saints uniforms ... for the most part ... have been the same for a long, long time. Let's stick to what works.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I know people really love the orange creamcicle uniforms, but I only like them as a throwback. Those uniforms are from a time where the Bucs were a laughingstock organization and doesn't represent the success they've had with the pewter look. Now, there have been adjustments to the pewter helmets and uniforms (ugh, those clock radio number fonts). I like the early 2000s look where the flag on the helmet wasn't as large and the pants were pewter.
NFC NORTH
Chicago Bears: The Bears classic look stays.
Detroit Lions: While there have been slight changes to the uniforms, the Honolulu blue and the meaness of the logo, the style has been pretty consistent. I like the uniforms they had before the more recent change. Let's land there.
Green Bay Packers: This is easy. Next.
Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are one of the teams that had a certain look, then ruined it by tampering too much, only to modernize the basic look. Their current look is very appropriate.
NFC WEST
Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals are at their best with the classic look. I do like the meaner cardinal on the helmet, but their uniform choices are really clean. The all-white look is awesome. I'm not a fan of the color rush look, but the Cardinals' all-reds are doable. For this exercise, I'm picking the red jerseys with the white pants, but I can go with all white or all red as well. It gives the classic look for one of the oldest franchises in the NFL while looking modern for a team in a sleek dome in the desert.
Los Angeles Rams: The Rams have had wild changes over time. The era I grew up with was the blue helmets with the simple yellow rams horns with yellow pants. The blue jerseys also had the yellow horns on the shoulders. When they moved to St Louis, the yellow turned to a dark gold look. That color should only live in Missouri. Once upon a time, the rams horns were white and they brought that back to LA for a bit. The current look is a modernization of that mixed with off white jerseys. I'm going to live in the now ... as much as I want that Eric Dickerson look ... I'll go with what they look like now. Not so much the off-white but the modernization of the classic look works well with their indoor digs in LA.
San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers look has actually had quite a bit of changes over the last four decades. I like that the Niners have gone back to modernize the era most people connect them with. Updating the Joe Montana look is the way to go. I like the gold pants instead of the white uniforms. I don't like the black additions to the logo or helmets, so keeping it old school is the way to go.
Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks current look is great and lends itself to a lot of opportunities for alternates. Their throwbacks are nice as well. But their current look is fantastic.
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills: Yeah, I want the 1990s Bills look back. The red helmets with the white masks. The blue jerseys. Give me that over the white helmets.
Miami Dolphins: This one is tough. I do like the modern version of the Dolphins uniforms. The bright jerseys with the sleek dolphin. I am a fan. But when I see those throwback uniforms out there, I just really like them. The old school dolphin with the M helmet is great while the orange accents really look cool.
New England Patriots: Many think the Patriots uniforms come down the Pat the Patriot versus Elvis the Patriot. Helmet wise ... yeah. But the Elvis helmet had those busy uniforms in the 90s and even the Tom Brady era uniforms had some changes. But the main one people think of should be the ones we go with. I do like the updated look of the uniforms now ... but let's go back to greatness.
New York Jets: I don't think any Jets uniforms are very good. I'll start off by saying I didn't like the white helmet look they had in the 1960s and then brought back in the 2000s. I kinda think the uniforms they are doing now are okay enough. Just don't gloss up the helmets.
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans: I would really like the Texans to be able to get back the Oilers branding and change either to the Oilers ... or keep the Texans name and just use the Oilers look (it works). But I'm not doing hypotheticals here, so lets' keep the Texans uniforms the same.
Indianapolis Colts: Keep it simple.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars have been all over the place with their uniforms. Their original look got axed before they even got started. The weird color change helmets were a miss. Their current ones aren't bad at all ... but when they wear those throwbacks from the Mark Brunell era ... it looks classy. It looks great. I looks like the winner to me.
Tennessee Titans: Obviously the Titans are tied with the Oilers, but I really feel they should give that history back to Houston. That's for another discussion, but having said that I am taking the Oilers option off the table. The Titans uniforms break down to the white helmet era to the current blue helmet look. Give me the McNair look.
AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens: The look the Ravens have used for a long time is just fine.
Cincinnati Bengals: A long time ago, I told a friend of mine that the Bengals need to go back to those 1980s uniforms with a bit of modern sprucing. That was when they were wearing those candy corn uniforms. Magically, they did exactly that when the Joe Burrow era hit. So that's where I'm going with the uniforms. Sometime the right look was there all the time.
Cleveland Browns: The Browns should take note. They've done several changed to their uniforms and they all, frankly, suck. The Browns have a classic look that works just fine and shouldn't deviate from it. No big "Cleveland Browns" workmark or weird bars on the unis.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The classic look you know continues to work.
AFC WEST
Denver Broncos: I usually like to stick with your championship look. But with the Broncos, I absolutely love the orange crush jerseys with the blue helmet and the D logo on them. It's so great.
Kansas City Chiefs: Chiefs have known they've got it right.
Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders have a uniform that should never, ever be changed.
Los Angeles Chargers: Like the Buccaneers orange unis, I am against the grain on the Chargers powder blue uniforms. I enjoy them as a throwback than their primary jersey. Sure, I am absolutely fine with the look and it goes well with SoFi Stadium. But I really liked the navy blue helmets and uniforms of the 1990s. The Chargers have that integrated in a modern look, but I kinda like it the old school way with just a little updated look.
NFL's Head Coaching Carousel Moves Along
Putting the humanity of coaches losing their jobs and livelihood aside, there are few non-competition events in sports that bring the energy of coaching changes. Typically fans have an anger towards a coach or a regime that they demand change, so if it happens it opens up a world of hope of what could happen next (it also can continue the dread when coaches are retained). Let's look at what has happened and what this all means.
JOBS THAT ARE OPEN
NEW YORK GIANTS: The Giants fired Brian Daboll mid-season so they've already been looking at their next move. The Giants are an attractive option for the top candidates. The New York market, they seemingly have their quarterback in place, they have some other young talent on both sides of the ball, and they have a very high draft pick. They also have a GM that acquired a lot of that talent via the draft, but is unpopular due to the Giants poor records recently.
TENNESSEE TITANS: The other team to fire their head coach mid-season, the Titans are a nice option as well. Cam Ward had an okay rookie season, so there is a QB in place. They are also heading into the final year at Nissan Stadium before moving into their new domed stadium in 2027. This is a fixer-upper with potential. The problem? It has what I call a "red flag ownership" that blew it by firing Mike Vrabel and hired Brian Callahan.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: This, to me, is a mess. The Raiders also have "red flag ownership" who has cycled through coaches way too much. Since Jon Gruden's first term with the Raiders, they have had Bill Callahan (two seasons), Norv Turner (two), Art Shell (one), Lane Kiffin (one-plus), Tom Cable (two-plus), Hue Jackson (one), Dennis Allen (two-plus), Tony Sparano (12 games), Jack Del Rio (three), Jon Gruden (three-plus), Rich Bisaccia (12 games), Josh McDaniels (one-plus), Antonio Pierce (one-plus), and Pete Carroll (one). They have no quarterback ... except for the GOAT who is apparently running things in Vegas, Tom Brady. There is a ton of cap space and a couple nice players, but the cupboard is pretty bare. Oh, and you play in a division with the Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs.
ARIZONA CARDINALS: Another "red-flag" owner who will be having their fifth head coach in ten years. Like Vegas, there is some pieces, but they lack a quarterback. It seems that the Kyler Murray era in Arizona is over and that the Cardinals will be looking for a new signal caller. They also play in a division with the Seahawks, Niners and Rams. Good luck.
CLEVELAND BROWNS: I'm not saying "red-flag" owner, but "red-flag organization". The Browns are the standard for a bad franchise in the NFL. They've barely had any success since the 1980s, they have made the worst player acquisition in NFL history (DeShaun Watson) that is still haunting the salary cap, and they have wasted the careers of two of the best players at their position over the last few decades (Joe Thomas, Myles Garrett). Despite drafting two quarterbacks last year, there is no solid solution at the position. The good part is that the fan base is outstanding and if you can get this thing finally going then you are a legend. The Browns defense is also one of the elite units in the league and the division is in a bit of turmoil. You just got to solve the puzzle that is winning in Cleveland.
ATLANTA FALCONS: We've talked about ownership, and of all the openings Arthur Blank may be the most out front owner of any of the franchises with openings. Atlanta was tied for the division championship this past season (okay, they were 8-9) and there is some really, really talented players already on this roster. But the quarterback situation is weird. The 2024 signing of Kirk Cousins, then drafting Michael Penix, has been a stress on the organization. Cousins played better than Penix this season (the opposite was true in 2024), but Cousins is nearing the end of his career while Penix has a history of injuries. Not to mention that while Penix is entering just his third season, he will be 26 years old when the season kicks off. There will be a new CEO and GM as well as a head coach, so this will be a clean slate in the organizational structure. You are also in a division where no team had a winning record so it is wide open.
BALTIMORE RAVENS: This one is a bit complex. Let me start that I'm not a fan of firing John Harbaugh. I understand that they haven't met the ultimate expectations and that sometimes a guy is there too long. I don't buy into the second part here. Since Harbaugh took over, the Ravens have had the fourth best record in the NFL over that span. Before this season (one where their two-time MVP has been injured), the Ravens were 25-9 the previous two years. So if you take this job, you are required to not only get this team back into the playoffs but to a Super Bowl. That's the expectation. This isn't a rebuild but a job that needs a closer. All that while Lamar Jackson has contract issues coming up, some aging pieces to sort through, and uneven performances this past season. They've also had some epically big mistakes in losses in elimination games in each of the last four seasons.
MIAMI DOLPHINS: This has been a strange trip. I like Mike McDaniel but his tenure in Miami is problematic. The entire Tua Tagovailoa concussion issues. The inability to win any cold weather game. The wild swings during a season. And with Harbaugh on the market, this is a perfect candidate for an upgrade. There is talent on the team, and it seems the Tagovailoa experiment is done. So there will be a new GM, head coach and quarterback. Note that there are quite a few teams that need an answer at quarterback (Dolphins, Jets, Colts, Browns, Steelers, Raiders, Cardinals) and not many options to fill those spots.
JOBS THAT COULD BE OPEN: There isn't a deadline to fire your coach, so it isn't locked in that these seven openings are all that we'll have. With John Harbaugh now a coaching candidate, a team could look to upgrade their situation by hiring Harbaugh and firing the guy they currently have.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS: While the Steelers beat the Ravens and earned the AFC North title and a playoff berth, fans have been demanding postseason relevance. The Steelers just can't win in the playoffs. If Mike Tomlin's team loses ... at home ... to the Houston Texans then they cries will be much louder about his future. With Harbaugh already cut loose in Baltimore, I could see the Steelers follow suit.
NEW YORK JETS: While I don't get the Ravens firing Harbaugh, I don't understand how the Jets haven't fired Aaron Glenn. Normally I am not a guy that believes a guy should be fired after just one season, if there was anyone this side of Urban Meyer that would change my mind it would be what Glenn and the Jets did in 2025. They were bad enough to earn the No. 2 overall pick. They weren't competitive over the last month or two of the season (they were outscored 188-54 in their final five games). They went an entire season without an interception. Glenn was a former DB and this team became the first team to not record a pick!?!?! They have no quarterback, they'll likely lose their running back, and their best players are looking to jump off a sinking ship. If you draft a quarterback with that 2nd pick, why would you tie him to what could be a lame-ducked Glenn?
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Shane Steichen keeps his job, but that could change if the Colts think they can bring Harbaugh in. Aside from that (or if Tomlin comes available), I do think he stays.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: It just doesn't seem like Todd Bowles is as safe as he should be. The Bucs finally didn't win the NFC South and now his job is in jeopardy? Ridiculous. However, the Harbaugh firing in Baltimore changes things. I can see them dumping Bowles if they think they could lock in Harbaugh.
BUFFALO BILLS: There is a crossroads for the Bills this postseason that this may be the worse roster that Josh Allen has pulled into the playoffs, while also may be the best chance for the Bills to break through and finally get to a Super Bowl. No Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow to deal with and the top three seeds are young teams with young QBs who haven't been in this kind of pressure before. If the Bills are one-and-done, is Sean McDermott out? Could this be a spot where Harbaugh lands? I mean, if you look at the 2026 season, the Patriots are going to keep getting stronger, Mahomes will miss a lot of the season with his Achilles recovery, the Ravens are pivoting with a new coach and this could be the season where the window is still open for the Bills to drive through. Would the Bills decide to try something else to maximize that opportunity?
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: Nick Sirianni has gone to two Super Bowls, winning one. They've done very well. But the narrative around the team is that they are doing this because of GM Howie Roseman and despite Sirianni. If the Eagles crash in the playoffs, would the Eagles consider moving on from him? Philly would eventually fire Doug Pederson despite what he did and it worked out. This is a cut-throat franchise that is willing to make tough personnel decisions to maximize their ability to win.
JOBS THAT A VERY SAFE, BUT FOR HOW LONG?
CINCINNATI BENGALS: Zac Taylor would likely be fired if he was anywhere else. Heck, it the AFC North alone, two franchises have already fired their head coaches while another has been discussed ad nauseum for over a year. But Taylor has an owner that doesn't like to pay people to not be there and one who is arguably the most patient in the league. Taylor has done more in his eight seasons than Marvin Lewis did in his ... and Lewis got to stay on for twice as along. The Bengals perpetually live in the "if we can get healthy and get some consistency, we'd be a great team" realm.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: Dan Quinn had one great season and one mess of a season. Going into year 3 there will be pressure to get Washington back to the magic they had in 2024. Can Quinn do that? Usually changing coordinators is the last act before a head coach is canned and Quinn is changing his OC and DC this offseason. Keeping Jayden Daniels healthy will be the top priority next season and fortifying the talent on the roster (especially on defense) is a must. If this looks more like 2025 than 2024, Quinn could be in trouble in 2026.
GREEN BAY PACKERS: I find it absolutely stupid that Matt LaFleur's job status is in question. Yet, it is.
ABSOLUTELY SAFE FOR A WHILE
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: Kellen Moore seems to have something in Tyler Shough. His job will be tied to him.
CAROLINA PANTHERS: Dave Canales got the Panthers into the playoffs.
DETROIT LIONS: Dan Campbell is far from perfect, but his culture works. He needs to control his risks a bit better while finding someone else to call plays in '26.
DALLAS COWBOYS: Brian Schottenheimer looked very capable this season.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Kevin O'Connell is so highly thought of. His task is to develop J.J. McCarthy.
HOUSTON TEXANS: DeMeco Ryans has this team rolling.
CHICAGO BEARS: Ben Johnson showed why he was the hottest name in the last few coaching cycles.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: Liam Coen can pronounce DUVALLLLL however he wants.
DENVER BRONCOS: Sean Payton was hired to turn around the franchise, and he has.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Mike Vrabel did exactly what the Patriots wanted done.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: Mike Macdonald has quietly been outstanding.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Kyle Shanahan might have done his finest coaching job in 2025.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: Jim Harbaugh isn't going anywhere.
LOS ANGELES RAMS: Sean McVay leaves when he says so.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: Andy Reid will leave when he wants.
Monday, December 22, 2025
Chiefs Moving To Kansas?
Today the organization agreed to move from Kansas City, Missouri to Kansas City, Kansas to build their new stadium. The Sunflower State has made the necessary legislative and financial arrangements to lure the Chiefs from the city they've called home since 1963 and their stadium since 1972.
While their current stadium, Arrowhead Stadium, is one of the best known home fields in the NFL, it is aging. The wear and tear is noticable, suites are difficult to add, and the location doesn't lend itself to further development. It still is one of the more legendary homes in the league, alongside Lambeau Field in Green Bay and Soldier Field in Chicago. But like Soldier Field, Arrowhead is nearing its end as a viable home for an NFL franchise.
Speaking of the Bears, there are also rumors that they could be making a similar move. After various options have been bandied about, a move across the line to Gary, Indiana has become the latest twist.
The Chiefs will join the Washington Commanders, New York Jets and New York Giants as teams who don't play in the state/district they are named after. The Commanders will move into a new stadium in Washington, DC around the end of the decade. The Jets and Giants share a stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. These are the lone teams among the four major American sports leagues that don't play in their "home state".
Week 18 Flex Options Heading Into Week 17
With two weeks left, let's see what could be the game that gets flexed into the final game of the season -- the Sunday Night Football game.NO WAY AT ALL
Let's go ahead and move these games to the side:
Saints at Falcons
Browns at Bengals
Chiefs at Raiders
Cowboys at Giants
Commanders at Eagles
Of these teams, only the Eagles are the only team making the playoffs and they already have the NFC East wrapped up. Everyone else is waiting for the draft.
SLIM CHANCE, IF AT ALL
Jets at Bills
Cardinals at Rams
Dolphins at Patriots
Titans at Jaguars
These four games need quite a bit of things to happen for them to have the kind of importance to make it a stand alone game. Bills, Rams, Patriots and Jaguars likely will have playoff spots wrapped up. It will be a matter of seed, and even then will rely on a game played elsewhere to make it interesting. So let's ditch this bunch.
MMMMMMAYBE
Packers at Vikings
Colts at Texans
The Packers and Texans may need this game to get into the playoffs, and the Colts could find a way to make that game with Houston a very meaningful one. Packers are almost a lock to get in and the Colts barely are holding on to a chance. By the time we get to Week 18, Green Bay is in while Indy is out. Let's move on.
HERE ARE THE REAL CONTENDERS
Lions at Bears: Right now, the Lions need a miracle to get in while the Bears could have the NFC North wrapped up. There is a chance Chicago is fighting for a top overall seed in the NFC. Still, that's not really an interesting reason to have this game last.
Seahawks at Niners: When you include the Rams, the NFC West is a fascinating race. Seattle currently has the top seed in the NFC as they head to Charlotte to face the Panthers. The Niners have some work to do if they want to win the NFC West, but they've already clinched a spot in the postseason. If a lot of things break a certain way, this could be a huge game.
Chargers at Broncos: Denver has already clinched a playoff spot and have a one game lead over the Chargers in the AFC West race. By the time we get here, Denver may have the top seed wrapped up and could sit their starters. The Chargers likely would have a spot clinched as well, so this would be more about seeding. Still, if both win or lose next week then this could be a game similar to the Lions-Vikings affair from last season. LA owns the tiebreaker right now, so as long as there is a one-game or less lead in the standings, this will be a big game.
Ravens at Steelers: Sunday's results made this less likely to be an option. Pittsburgh went into Detroit and stunned the Lions while Baltimore blew a late lead to lose to New England. Right now the Steelers have a two game lead in the standings with two games remaining. The Steelers head to Cleveland to take on the rival Browns while the Ravens head to Green Bay to play a Packers team who have suffered two straight tough losses. If the Ravens win and the Steelers lose than their Week 18 showdown will be for the AFC North and it would bump the NFC South title out from the top spot.
Panthers at Buccaneers: Carolina's win over Tampa this past week gives them a one game lead in the NFC South. Carolina has Seattle this week while Tampa Bay goes to the slumping Dolphins. It is extremely likely that this Week 18 showdown will be for the NFC South title and a trip to the playoffs. The only way it wouldn't is if the Panthers beat the Seahawks and the Buccaneers lose to the Dolphins. I doubt both will happen, so this is in the lead for the final game.
Shut Up About Tulane and James Madison Getting Blown Out
Leading up to the first round of the College Football Playoff was people upset that Tulane and James Madison earning spots while schools like Notre Dame and Texas (among others) did not. Tulane and James Madison fed into the narrative by both getting blown out in their playoff games, and even had ESPN/TNT broadcasters complain on air that Notre Dame should've been in instead.
Cry harder.
Let me go down my laundry list of what people need to shut up about all of this:
1. GROUP OF FIVE TEAMS DESERVE A PLACE. Let me just start off here. You cannot have this 12-team system without giving a G6 team a spot in it. The power conferences needed the G6 to sign off on this or there would be no 12-team playoff. That's part of the deal to make this happen. Please understand this. This isn't the NFL where a commissioner and a rules committee makes the rules. These are brokered deals between conference commissioners, and six of those commissioners are from non-power leagues.
Also understand that G6 leagues are a part of the FBS. They bring key scheduling opportunities for the P4. If you don't want them part of the playoff, then stop scheduling them and move on to a P4 only schedule. In the NFL, the NFC South champion will have a place in the playoffs despite that division being less powerful than the NFC North or NFC West.
2. NEXT YEAR'S RULES HAVE ALREADY CHANGED TO FIX SOME OF THIS. Next season, there are two major changes to how we pick the 12 playoff teams. One is that all four P4 champions will be guaranteed a playoff spot, meaning that only one G6 champ get the same guarantee. If that was implimented this season, ACC champion Duke would have be in while James Madison would have been out.
Next, Notre Dame is guaranteed a playoff spot if they are ranked in the top 12 in the final rankings. That means Notre Dame would have been in and Miami would have been out. Could you imagine the outrage if Notre Dame got in ahead of Miami despite the Hurricanes being ranked higher than the Irish and who had already beaten them on the field? Again, that doesn't totally fix your problem and may create a new one.
So the playoff would have looked like this:
1-Indiana vs 8-Oklahoma/9-Alabama
2-Ohio State vs 7-Texas A&M/10-Notre Dame
3-Georgia vs 6-Ole Miss/11-Tulane
4-Texas Tech vs 5-Oregon/12-Duke
So this new rule would have given us two of the same games (including one that was a blowout) and gives up Oregon-Duke which would be a blowout too. We'd also get Notre Dame instead of Miami, despite Miami beating A&M in the game we actually saw. So, is it really fixed? And is this fair to Miami?
3. BLOWOUTS AREN'T NEW TO THE PLAYOFF. So you hate blowouts? Well, having more P4 schools don't guarantee we get better games. Here are some previous blowouts in CFP games:
2014: Oregon 59-Florida State 20
2014: Ohio State 42-Oregon 20
2015: Alabama 38-Michigan State 0
2016: Clemson 31-Ohio State 0
2018: Clemson 30-Notre Dame 3
2018: Clemson 44-Alabama 16
2019: LSU 63-Oklahoma 28
2020: Ohio State 49-Clemson 28
2020: Alabama 52-Ohio State 24
2021: Alabama 27-Cincinnati 6
2021: Georgia 34-Michigan 11
2022: Georgia 65-TCU 7
2023: Michigan 34-Washington 13
2024: Penn State 38-SMU 10
2024: Ohio State 42-Tennessee 17
All of those games were decided by 21 or more points. A few of those were national championship games. And look at those names on the losing side! Florida State. Notre Dame. Ohio State. Alabama. Oklahoma. Clemson. Michigan. These are traditional powers getting slaughtered.
4. EXPANSION MOVES THE PROBLEM. So now people are bitching about expansion. Having 16 teams doesn't make this go away -- it just moves the needle. Just go check out the NCAA Tournament. There are 68 teams in every year and people still whine about "the bubble" and who got in over who got out. Seth Greenberg has made an entire career about his Virginia Tech getting "snubbed".
This year, Notre Dame got "snubbed" so the cries are really loud. If it was ... say ... Utah, would it be as loud of a problem?
Well, that's what would have happened if this was a 16-team playoff. We would have 11-Notre Dame, 12-BYU, 13-Texas and 14-Vanderbilt included in the playoff. The "snubs" and cries would now come from 15-Utah and 16-USC. So the Utes would be the ones crying about getting excluded while two G6 teams get in. Would you care as much? Probably not. You've probable haven't watched one Utah game all season nor miss them being in. Maybe you dismiss this as "well, Utah isn't good enough to actually win the whole thing like Notre Dame can" ... but then why bother expanding the playoff to teams who can't win it? I mean, do you think Vanderbilt can actually win the national championship? So adding four teams just to appease Notre Dame in 2025 is your solution?
Which brings me to ...
5. WHY DO YOU THINK NOTRE DAME GOT SNUBBED? Let's look at Notre Dame's resume. Sure, they are 10-2. Yes, they've won 10 straight games. And, okay, they are ranked No. 11. Yet they didn't earn a spot ... so they aren't in.
Notre Dame lost to Miami on the field. So Miami was ranked higher. Notre Dame's best win a home win over No. 16 USC. They beat no other team ranked in the final rankings. None.
In fact, Notre Dame's wins aren't that impressive. Among the games they played against P4 schools, they beat the last place team in the SEC (Arkansas), the last place team in the Big Ten (Purdue) and the two last place teams in the ACC (Syracuse, Boston College). So they feasted on the worst P4 had to offer and beat just one ranked team. The only P4 teams that Notre Dame beat who had a winning record was USC, NC State and Pitt. That is who you are whining about being snubbed? That's why you want to blow up this whole thing? Again, if Utah walked in here with that argument, you wouldn't care one bit.
6. FIXING TIEBREAKERS WOULD HELP MORE. A little bit why we got here was the ACC's tie-breaking procedures gave us Virginia-Duke for their conference championship game instead of Virginia-Miami. With the ACC at 17 football members, a lot of their head-to-head tiebreakers didn't work so it rolled down to an arbitrary tiebreaker of what their ACC opponents combined records were.
That's a poor way to truly determine who the best teams in the league are, and that showed here. This isn't just an ACC decision -- all P4 leagues have similar tie-breaker procedures. In fact, the SEC had it's fourth highest ranked team play in their championship game, but because Alabama's name holds weight and a playoff-worthy ranking, no one really cared. Yet Ole Miss and Texas A&M were deemed better teams according to the CFP committee.
If the P4 leagues -- and especially the ACC -- amend their tiebreakers to have highest ranked CFP teams before any combined record nonsense, then we get a bit of a fix. We would have had Virginia-Miami and the winner of that game would have earned an automatic bid under the 2025 rules. If it was Miami, then they would have taken JMU's auto-bid and Notre Dame would have been in. If it was Virginia, they would have taken JMU's auto-bid and Miami likely drops below Notre Dame in the rankings and the Irish get it.
This honestly is a development that makes sense and likely to happen. The ACC would surely look at doing this just to not have 8-5 Duke as their conference champion, and even the SEC would have benefitted from this. There was some sweating about where Alabama would be ranked after they were blown out by Georgia in the SEC title game. But if Ole Miss (the highest ranked team among the tied bunch) lost that same game, there would be little worry that they'd fall five or more spots and out of the rankings.
Expect all of the P4 leagues to make this change.
7. UNDERSTAND THIS HAPPENS IN ALL SPORTS. One of the important things to learn about life ... and sports ... is that it isn't always fair. College football is by far the most flawed of them all and has been for decades. I'm absolutely sure our list of national champions would look different had we had a playoff instead of the bowl system, the Alliance, or BCS. I mean, Ohio State was an 8-seed last year and won the first 12-team playoff, so you can't tell me that our list of champs wouldn't be vastly different had we had this format for 100 years.
We already know that the best team doesn't win all of the time. We certainly know that in college basketball. We also have Super Bowl champions that get hot at the right time and make a run.
As of right now, the Detroit Lions will likely miss the NFL playoffs while the Carolina Panthers could get in. We've had teams who missed the playoffs have better records than ones who did. The NBA has lessened the importance of divisions so we rarely get any issues. MLB has expanded the wildcard teams to fix this. None of them ... including the NCAA tournament ... uses rankings to determine who is in their playoff and what the bracket looks like. Only college football does this.
College football is a great sport, but it has a ton of problems that it isn't really willing to figure out. Until they do ... and make massive changes ... we won't get to a place where we have a great system. So enjoy what we have.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
NFL Week 18 Flex Options
With three weeks left, let's see what could be the game that gets flexed into the final game of the season -- the Sunday Night Football game.
NO WAY AT ALL
Let's go ahead and move these games to the side:
Saints at Falcons
Browns at Bengals
Chiefs at Raiders
Cowboys at Giants
Commanders at Eagles
Of these teams, only the Eagles have a real chance at making the playoffs and by this time they will already have the NFC East wrapped up. Everyone else is waiting for the draft.
SLIM CHANCE, IF AT ALL
Jets at Bills
Cardinals at Rams
Dolphins at Patriots
Titans at Jaguars
These four games need quite a bit of things to happen for them to have the kind of importance to make it a stand alone game. Bills, Rams, Patriots and Jaguars likely will have playoff spots wrapped up. It will be a matter of seed, and even then will rely on a game played elsewhere to make it interesting. So let's ditch this bunch.
MMMMMMAYBE
Packers at Vikings
Colts at Texans
The Packers and Texans may need this game to get into the playoffs, and the Colts could find a way to make that game with Houston a very meaningful one. Neither probably will be worthy of the SNF spot, but there is a world where both could.
HERE ARE THE REAL CONTENDERS
Lions at Bears: Right now, the Bears lead the NFC North while the Lions are right at the cut line. There will be a lot of things that need to happen to make this the most important game of the week.
Chargers at Broncos: Denver has already clinched a playoff spot and have a two game lead over the Chargers in the AFC West race. By the time we get here, Denver may have the top seed wrapped up and could sit their starters. The Chargers likely would have a spot clinched as well, so this would be more about seeding.
Seahawks at Niners: When you include the Rams, the NFC West is a fascinating race. The Rams and Seahawks play on Thursday night with the winner taking the division lead and the loser moving back to the 49ers. All three should be locked in on a playoff spot by then (the Rams have already clinched; the Seahawks and Niners are a win away from clinching). This could be a situation like last year's Lions-Vikings game where the game is for a division championship and possibly the top seed in the NFC. Barring that, this won't be flexed to SNF.
Panthers at Buccaneers: The two teams are tied at 7-7 and play each other this week as well as Week 18. If the Panthers win the Week 16 showdown, we could see this game be for the NFC South title and a playoff spot in Week 18. We know that right now Tampa Bay owns the tiebreakers, which means that even if the Bucs were a game behing Carolina in the standings in the final week a win would tie them and then the tiebreaker goes their way.
Ravens at Steelers: This could be a matchup where the winner is the AFC North champion and earns the division their lone playoff spot. The NFL would absolutely love to have this rivalry as their final game of the regular season. You have Lamar Jackson vs Aaron Rodgers. Two coaches who won their lone Super Bowl titles a long time ago.
Saturday, November 29, 2025
Sportz Rating the QB Situations Around the NFL
As the 2025 season enters its final weeks, let's look at the QB situations around the NFL.
NFC EAST
I think all four of these teams have their QBs figured out for now.
I know the Eagles offense has been weird all season, but Jalen Hurts is the guy. The Cowboys are absolutely good with Dak Prescott. And even though the Commanders have dealt with injury issues, Jayden Daniels is the future of the franchise.
That leaves the Giants, who seem to be confident in Jaxson Dart going forward. There will be a new coach in New York, but Dart is the guy for the foreseeable future, which makes the NFC East one locked in division.
NFC SOUTH
After the Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield, there are a lot of questions in this division.
The Panthers seem to be okay with Bryce Young, but it doesn't look like he's a slam dunk for the long term. Remember this going forward: it isn't like there are too many options out there this offseason to replace what you currently have, so Young likely has at least another year as a starter with Carolina.
The Falcons are an interesting case. They signed Kirk Cousins to a huge deal in 2024 while also drafting Michael Penix early in that year's draft. Cousins has looked old and he certainly isn't the future in Atlanta. Penix looks like he is, but he's had a roller coaster of a season and is currently out for the season ... something that is upsettingly normal for him over his college and NFL career. There are some rumors that he could miss time in 2026, which puts the Falcons in a bind in the short term and in the long term.
Then there are the Saints. Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough are the young guys right now, but they probably aren't the answer. But who is? What was thought of as a fertile QB draft class doesn't the look the same anymore, so New Orleans may have to go another season trying to figure out what they have before going out and finding a new signal caller. They are in bad shape at that spot.
NFC NORTH
The NFC North is ... strange. Jordan Love is the guy with the Packers, but he needs to get more consistent. With the kind of defense they are building in Green Bay, Love should be piling up stats and wins.
The Lions are still Jared Goff's team, though this team did take a step back this season without former OC Brian Johnson. Johnson is now the head coach of the Bears and seems to have Caleb Williams on the right track. Those three seem to be locked in.
But Minnesota may be a mess. The Vikings let Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones walk and gave the job to rookie JJ McCarthy, who is coming off an injury. Aside from some very few moments, McCarthy has looked awful. It could be fixable and the Vikings have sort of painted themselves into this corner. They will have to bring in a veteran backup next year not named Carson Wentz.
NFC WEST
This division may be the most in flux. Matthew Stafford may be the MVP of the league this year, but it is clear that he's in the final years of his NFL career. The Rams know that, so they are straddling the line between milking every drop from his time in LA while maybe attempting to find his replacement down the road.
The Cardinals may be done with the Kyler Murray era. Not only has he been injured this season, but he was shaky once again and Arizona seemed to play better when Jacoby Brissett ran the offense. The financial implications of moving on from Murray are dicey, but it may happen if another team is desperate enough to take on a lot of his contract.
The Niners, you would have thought, were locked in. Brock Purdy has been the guy there for a couple of years and the team rewarded him with a huge contract. But he was hurt and Mac Jones has looked sparkling in his place. Jones was a guy that head coach Kyle Shanahan had his eye on during the draft process so this has kind of turned into a quarterback controversy. Jones will be starter somewhere next season (New Orleans? New York?) and that place could be San Francisco if the 49ers have buyers remorse.
Then there is Sam Darnold. Darnold is the guy right now with the Seahawks and he should have a postseason chance to show the world he can be the guy in the biggest moments.
AFC EAST
The Bills' Josh Allen is the reigning NFL MVP. He's shown some outstanding moments this year along with some head scratchers. But -- news alert -- he's the guy for the long term in Buffalo.
Drake Maye has emerged as the next great young QB with the Patriots.
The other two teams have a lot to work out. Clearly the Jets are moving on from their QB mess. Justin Fields may have spent up his last bit of hope of being a starter this season. It didn't look good. Tyrod Taylor is no one's future. They have to make a move this offseason, but who do they go out and get? Remember they are sitting on a lot of 1st and 2nd round picks over the next two years that they could try to lure someone into dealing away a franchise QB.
The Dolphins look like they are going to be in a transition this offseason. There may be head coaching and front office movement this winter and that could mean Tua Tagovailoa's time in Miami may be up soon. But, like I've said, in this climate they may need to hang on to Tua one more year.
AFC SOUTH
Youth is the word in the AFC South. The Texans are CJ Stroud's team. That's the best lock of the division. Next would be Cam Ward with the Titans, though their head coaching search will be key to their future.
Trevor Lawrence still looks like he's the guy with the Jaguars for another season, though it still doesn't look like it should. He needs to get this figured out.
Daniel Jones seems to have a home with the Colts for the time being. He has them among the best records in the NFL and seems to fit well in their culture. That doesn't mean the slipper won't fall off at any moment.
AFC NORTH
This division got weird this season. Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson are clearly the man with the Bengals and Ravens, respectively, but both spent a lot of time hurt this season.
The Browns have no idea what their QB room will look like. After bailing on Joe Flacco (and dealing him within the division), they cycled through Dillon Gabriel (it wasn't good) and now Shadeur Sanders (it looked good last week). They trail the Saints for the worst QB situation in the NFL, but if Sanders can show he's worth trying to develop, they may hold off making any big moves this offseason.
The Steelers? Well, unless Aaron Rodgers returns for yet another season they will likely be in the market for another signal caller. But who could that be? Talking Rodgers into postponing his retirement for one more year could be doable.
AFC WEST
Patrick Mahomes is the guy with the Chiefs. Likewise is Justin Herbert with the Chargers. Bo Nix seems to be doing alright for the Broncos.
Then there are the Raiders. The Geno Smith Experiment has been a bomb this season and Pete Caroll knows he may have to cut the cord on him.
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Sportz' College Football Super League
I have said for years that college football just needs to rip the Band-Aid off and form a new Super League that governs itself. No more SEC, Big Ten or ACC conferences. No "Power" or "Group Of" designations. Just break off and form a new, powerful, super league that not only creates outstanding matchups for itself and becomes a powerful media partner, but leaves alone the rest of college athletics so we can stop with the bastardizing of the college conference landscape.
College football has caused a lot of problems for conferences and schools in their non-football sports. Changing that would be another article, so let's just stick to this new football format.
HOW DID YOU COME TO DO THIS?
To do this, understand that right now we have a Power 4 conference setup in football, plus Notre Dame. That means there are currently 68 power schools that exist right now. I wanted my format to be just 56 schools, but I decided to be cautious and include 64 schools in my new Super League. That would involve creating eight divisions filled with eight schools.
-I attempted to create the divisions using historic conference ties as best as I could. Of course that is impossible with some conferences having more than eight members for a long time. But I did keep an eye on keeping current conference schools together.
-I only used the power schools. That means I left out Oregon State and Washington State. While they were in the Power 5 just two years ago, their future lies with the new Pac-12 being a Group of 6 conference, so I didn't include them.
-If you've done the math, you will understand that four current Power 4 schools will have to be let go. This was the hardest thing to do, which is why I didn't pare the league down to 56 schools. The four schools that didn't make the list? Cincinnati, UCF, Rutgers and Wake Forest. Cincinnati and UCF are newcomers to the power ranks, so they were a bit easier to leave out. Rutgers was difficult because they are the birthplace of college football, but they are kind of a power program just because of geography and no other reason. Wake Forest makes me the most sad. Unlike the other three schools, they've been part of a power conference for decades and decades. They've also been pretty good at times. But the small school nestled in North Carolina was the last team out. I'm sorry.
WHAT WOULD THE DIVISIONS LOOK LIKE?
So here are my eight divisions.
EASTERN DIVISION: Boston College, Maryland, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
This is the most unorthodox-ed division. It is sort of made up of scraps from the other leagues, but there is a purpose. For the most part, these are the eastern-most schools and all (but Maryland and Penn State) were once in the Big East conference (Notre Dame was for non-football). I put Notre Dame in here because they do associate as being an eastern program. They like playing a game each year in the New York area and they've had a nice Catholic rivalry with Boston College. Plus, shoving them into the traditional ACC (which they are aligned with now) or the traditional Big Ten would've caused more problems than it was worth. I did make the controversial move of bringing Penn State over as well. Penn State wanted to form an eastern conference before joining the Big Ten in the early 1990s. They are joined with geographic neighbors like Pitt, Maryland and West Virginia. Plus they give Notre Dame a great rival as a power program in this division.
So Notre Dame and Penn State are the heavyweights here, with Pitt and Boston College with rich histories. Virginia Tech and West Virginia have the ability to make some noise.
The Atlantic Division is essentially the traditional old ACC, but cutting back a lot of the Big East influence of the 2000s. One difference is that Miami, who joined in 2004, sticks. Aside from leaving Wake Forest out of this entire thing, the toughest decision was leaving Virginia Tech out. Unless I was going to leave Duke out of the mix (and that was a strong consideration), the Hokies made the least sense of staying in this division. They did have ties to a lot of the programs in the Eastern Division, so it really was a no-brainer. Having said all of that, this division seems pretty standard.
As a football league, its like what the ACC truly wanted when they went all in on football 20 years ago. They have Clemson, Florida State and Miami as their traditional powers, while NC State, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia Tech fully capable of making a run in certain years.
SOUTHEAST: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Here is the part where things got a tad interesting -- how to break up the SEC. The SEC was a 10-team conference for a long time before adding two teams in the 1990s, and then ballooning to 16 teams today. In theory, breaking the SEC into two-eight team divisions seemed like an easy task ... and it should be. But remember that the SEC expanded west, so adding Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M means that an even split meant that some traditional western SEC schools would now be in the east. So, hello Alabama schools! Alabama and Auburn make the move to this Southeast Division to go alongside the traditional six SEC East schools. The good: it gives us that Alabama-Georgia boost everyone wants while keeping some great rivalries like Bama-Tennessee and Auburn-Georgia going. The bad: breaking those two schools away from LSU. Losing Alabama-LSU is a tough pill to swallow, but there are ways to keep that rivalry going, even if it would now be a non-division game. Plus, the realignment over the past 20 years has broken up so many rivalries that I cannot let something like this bring the division down.
The Southern Division is the SEC West without the Alabama schools, but it adds in Oklahoma and Texas to take their place. Plus, there is a twist. Missouri is now moved into another division altogether (more on that in a bit) so it opens up the ability to reunite Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Bedlam is back, baby! Again, It sucks to have to split LSU and the two Mississippi schools up from their longtime SEC brethren, but that's what happens when you make these types of decisions.
Football? Well LSU, Texas and Oklahoma are long time great programs with A&M right behind them. There really isn't a bad team here, historically speaking.
Just like the SEC, I had a tough time breaking up the Big Ten. Probably a tougher time than you'd think. These eight are part of the "ten" in the Big Ten. Remember that I have already moved Penn State to the Eastern Division, which means the western most schools got bumped into a more midwestern division. Also, Northwestern was on the cut list had I only made a 56 team league, making some of the decisions a bit easier. It is difficult to keep Wisconsin here and move Minnesota away, but ... again ... something has to give.
This will be a lot like the old Big Ten with Michigan and Ohio State fighting for dominance. Can any of the other schools challenge them? All have at one time or another been able to be relevant in the Big Ten, so there is potential.
MIDWEST: Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisville, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska
The Midwest Division merges the two western most traditional Big Ten schools with some of the mid-plains Big 12 schools. It just made sense. So Iowa and Minnesota come to a division with Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State. Former Big 12 schools Missouri (SEC) and Nebraska (Big Ten) also come into the mix. The sorta outlier here is Louisville. They really don't fit anywhere perfectly. They aren't as geographically in tune here, but they shoving them into the Great Lakes division didn't make sense either. But Louisville was recently in the Big East and now in the Atlantic Coast Conference, so making geographic sense isn't something the Cardinals care about. They could form a nice rivalry with Missouri, I guess.
Football? This is wide open. We all know how those Big 12 schools battle it out every year, and now they have Iowa, Minnesota and welcome back Mizzou and Nebraska. Louisville has been a wildcard in any division they've played in, so this is likely the NFC South of the college football divisions.
The Central Division is made up of the hodgepodge of Big 12 schools that is mainly Texas and mountain based. Baylor, Houston, SMU, TCU and Texas Tech used to run together in the old Southwest Conference, so a Texas tussle would be fun again. All but SMU (ACC) currently play in the Big 12, so it works. BYU, Colorado and Utah all have joined the league over the last couple of seasons so there is some familiarity.
Football should be fine. BYU has had its moments ... as has Utah. TCU was in the national title game a few years ago. Baylor and Colorado have produced Heisman trophy winners this century while Texas Tech gave us Patrick Mahomes. SMU won the ACC's regular season title last season and Houston ... well ... it's Houston.
This was by far the easiest division to create, though a bit heartbreaking. The Pacific Division is made up of the 8 power schools that made up the old Pac-10 conference. Leaving Washington State and Oregon State out was tough, but they were left behind for a reason and aren't considered power programs anymore. If, for some reason, there was a bump to, say, 70 schools in this thing with 10-team divisions then I can see those two coming back.
Football? Hey, it's the Pac-10 band back together.
WHAT'S THE REGULAR SEASON SUPPOSED TO BE?
As you can tell, every team will play the other teams in their division. ALL of them. So they will have seven division games. Here's a big change, however -- your total win-loss record determines who the division champion is. There is no more "conference record" like we have now. Just like the divisional record is only used for tiebreakers in the NFL, that's really the only use for it here. Since everyone in the division will play each other once, the head-to-head will be the main tiebreaker. Of course, if there are more than two teams with the same total record, the division record factors in.
The schedule would be 13 games long with one bye week nestled in for everybody in the middle of the season. For this explanation, let's use the 2025 calendar. The season can start in late August (Saturday August 23rd with Week 1. Week 14 ... the final week ... would take place on November 22nd.
So we have 7 conference games that will be played pretty much like we see it now. The schedule makers (yes, the Super League office will create the schedule and not the schools themselves) will fill out the rest of what the schedule looks like. There will be some sense made to keep some regional matchups intact with this division change (like Florida-LSU, Ohio State-Penn State, Florida-Florida State, Clemson-South Carolina, etc). and then four other non-division games. I'm sure the Super League would love to see different regions face off against each other, so we will see Michigan play Georgia, USC play Texas, and Notre Dame-BYU. Gone are cupcake games against FCS schools and Group of 5 opponents. If you want to play one of them, then schedule a preseason game against them. Every game will be power vs power.
I'd like to see every team play six home games and six road games with at least one game at a neutral site. College football is such a great thing to see with neutral sites. Whether those are rivalry games like Texas-Oklahoma in Dallas or Georgia-Florida in Jacksonville ... we can also schedule some non-conference games like we currently have.
Look back at how great Week 1 of this current college football season was with great top 10 showdowns. And then how crappy Week 2 was with big schools rolling up cupcakes. That's gone. Sure, there will be some duds mixed in (just like the NFL) but at least they are power opponents.
SHOW ME AN EXAMPLE OF A SCHEDULE
Okay. Let's use Florida State as an example (* denotes division game).
W1 at Duke*
W12 at Utah
W14 Florida
If you notice, there isn't a non-conference season that leads into a conference season like we're accustomed to. The schedule has division games mixed in just like we have in the NFL. There are 7 division games that will flip each year to where the game is played. I'd like that the "rivalry game" would coincide with this scheduling so that we have four home and four road games between your division and rival opponent. We continue the Florida State-Florida rivalry like always as one of the six non-division games. In this scenario, the Seminoles will host Florida, Mississippi State and Iowa while traveling to Maryland and Utah. They also play Wisconsin at a neutral site. Their bye week is in Week 8.
That means they will play 13 power teams and no cupcakes. No games against MAC foes like Kent State. No games against FCS teams like East Texas A&M. What I'd like to be the norm is scheduling games against teams like that for the preseason.
Notice that Florida State travels to different parts of the country. This example has them in Utah. The next year they could go to a Pacific or Midwest school.
WHAT DOES THE POSTSEASON LOOK LIKE?
First off: there are no more conference championship games. It already looks like college football right now will be trending away from that. It's a money grab, but adding more playoff rounds would fill that gap immediately.
That's why the 24-team format that the Big Ten is currently floating around makes sense here. Is that too many? Well, it means that 37.5% of the Super League gets into the postseason. For reference, 43.7% of the NFL's teams reach the playoffs. So having a five-round playoff is doable.
The eight division champions are guaranteed a spot in the playoff, along with 16 at-large teams. Here's another twist: Unlike the NFL, we will continue to have rankings and a selection committee to determine who those at-large teams are. I know, I know! I wanted this to look a lot like how a professional league looks, but having that one nugget of the college system still feels right. With so much range in what schedules look like, it seems appropriate to keep this part of the tradition.
Seeding will be based on those rankings. So the top eight ranked teams will get first round byes, while seeds 9 thru 24 will begin the first round of the playoffs. Those games will be played on campus over a two day period. Four games on Friday and four more on Saturday. I wouldn't be against having two games on Friday night and six games that overlap on Saturday (something like how the NCAA Tournament is). You could have Friday games at 6pm ET and 9:30pm ET (provided a west coast team was hosting a game) and then Saturday games at noon ET, 3:30pm ET, 7pm ET and 10:30pm ET ... with two games mixed in at 5pm ET and 8:30pm ET.
Now, remember we are using the 2025 calendar for this exercise and that I had the final week of the regular season on November 22nd ... the week before Thanksgiving. That gives us a great treat to have college football playoff games on all day Friday and Saturday since most people would be off to watch them.
The second round would see the top eight seeds hosting the winners of those games in a bracket-style format (no re-seeding). That round could be scheduled just like the first round with games on Friday and Saturday. That would be December 5th and 6th.
The quarterfinals would be the following week (December 12th and 13th). Now, I would prefer to have these games played on campus at the higher seeded team's home -- but I'm not against using a rotating "bowl" format like the CFP is currently using. I just think this round should be on campus. You can have one game on Friday night at 8pm ET and Saturday games at noon ET, 4pm ET and 8pm ET.
The semifinals could be made to be at neutral sites. No more bowls, but bid out sites. Kind of like the NCAA Tournament's regionals are at four different sites, this could be held in two places ... like what we do now. Those games would be played on Saturday December 20th. The national championship game is also neutral ... and it can be played on New Year's Day.
Of course there is the little issue of finals week, but now you are only disrupting a few schools and not the 80+ schools playing in bowls like you do right now. Having the title game on New Year's Day is a great way to honor a piece of tradition while also moving out of the way before the NFL playoffs start.
ANY OTHER NOTES?
Yes. College football's new Super League would have its own commissioner. Just like the NFL. And instead of dealing with several conference commissioners, that new commissioner governs over the schools themselves. Rules are more unified, as are the punishments. I'm sure there will be a point where the players unionize, which will bring on collective bargaining and further oversight.
There will also be the way you watch college football on television. Instead of SEC games on ESPN and Notre Dame on NBC and Big Ten games on FOX ... we have full blown rights sold just like the NFL does. As you are aware, the NFL has Sunday packages for CBS and FOX, Sunday Night Football package for NBC, Monday Night Football package for ESPN/ABC, Thursday Night Football package for Amazon Prime, and several offshoots for other streamers like Netflix and YouTube. You all know that broadcast rights have led us to the point where the Pac-12 broke up to catch Big Ten money and to find survival rooms in the Big 12 and ACC. It's why we have 18-team conferences now. So imagine what the consolidation of this inventory could do.
With 64 schools -- or 32 games on non-bye weeks -- this Super League has twice the inventory that the NFL does. While it may be difficult to go against the NFL on Thursdays, there is still a lucrative package to be sold for that date. Fridays would also pull a nice number. And we could have an NFL-style setup on Saturdays, where NBC, ESPN/ABC, FOX and CBS all have games going simultaneously all day long. There is no "Saturday Night Football" on just one network ... and games don't stop at 11pm. But one network may pay more money for the top choice of games that Saturday while the others slot in a tier system. The money then is shared (just like the NFL) among all schools and not just the ones in the SEC or Big Ten. The Dallas Cowboys' share of broadcast rights is the same as the Jacksonville Jaguars. So will Ohio State and Pitt.