The field seems pretty fair, in terms of who got in. Yeah, Alabama is probably "better" in terms of talent than SMU or Indiana, but they lost 3 games, with two of them being to .500 teams in their conference. Their non-conference slate wasn't any great shakes either. Hard to complain when that's your record.
My only quibble is that I think they need to do away with auto-advancing conference champions to the top 4 seeds. No one buys that. Make it like basketball, where you get an auto-bid for winning a conference but are not guaranteed a good seed.
Glad SMU got in, but I suspect an SEC tantrums will spur reform in 2026 that promises them additional bids. The P3+ teams need to kick some butt this playoffs, so the P2 can then argue they ran out of gas because they beat each other up during conference play.
There would be complaints even if it were expanded to a 24 team playoff! Great to see former PAC 12 teams having success on the field and rankings……conference realignment and resulting expanded media coverage (favorable) helped!
Watching ESPN when Bama was announced as the first team out. Despite Nick Saban's saying that he isn't bitter, he certainly sounds that way.
Also, is SMU getting in respecting they played in the conference championship game, rewarding them for not having bad losses, or maybe (conspiracy theory) payback for FSU being screwed last year? I guess we'll never know. The whole process seems pretty opaque
SMU played their way out of the playoff for the first 50 minutes of the game, they had a nice comeback but it was derailed by the Clemson kicker's career long field goal so I figure it was a consolation prize.
BTW- Fun Fact: Apparently, now, ACC refs know what targeting is. More recently including a SMU defender, numerous nearly identical examples to what happened to Nando have been called since our Miami game.
The field seems pretty fair, in terms of who got in. Yeah, Alabama is probably "better" in terms of talent than SMU or Indiana, but they lost 3 games, with two of them being to .500 teams in their conference. Their non-conference slate wasn't any great shakes either. Hard to complain when that's your record.
My only quibble is that I think they need to do away with auto-advancing conference champions to the top 4 seeds. No one buys that. Make it like basketball, where you get an auto-bid for winning a conference but are not guaranteed a good seed.
Was at Knott's Berry Farm, today.
Starting chatting with a Charger fan while we all stood by Sad Eye Joe. I looked down and his son was wearing a "California Golden Bears" sweatshirt.
Happy discussion of the LA Bowl ensued.
We did not get to the part where I doubted we could beat UNLV.
Why kill joy?
-From Knott's Merry Farm
P.S. So ACC does not get the BYE slot....hmmm, at least it knocks the Alabama-Forever Clause out of play.
Glad SMU got in, but I suspect an SEC tantrums will spur reform in 2026 that promises them additional bids. The P3+ teams need to kick some butt this playoffs, so the P2 can then argue they ran out of gas because they beat each other up during conference play.
Glad that Boise State is in… How long til it becomes a 16 team playoff?
Go Bears! Hope the rumor of the LA Bowl is true. Lots of Cal fans there. Nice to play in UCLA's backyard in a year the Bruins are staying home.
There would be complaints even if it were expanded to a 24 team playoff! Great to see former PAC 12 teams having success on the field and rankings……conference realignment and resulting expanded media coverage (favorable) helped!
Bonus happiness:
$C and it's thrall FUCLA were not even close.
Go Pac12! Go West Coast. 3 of top 4 are West Coast teams in the playoff. Took this new system to get around the regional East coast bias.
Watching ESPN when Bama was announced as the first team out. Despite Nick Saban's saying that he isn't bitter, he certainly sounds that way.
Also, is SMU getting in respecting they played in the conference championship game, rewarding them for not having bad losses, or maybe (conspiracy theory) payback for FSU being screwed last year? I guess we'll never know. The whole process seems pretty opaque
SMU played their way out of the playoff for the first 50 minutes of the game, they had a nice comeback but it was derailed by the Clemson kicker's career long field goal so I figure it was a consolation prize.
Make up call.
BTW- Fun Fact: Apparently, now, ACC refs know what targeting is. More recently including a SMU defender, numerous nearly identical examples to what happened to Nando have been called since our Miami game.
I know for certain that Cal has the equivalent of a first-round bye.