Every week, former Michigan great, NFL 1st round pick, 10-year pro, and current Wayne State head football coach Tyrone Wheatley, former Michigan point guard Daniel Horton, and I come together on Steady Droppin’ Dimes, a sports show featuring real talk, and real views, from three real dudes. College football, college basketball, NFL, and NBA topics drive much of the debate, but discussion of other sports will enter the fray some days as well. Non-sports topics aren’t off limits, and neither are celebrity guests.

On the latest episode of Steady Droppin Dimes, the crew discusses the impact of NIL on National Signing Day. They also tackle the question of which of the new college football hires has the best odds of success, and which will crash and burn. Lastly, they revisit the question of which is the best team in college basketball.

The contents and full episode notes appear below.

Contents and Episode Notes

00:00 – Opening, Holiday Catch-Up & Steady Dropping Dimes Crew

• Sam opens another edition of Steady Dropping Dimes, reintroducing the weekly show and its Golden Limo sponsorship
• He brings in the full crew, starting with Tyrone Wheatley, whom he still calls the best athlete he’s ever seen with his own eyes
• Tyrone shares he played last episode sick and reveals he actually had pneumonia but “toted the mail” anyway
• Sam jokes about producer Lance upgrading the show with color-coded scripts and name tags on screen
• Daniel Horton checks in, saying he barely made it to the show, and chat jokes about “in this NIL era, we steady dropping bags,” foreshadowing later NIL talk

05:22 – Daniel Flips: Michigan Is the Best Team in the Country

• Sam explains fans have been asking what’s up with Daniel, since Daniel wasn’t immediately crowning Michigan as the best team
• Daniel says at first everyone was just being “Michigan homers,” and he prides himself on not being a homer, even as an alum
• He now fully agrees Michigan is the best team in the country and playing the best basketball, especially on the defensive end
• Vegas convinced him: if they defend with that energy, effort, passion, and togetherness, he’ll “stand on the table” for this team
• Daniel stresses that shots won’t always fall or look pretty, but defense, effort, and love for what you’re doing translate in any game, in any sport

10:32 – Aday Mara’s Development, Consistency Questions & Dusty’s Roster Vision

• Sam shifts to the three-big frontcourt, saying Merez has surged lately and he didn’t expect Aday Mara to be this fluid at 7’3″
• He wonders how Mara will handle Big Ten physicality—opponents getting into his body, banging him, and forcing him to prove he can still rebound and score
• Sam notes Yax looks ready to bring it nightly, but he’s unsure whether Mara can sustain high-level play game-to-game after an early stretch where he looked like a lottery pick, then disappeared
• Daniel admits he was skeptical when Mara transferred after a disappointing UCLA stint, but says Mara’s progress this quickly is encouraging for his future
• He explains the hardest jump is from “not very good” to “serviceable/good,” and Mara seems to have cleared that; now it’s about experience and building consistency to become an all-conference-level player in Dusty’s system

13:34 – Transfer Fit, AJ Storr Example & Coach Responsibility

• Sam praises Dusty May’s ability to evaluate cultural fit in the transfer portal, calling it an elite skill in this era
• He contrasts Dusty’s approach with Chris Beard’s situation at Ole Miss, where Beard publicly snapped about effort at AJ Storr—who has now been at four schools in four years
• Sam says Beard was really mad at Storr for being who he has always been, pointing out Storr’s identity and track record were clear when they recruited him
• Tyrone says it’s on the coach and staff to know who they are bringing in and how each piece fits a defined role in the “11:30 p.m. staff room board” vision
• He notes great teams come from players majoring in their roles—big or small—and from coaches building rosters around those roles instead of blaming players later for being themselves

18:28 – Winning in the Margins, Toughness & Three-Big Philosophy

• Tyrone recalls his high school coach saying, “We’re going to win in the margins,” which meant two weeks of practice without a basketball focused on effort plays
• He sees Michigan’s current team doing exactly that: winning in the margins with turnovers forced, defense, pace, hype, rebounding, and extra effort that eventually turn into points
• He jokes that if his shot isn’t falling, he’ll “turn into Moses Malone,” attacking the offensive glass to keep impacting the game
• Sam contrasts John Beilein’s instinct—play Yax at the four—with Dusty’s willingness to lean into a three-big lineup, noting both views have logic but Dusty is the one staying up at midnight designing this vision
• Tyrone says different coaches prioritize different building blocks—some start with a big, some with a scorer—but Dusty’s big-heavy, physical, connected approach is working because the whole group fits the identity

21:18 – Dusty’s Transfer Strategy and Quick Chemistry in the Portal Era

• Sam circles back to Dusty’s eye for portal fits, saying he targets guys who fit Michigan’s culture first, then figures out how they fit on the court second
• Daniel points out that of the transfers, Yax was really the only one who had significant prior success; others like Elliott, Mara, and Namari came in as underused or underachieving pieces
• He credits Dusty for grabbing talented but hungry players who needed a stage and were motivated to prove they’re better than their previous roles showed
• Daniel says that in the old days, you built chemistry over 3–4 years; now, you must build it in one or two, and buy-in is easier when guys see this as a major or last chance
• He believes as long as Dusty keeps recruiting that mix of talent and hunger, Michigan can keep creating quick, genuine chemistry in modern one- and two-year windows

24:17 – Coaching Carousel Talk: Who Got It Right and Who Got It Wrong?

• Sam switches to college football, asking Daniel which recent coaching hires got it most right and most wrong
• Daniel surprisingly picks LSU for both: he sees Lane Kiffin as a home run given LSU’s resources and track record, but says the handling of the change from Brian Kelly was messy
• He also likes Jon Sumrall’s move to Florida (after tracking him at Tulane), noting his strong ties and upside as a head coach
• For “most wrong,” Daniel bluntly says it’s Penn State, because they fired their coach early yet still don’t have a replacement while other programs moved quickly
• Tyrone jokes that Crumble Cookie dropped a big NIL “dime” to help keep a coach put, illustrating how off-field money factors into these decisions too

28:02 – Lane at LSU, Complementary Football & Culture Fits

• Sam pushes back on the assumption that Kiffin will definitely win a national title at LSU, pointing out Lane has never truly “won anything big” at the highest level
• Tyrone counters that Lane’s time under Nick Saban taught him a lot, and he’ll build elite staffs and surround himself with the right people, which is how you win
• Daniel says Lane has rehabilitated his image since the Tennessee/USC days and that his confident, offensive-minded personality matches what LSU fans want more than Brian Kelly’s did
• Sam agrees LSU’s offense will be electric but questions whether Lane can sustain the kind of complementary football and elite defense required to win championships in the SEC
• They note Lane kept DC Blake Baker and has a massive NIL budget, but Tyrone warns the real challenge is using that money on the right players instead of simply stockpiling “convicts” with talent

32:58 – Michigan State, Pat Fitzgerald & Sparty’s Ceiling

• Sam pivots to a surprise take: he thinks Michigan State got it “most right” by hiring Pat Fitzgerald and jokes that MSU owes him money for saying months ago Fitz would rehabilitate them
• He paints a realistic model: at Northwestern, Fitzgerald accepted that they wouldn’t compete every year but would scrap for a few seasons and then build toward senior-heavy, competitive years every third or fourth season
• That cyclical, blue-collar approach fits Michigan State more than chasing the same recruits as Michigan and Ohio State, which Sam says “just isn’t them”
• Daniel laughs that Sam is diabolical, basically sentencing MSU to seven wins a year and one win over Michigan every five years and calling that their ceiling
• Sam leans into the bit, saying he’s giving Spartans a more honest reality than they want: they’re the “bootleg Lion-O,” not the real powerhouse, but Fitzgerald can make them respectable and occasionally dangerous

39:55 – Penn State Expectations, Fit, and the Stress of Big Jobs

• Sam and Tyrone agree LSU and Penn State both show how fanbases overestimate how “sexy” their jobs are compared to the stress and expectations
• Tyrone says some jobs are actually unattractive behind the scenes—LSU’s Bayou grind and Penn State’s national-title expectations without SEC-level resources limit the candidate pool
• He believes James Franklin got stale but also notes seven wins won’t cut it at Penn State, and coaches are now scrutinizing whether the financial and support package matches the stress level
• They argue that firing a coach isn’t a magic reset button—schools often discover the market isn’t beating down their door the way fans imagined
• Tyrone suggests Penn State might be best served hiring the interim (Terry Smith/Kenny W.), someone who already knows the realities, rather than chasing a fantasy candidate

46:17 – Savion Hiter, NIL Ambassadors & Setting Up the Signing Day Conversation

• Sam says they’d be remiss not to talk about National Signing Day and highlights No. 1 running back Savion Hiter signing with Michigan
• Listeners have asked for a weekly Hiter film breakdown from Tyrone, but Sam wants to give Tyrone time to watch tape before putting him on the spot
• He frames today’s focus as NIL’s impact on Signing Day itself, not just recruiting months beforehand
• Sam describes the day as “almost like day trading,” with schools sliding in last minute with extra $200–300K just as kids are ready to sign
• He stresses that for many families, that amount of money is life-altering, and taking time to consider it is not a character flaw—it’s a real-life decision

53:58 – NIL on Signing Day: Day-Trading Offers, Agents & Tough Choices

• Sam says some programs still take a “This is Michigan, this is the offer, take it or leave it” stance that implicitly shames families for considering better financial deals
• He has a major problem with using “character” language against kids—especially those from modest backgrounds—who weigh a significantly higher NIL number
• Sam explains another layer: agents now sit between players and schools, some being fully certified NFL agents already eyeing future pro commissions
• He lays out a hypothetical: a recruit committed to Michigan is offered $300K more by Penn State; the player wants Michigan, asks if Michigan can come up some, but his agent keeps pressuring him to take the higher Penn State offer
• Tyrone says this creates a painful squeeze: schools can be rigid and pompous on one side, agents self-interested on the other, and the kid in the middle just wants to make the right choice for school and family

59:20 – Negotiation, Family Stories & Why Money Doesn’t Equal Bad Character

• Tyrone’s wife once commented, “This is what they chose,” meaning once NIL got opened, the chaos was inevitable; you can’t un-open the box
• He argues players don’t actually need agents for most NIL agreements and wonders why someone should get 3–5% of money they didn’t earn on the field
• Tyrone calls much of the current agent behavior predatory and believes there should be a “true dead period” around signing day with total radio silence from schools
• He emphasizes that for many families, $300K represents “300,000 opportunities”—to pay off a mortgage, fix a car, avoid foreclosure, or get stability, not greed
• Tyrone shares a personal story of his grandmother turning down an illegal under-the-table offer back in the day; if the same money were legal NIL today, he’d absolutely negotiate hard to take care of her without that being a “character issue”

1:07:25 – Can NIL Be Regulated? Agents, Salary Sheets & Player Power

• Sam floats the idea that college football should proactively regulate NIL agents—perhaps through a player association or new legal framework—so families have access to vetted, accredited representatives
• Tyrone likes the idea in theory but asks who would regulate it, since the NCAA and schools both want to avoid added legal liability
• He suggests an alternative: a public “salary sheet” by position, similar to NFL structures, where schools must declare NIL ranges so players can see going rates without middlemen
• That kind of transparency would let a recruit compare three schools on signing day, open negotiations at 2:00 p.m., decide by 3:00, and skip paying an agent to shuttle numbers back and forth
• Both acknowledge agents can provide knowledge, but in the current unregulated environment too many chase quick fees and push kids toward the highest bid rather than the best overall decision for the player

1:14:09 – From Fax Machines to NIL Chaos, Brady Marchese vs. Zion & Closing

• Tyrone reminisces about the old signing-day stress being about NLIs arriving by fax and coaches camping at houses to flip kids, contrasting that with today’s last-minute NIL calls
• Sam says signing day used to be a celebration where coaches put their feet up; now it’s the most stressful day of the year, with staff sweating over possible late flips
• They joke about coaches like Fran Brown publicly threatening retaliation against those who try to flip their commits, hinting at how emotional the new market has become
• Sam closes by comparing WR Brady Marchese and Zion Robinson: Brady is a 6-1 burner and precision route runner who can return kicks and work the slot, while Zion is a longer 6-3 high-jumper type on the outside
• He says Brady’s top-end speed and versatility make him a great complement to Travis Johnson and Jamar Browder, fitting a different profile than Zion and rounding out the receiver room
• Sam wraps the episode thanking Golden Limo, the Dimes crew, and the audience, joking that he’s missing the Lions game for them and promising to be back next week with more film and NIL talk

1:18:22 – End of show

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The College Football Playoff bracket was revealed — and it wasn’t without controversy. Among those who took issue with how the rankings were made was Robert Griffin III, who called the CFP selection process, “a complete joke.”

His problem with the bracket lies in where Alabama was ranked. The No. 9-seed, the Crimson Tide lost 28-7 against Georgia in the SEC Championship and dropped to 10-3 on the season as a result. Meanwhile, BYU lost in similar fashion and was the second team out of the field.

“Getting blown out in the Conference Championship matters for a Big 12 team like BYU, but doesn’t matter for an SEC like Alabama who had more losses and a bad loss to a 5-7 team? Unbelievable SEC bias,” he wrote on X.

Griffin III said that the College Football Playoff committee had the opportunity to do the “most right thing” with the “smallest backlash.” Instead, controversy reigned supreme on selection Sunday as Miami was slotted as the No. 10 seed while Notre Dame was omitted from the bracket entirely despite being ranked ahead of the Hurricanes for several weeks.

“Alabama and BYU getting blown out in their conference championship games opened the door to put both Notre Dame and Miami in,” Griffin wrote in another tweet. “Instead they dropped the ball and punished BYU for losing, didn’t punish Alabama for losing and then flipped Notre Dame and Miami despite neither of them playing a game.

“None of it makes sense. They did the thing that would give them the most backlash just to have 5 SEC teams in the playoff. That makes everyone question the integrity of the process and rightfully so.”

Now, Alabama will travel to Oklahoma to play the Sooners in Norman. One of Alabama’s three losses this season came against the Sooners — in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 15. Miami will play the one-loss Texas A&M Aggies on the road in one of the toughest environments in college football.

Notre Dame, meanwhile, will likely be playing in one of the top non-CFP bowl games sometime in the next few weeks. In the end, five teams from the SEC make the playoffs, including the Crimson Tide, Sooners, Aggies, as well as Georgia and Ole Miss.

Lando Norris secured his place as the 11th British driver to win the Drivers’ Championship title after finishing third at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – finishing just two points clear at the top of the standings.

The 26-year-old entered the weekend as the world championship leader, holding a 12-point lead over 2024 champion Max Verstappen, while teammate Oscar Piastri was still in contention, trailing the Dutchman by four points.

Norris had a chance to clinch the trophy in Qatar the previous weekend, but a misguided McLaren strategy allowed Verstappen to score maximum points and stay in the competition. As a result, Norris faced immense pressure heading into Abu Dhabi.

The conditions were straightforward: finish on the podium, and Norris would be crowned world champion. In qualifying, he laid the groundwork by edging out teammate Piastri for second on the grid, behind pole-sitter Verstappen.

When the race started on Sunday, Norris got off to a good start but was quickly blocked by Verstappen, who maintained the lead at Turn One. He then lost a spot to teammate Piastri, who started on the hard compound Pirelli tires and executed a well-timed, sweeping move around the outside of Turn Nine.

From that point, Norris found himself under pressure from Charles Leclerc. Ferrari had little to celebrate in Saturday’s qualifying but demonstrated strong race pace on Sunday, with the Monegasque racer staying within DRS range during the initial laps, keeping Norris on his toes.

Early pit stops from the trailing cars forced Norris to pit on lap 16 to prevent an undercut. After a swift service from the McLaren team, he found himself behind a multi-car DRS train but, crucially, ahead of Leclerc.

Following a series of decisive maneuvers, he closed in on Yuki Tsunoda. Tsunoda, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, defended fiercely and, according to the stewards, crossed the line. Tsunoda was slapped with a five-second time penalty for weaving on the straight as Norris made a sharp move approaching Turn Six.

After navigating through the traffic, Norris’ task became easier. He extended his lead over Leclerc to more than six seconds while Piastri stayed out longer on his hard tires at the front. With 18 laps left, Leclerc made his final pit stop, prompting a cautious response from McLaren.

2.4 seconds later, the papaya-colored car exited the pit without any issues. On the same lap, Verstappen overtook Piastri on the track, and the Australian made his first and only pit stop.

With 14 laps remaining, Leclerc began to apply pressure, reducing Norris’ lead. However, the Brit had tire life to spare and responded, maintaining a four-second gap to the Ferrari driver.

From there, it was simply a matter of completing the race to the finish line. A seven-year F1 journey reached its peak, and British motorsport reclaimed its place at the top of the world.

From under the skirt to the top of the bill.

When the community comes out to take in the 2025 rendition of the Christmas classic show “The Nutcracker” at Russell Auditorium Dec. 12-14, they will see Gatewood School student Isabelle Rocker’s journey to the lead role of Clara reach its fruition.

What began almost three decades ago at Georgia College & State University under director Amelia Pelton continues, and for the second year Director of Dance Natalie King and Dance Lecturer Juliana Freude present the story of Clara, a nutcracker doll come to life and their experiences with the Mouse King, the Sugar Plum Fairy and many others.

For 15-year-old Isabelle, this will be her eighth time in “The Nutcracker” cast going back to age 7. She is one of several students in the GCSU Department of Theatre and Dance’s Community Dance Program who begin tireless work all the way back in the summer preparing for the wintertime show.

“I love this program,” she said. “I have made really good friends. It’s like a completely different life than my school life.

“I just fell in love with (‘The Nutcracker’). I have so much fun on stage. A little kid running around in circles.”

“She is a beautiful dancer,” said Freude. “I have been able to work with her a year-and-a-half now. I have seen her abilities improve consistently. She is taking all the feedback I am providing her, and I see it is creating her into a beautiful dancer and artist. I am excited to see her put that on stage for everyone to enjoy.”

Tara Rocker is Isabelle’s mother, and she has two daughters — including 10-year-old Eleanor — in the community program. She can recall her child actually giggling while running in circles playing a Polichinelle. That’s a role Eleanor, in the program since age 3 and perhaps Isabelle’s biggest fan, has this year as well as being a solider and part of the dragon.

“I was laughing so hard at Mother Ginger. I thought it was hilarious that a man was dressed up,” said Isabelle.

“Mother Ginger has this huge skirt that the little dancers come running out from underneath,” said Tara. “It’s adorable.”

Isabelle has also played a Harlequin doll, a solider, a poinsettia, a reindeer, a dragon, a candy cane and just a little girl in “The Nutcracker.”

And now Clara. She is at a Christmas party in a white dress and is seeing her friends for the first time since Easter. She receives the gift of a nutcracker and falls asleep with it. This leads to a “terrible” dream of being chased by rats, but the nutcracker comes to life and saves her. They proceed to travel through a “winter wonderland” with various fairies.

“All these people come and present her as a princess and dance for her,” said Isabelle. “I will never forget when I was a little girl it was really the first time I saw it up close, people dancing on point shoes. I loved it. I started ballet to be on point shoes. Now I realize I’m at that age I wanted to be when I was that age. Getting used to being the role model for the little girls.”

“That’s one of the greatest parts of this program,” said Tara. “The exposure Isabelle has had when she was little. Now that she is maturing into a role model, she also has role models still here. College students, parents. Instructors are fantastic. It presents itself on “The Nutcracker” stage.”

“This is the first year I’ve worked with college students, being in choreography with them,” said Isabelle. “They do my hair. Annie is the Snow Queen, and I have a lot of fun with her.”

Isabelle is now getting to where she can hear a song on a ride home and think it would make a good dance.

“I guess I have a mindset for choreography,” she said. “I make up dances with my friends now that I’ve gotten older. I do a lot of dancing anywhere. Come up with something on the spot. I think it’s funny sometimes, emotional.”

“I’ve grown up watching these beautiful girls dance,” Tara said, who is not in “The Nutcracker” herself like other moms and dads she knows. “Get to be backstage and watch them grow as dancers.

“It is a whole family affair. Whether you are on stage, backstage, this is a community program. My son and husband are great supporters. We have family members who come from all over to see it. It sets the Christmas tone for our family and a lot of families.”

Putnam County’s Avery Owens and Jasper County’s Destiny Peete are high school seniors playing Dew Drop Fairies. Avery explains this as the queen of the flowers, the biggest and the brightest. She also has her own “funny story” to share about being an 8-year-old Polichinelle in a previous show.

“There’s this big table, metal underneath,” she said. “I got up before I was supposed to and hit my head on the table before I got out on stage. It was very disorienting. I got through it, continued on, did my dance. It was a pretty hard head hit.”

Destiny skipped that role, but has had just about every other one imaginable. She loves the idea of performing in front of multitudes in Milledgeville.

Rehearsals begin in September after the cast list comes out in August, Avery said that is an exciting time to be thinking about a Christmas show even before Labor Day. In fact, it’s spring time when they start wondering what roles they will land in “The Nutcracker.” One day that could be Snow Queen or Sugar Plum Fairy.

“As the director of GCSU Community Dance, what I enjoy most is watching the magic of ‘The Nutcracker’ unfold for both the performers and the audience,” said King. “It is a true honor to guide dancers of differing ages, witnessing their growth, excitement, and passion on stage. GCSU’s production uniquely blends classical ballet with jazz, tap and contemporary movement, giving familiar scenes a vibrant new perspective while honoring tradition.

“We also incorporate elements inspired by our local culture and history, such as The Dance of the Peacock, a tribute to Milledgeville’s famed writer Flannery O’Connor and her love for these majestic birds. This year, we’re elevating the experience even further with new set pieces and immersive digital projections, designed to transport the audience into the enchanting world of ‘The Nutcracker.’”

Freude, originally from Ohio, joined GCSU’s dance faculty last school year after extensive experience in the art in performing and instructing.

“This year we are trying to create a different, even more magical holiday atmosphere,” she said. “With a lot of our props and sets on top of all the choreographic choices. We hope it will be a more surprising and exciting moment for audiences. It will have a bit of a different approach to it, but that doesn’t mean the storyline has changed. It’s just the visuals we hope to portray this year.”

Ethan Rogers returns in the title role, and Freude said they worked to make sure it is a different challenge for him, another level attached to it so that he can grow as a performer.

In the second act, Clara and The Nutcracker will watch candy canes, the return of the peacock, angels, flowers and others. King said the GCSU golfers, coached by Ben English, make their stage debut in the Dance of Trepak.

The 2025 college football season is over and the College Football Playoffs are officially set to begin. And not without significant controversy after a 10-2 Notre Dame team was left out.

But what might the playoff look like if the committee wasn’t involved and it was left up to a less subjective system, like the BCS? Well, the fine folks at BCSKnowHow.com have clued us in on exactly what that would look like.

On3 stops to compile BCSKnowHow’s top 25, breaking it down into the hypothetical matchups it would create. Let’s dive into it below.

Indiana’s win in the Big Ten Championship Game was enough to cinch the No. 1 seed in both reality and in the BCS simulation. The Hoosiers are clearly the top team in the country and as such have earned a bye in the playoff.

Few teams are firing on all cylinders the way Indiana is right now, and the Hoosiers are pretty battle-tested after knocking off the next two best teams in the league. There’s a whole lot of excitement around the program right now, and rightly so.

The simulated BCS continues to match up with the actual College Football Playoff rankings, keeping Ohio State up at No. 2 despite the loss on Saturday in the Big Ten title game. It was a close loss that could have cut either way, and it certainly won’t be a deterrent for the Buckeyes.

Now the question becomes how quickly Ohio State can turn the page on that loss? Will it linger or will the Buckeyes march on with a unified front and a clear goal? Something tells us Ryan Day will have his squad ready.

The Georgia defense kept Alabama off-balance all day long in the SEC Championship Game, paving the way for a blowout win. The offense did what it needed to apply pressure, and it eventually caused the Crimson Tide to cave.

Though the Bulldogs end up with the No. 3 seed, they’ll still have a nice path in the playoffs that begins with a first-round bye. That’s important in getting everyone healthy and ready to roll for the College Football Playoff run.

Texas Tech, like in the College Football Playoff rankings, takes the No. 4 spot in the BCS simulation. That keeps the Red Raiders in position to earn a first-round bye and avoid playing right away.

The Red Raiders might be playing as well defensively as any team in the country, even after impressive showings by Ohio State and Indiana on Saturday. Can that power Texas Tech to a deep playoff run?

The first team to check in outside the top four, Oregon earns a first-round home game by virtue of checking in at No. 5. It also gets the lowest-ranked conference champion by virtue of doing so, and this matchup is the same as the actual CFP.

Oregon probably hasn’t quite played its best football just yet, but getting a home game to start a playoff run can potentially kick things into gear. Say this: Nobody’s exactly going to be lining up wanting to face the Ducks.

The second SEC team in the field in both the College Football Playoff rankings and the simulated BCS, Ole Miss earns a first-round home game in the playoffs. Oxford should be downright insane.

Throw in the fact that the Rebels now have a new coach for the playoffs and the intrigue for this one is off the charts. The rankings do, however, include a rematch for Ole Miss. More on that below.

Again, the CFP continues to track perfectly with the BCS simulation through the first seven teams. That’s been the case each of the first two years in the playoff; the committee is often not much different than the BCS.

Kyle Field gets tapped to host a playoff game, and in this edition the opponent actually does change. Alabama checks in as the No. 10 team and thus the opponent for Texas A&M in the first round.

Still the same as the College Football Playoff rankings, and Oklahoma gets to host a home playoff game as a result. The Sooners have certainly earned it after compiling some excellent wins, including a win over Alabama.

The weather is even shaping up such that we could have a potential snow game in Norman in two weeks. That would certainly be something for two powerhouse teams vying for a national title, ultimately.

The first drastic change the BCS simulation produces against the College Football Playoff rankings is the inclusion of Notre Dame in the field at No. 9. Because Alabama slipped behind Notre Dame, there was a buffer with Miami.

That’s ultimately what did the Fighting Irish in when the real field was unveiled on Sunday. Alabama did not slide, leaving Notre Dame vulnerable to the head-to-head result with Miami and out of the field. Not so in the BCS.

Alabama checks in only one spot lower than the actual CFP in the simulated BCS, falling to No. 10 overall. That puts it as the last team to make the field as an at-large.

The Crimson Tide have a lot of work to do to prove they’re worthy of the bid after falling to the Bulldogs in blowout fashion on Saturday evening. Can Alabama regroup and put up a fight on the road at Texas A&M?

Miami doesn’t get the benefit of sidling up next to Notre Dame in the rankings in the BCS simulation. Thus, the Hurricanes end up left out of the field in this edition of the would-be playoffs.

Ultimately, Miami had a strong season but the loss to Louisville would prove costly in this scenario. Luckily for Hurricanes fans, this is just an exercise. In reality, Miami is readying for a first-round playoff game at Texas A&M.

BYU falls to the same spot in the simulated BCS rankings as the College Football Playoff, which is to say outside of the playoff field. Even with a closer game in the Big 12 Championship Game it’s not clear that BYU would have had enough juice to make the field.

Overall it was a strong season for the Cougars, but they were blown out both times by the Red Raiders. Wins over Utah and Arizona were reasonably impressive, though.

Rest of the CFP Top 25: 13-25

13. Vanderbilt Commodores
14. Texas Longhorns
15. Utah Utes
16. USC Trojans
17. Michigan Wolverines
18. Tulane Green Wave
19. James Madison Dukes
20. Arizona Wildcats
21. Virginia Cavaliers
22. Navy Midshipmen
23. North Texas Mean Green
24. Iowa Hawkeyes
25. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

First-Round Byes

1. Indiana Hoosiers
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
3. Georgia Bulldogs
4. Texas Tech Red Raiders

5. Oregon Ducks vs. 12. James Madison Dukes
Oregon will get to play host to James Madison in this matchup that mirrors the actual College Football Playoff selections. It’s hard to see James Madison coming away with a win in that tough an environment, but that’s why they play the games.

6. Ole Miss Rebels vs. 11. Tulane Green Wave
Another true-to-life matchup, Ole Miss will be set to host Tulane in the first round of the playoffs. The two teams have already met once this year, with the Rebels winning in an absolute blowout in Oxford. Can the Green Wave tighten the margin a bit? Maybe even make it competitive?

7. Texas A&M Aggies vs. 10. Alabama Crimson Tide
In previous years this would have consistuted a rematch, but Alabama and Texas A&M did not face each other this year or last year. Still, it’s a game in which both programs — if not the coaches — will be plenty familiar with each other. That could make for a fun game.

8. Oklahoma Sooners vs. 9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
In the final first-round playoff game, Oklahoma plays host to Notre Dame, which makes the field over Miami in the simulated version of the BCS. This has all the makings of a classic, particularly depending on how the weather shakes out.