The College Football Playoff has changed basically everything about college football. If there was any doubt on that front, Sunday’s bowl selection situation provided plenty of proof. Several lower-tier power conference teams turned down bowls, leading to several previously ineligible 5-7 teams being offered bowls only for those teams to turn down bowls. But that whole fiasco was a relatively minor issue compared with the day’s biggest story.

Booger McFarland Goes Old School

While ESPN analyst Booger McFarland has covered college football for over a decade and a half and is aware of all the new shifts in the game, he is at heart still something of an old-school guy. Behind the successful broadcaster lies a nasty former defensive lineman who is nicknamed “Booger” after all. And McFarland’s sensibilities were justly set askew by the Notre Dame Fighiting Irish.

Notre Dame Drops Out

After being the first team out of the College Football Playoff field, Notre Dame turned down an opportunity to play in a bowl game. Reportedly offered a slot in the Pop Tarts Bowl against a BYU team that was the second team out of the CFP field, the Irish instead decided to take their metaphorical ball and go home. Enter Booger with some truth bombs.

Booger’s Thoughts

McFarland elaborated in another Tweet, stating, “I understand Notre Dame being upset about the playoff but to throw a pity party and not play in a bowl game is quite a new precedent for a 10-2 football team.” In yet another Tweet, he sarcastically suggested that Notre Dame’s behavior was “really teaching the kids a great lesson.”

Florida State Stayed In

This situation is virtually unprecedented. In 2023, an undefeated Florida State team was turned down by the then-four team CFP. Amid much hand-wringing, No. 5 Florida State ended up in the Orange Bowl, where they (without starting QB Jordan Travis due to injury) were waxed 63-3 by Georgia. That said, embrassing as that performance was, Florida State did show up and play the game.

Other Bowl Dropouts

Kansas State and Iowa State also both turned down bowl bids. 8-4 Iowa State is in the midst of a coaching transition after Matt Campbell headed to Penn State and new coach Jimmy Rogers is newly hired. Likewise, Kansas State saw Chris Kleiman retire and Collin Klein begin his own tenure. Both schools were reportedly fined $500,000 by the Big 12 for turning down bowl bids.

No other team has had the audacity to say “CFP or bust” like Notre Dame. Whatever tweaks the CFP will make after a controversial season, to have teams diving out of bowls over a perceived slight is an issue that will certainly be considered. It doesn’t sound like Booger McFarland will forget Notre Dame’s decision anytime soon.

There was no way everyone was going to be happy with the final College Football Playoff rankings. In the wake of the conference championship games, it was clear that three teams, Notre Dame, Miami, and Alabama, were competing for two at-large spots. In the end, it was the Irish who got left out.

In the wake of that snub, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua ripped the selection committee, calling the rankings an “absolute joke.” Further, he’d add that the program is shocked to be left as the First Team Out.

“My feelings and the feelings here are just shock and, really, an absolute sense of sadness for our student-athletes,” Pete Bevacqua told Yahoo Sports on Sunday. “Overwhelming shock and sadness. Like a collective feeling that we were all just punched in the stomach.”

Notre Dame had entered the weekend ranked ahead of Miami, despite losing to the Hurricanes in Week 1. At No. 10 and with the Hurricanes at No. 12, the Irish sat right on the cut line. That all changed over the weekend, as BYU lost, dropping them in the rankings. That led to a direct comparison between Notre Dame and Miami, which is when head-to-head finally became a factor. Meanwhile, Alabama lost over the weekend but didn’t slip from No. 9 at all.

For Notre Dame and Bevacqua, it was inexplicable. In fact, the College Football Playoff even feels stolen to them.

“There is no explanation that could possibly be given to explain the outcome,” Bevacqua said. “As I said to Marcus [Freeman], one thing is for sure: Any rankings or show prior to this last one is an absolute joke and a waste of time. Why put these young student-athletes through these false emotions just to pull the rug out from underneath them having not played a game in two weeks and then a group of people in a room shatter their dreams without explanation? We feel like the Playoff was stolen from our student-athletes.”

Hunter Yurachek, the chair of the selection committee, spoke on ESPN shortly after the rankings came out as well. There, he did his best to explain the decision-making process.

“The first move in that (decision-making process) was we felt like the way BYU performed in their (Big 12) championship game with a second loss to Texas Tech in a similar fashion was worthy of Miami moving of them in the rankings. And once we moved Miami ahead of BYU, then we had that side-by-side comparison that everybody has been hungering for with Notre Dame and Miami,” Yurachek said on ESPN.

“And when you looked at those teams on paper, they’re almost equal in their schedule strength, their common opponent, the results against their common opponent. But the one metric that we had to fall back on again was the head to head. I charged the committee members to go back and watch that game again, the Miami-Notre Dame game because it was so far back, and we got some interesting debate from our coaches on what that game looked like as they watched it. With that in mind, we gave Miami the nod over Notre Dame in that 10^th spot.”

ESPN’s Rece Davis would counter, wondering why this was the first time head-to-head seemed to matter in this discussion. However, again, Yurachek explained it wasn’t discussed until BYU fell from No. 11, making them directly next to one another in the rankings. That process would seemingly become the issue that Davis took issue with. Given that Bevacqua feels the Playoff was stolen from Notre Dame, it appears that frustration isn’t unique to him.

Bevacqua would go on to explain to ESPN that there is frustration with the process. On top of that, they’ve not yet considered what their bowl future is going to look like.

It is easy to point to big NIL deals as an excuse for why Kentucky players don’t appear to be fully invested in the effort department as of late. I know I’m certainly guilty of it. Kentucky’s extremely high payroll is low-hanging fruit as to why this team looks like it would rather be doing anything else than playing basketball with each other.

After every embarrassing loss (the likes of which keep piling up), the term “$22 million!” gets thrown around not only from fans of opposing teams mocking Kentucky, but also from within Big Blue Nation, embarrassed that this staff appears to have totally botched their epically large piggy bank.

However, I’m not talking about the roster construction aspect of NIL frustration. Assembling basketball pieces that don’t fit is its own gigantic problem, but oftentimes, fans place blame on players’ paychecks for their lack of hustle.

The argument goes something like, “Why would that player dive on the ball for a loose ball when they are being paid a couple of million dollars?”

But the money is far from the issue.

It ain’t about the money

As Jessie J says, it’s not about the money. Former Kentucky backup point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed a $285 million dollar contract this summer, a number far exceeding anything these Kentucky players (or most humans) will ever see, and that doesn’t stop him from playing hard every night and leading his team to an NBA record-setting 22-1 start.

But even if you dismiss this hyperbolic analogy and call it an unfair comparison to liken college role guys to one of the biggest stars on the planet, look at any of the many other transfer portal rent-a-players and elite freshmen who are getting paid big bucks. Take your pick. Most of them don’t seem to be having a problem leaving it all on the line every night and winning along the way.

If this were the issue, what is the fix for this? Pay less? If a player only gets paid $500,000 instead of $1,000,000, is he going to be more motivated to hustle? To give effort? To show more pride in wearing the name Kentucky across his chest?

I don’t have that kind of money, but I don’t buy that argument. At some point, it’s not the money. It is the personalities to whom you gave the money in the first place.

Oh, and coaching too

The blame doesn’t stop with the players. There is clearly a disconnect between the coaching staff and the group of guys they handpicked to wear the Kentucky jersey. Mark Pope makes more than twice as much money as any particular player, and while it is impossible to judge effort as he stands stoically, arms crossed, on the sidelines, his post-game press conferences would suggest he cares deeply. However, he also seems lost on how to motivate his team to care.

Money doesn’t factor into poor coaching just like it doesn’t factor into poor play. However, it would be that expectations and promises associated with money do.

Mark Pope’s relentless positivity is one of his more endearing traits, but is it possible his sunshine-pumping is coming back to haunt him? Everyone spun the fact that Kentucky’s roster was 12-plus players deep as a good problem to have, but if you tell each one of them about how big a role they will play and compensate them accordingly, promises will inevitably be broken.

It’s just math. There are only 200 minutes to be played in every basketball game. Kentucky averages 72 possessions per game. Not everyone can play 30 minutes and get up 10 shots. I’m not in the recruiting room with Mark Pope, so I can only speculate as to what he is promising recruits and portal transfers, but big money often comes with big player expectations, at least in players’ eyes, and when those expectations become incompatible with reality, egos get bruised and frustration kicks in.

Ultimately, this is all just an attempt to grasp at straws. Money, expectations, chemistry, personalities, coaching, whatever. Fans and (unfortunately) coaches are searching for answers, and as of now, there is one to be found.

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee finalized the 12-team bracket on Sunday and unveiled the Indiana Hoosiers as the No. 1 overall seed. Indiana completed a perfect 13-0 season to secure the top ranking and a first-round bye alongside the Ohio State Buckeyes, Georgia Bulldogs and Texas Tech Red Raiders.

The reveal provided significant relief for the Alabama Crimson Tide and Miami Hurricanes. Both programs earned at-large bids despite recent stumbles. Alabama remained at No. 9 following a loss in the SEC Championship Game while Miami claimed the No. 10 seed after missing the ACC title game entirely.

The final selections resulted in a difficult outcome for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The committee designated Notre Dame as the first team out, ending its national title hopes despite a 10-2 record. Two Group of 5 conference champions joined the field as the Tulane Green Wave and James Madison Dukes earned the No. 11 and No. 12 seeds respectively. Tulane will face the Ole Miss Rebels in the first round while James Madison travels to play the Oregon Ducks. The remaining opening-round matchups feature Alabama visiting the Oklahoma Sooners and Miami traveling to face the Texas A&M Aggies.

The exclusion of Notre Dame immediately sparked conversation regarding the efficacy of the current 12-team model. The Fighting Irish won 10 consecutive games to close the regular season but lacked the automatic qualifier status that protected other contenders. This scenario led to instant calls for further expansion before the inaugural 12-team tournament even commenced. Prominent analysts shifted the focus from the specific teams selected to whether the format itself requires adjustment to ensure all deserving programs have a path to the championship.

Kirk Herbstreit Endorses Sixteen Team Format

Longtime ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit advocated for a 16-team postseason field shortly after the bracket announcement on Sunday. Herbstreit also appeared on The Pat McAfee Show last week and suggested that a larger format would eliminate political posturing and allow for a pure meritocracy.

He argued that the current system attempts to appease too many different groups rather than simply identifying the best squads. Herbstreit believes moving to 16 teams is the logical next step to solve the controversies that left a 10-win Notre Dame team on the outside looking in.

“It’d be great if we had 16 teams,” Herbstreit said. “Maybe that’s the next answer to get this thing up to 16 teams.”

The analyst emphasized that fans prioritize seeing the best competition over boardroom politics. His comments reflect a growing sentiment that the 12-team model still leaves room for subjective errors.

Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua shared this stance on Friday during The Pat McAfee Show, noting that there is nearly unanimous agreement among leaders to expand the field eventually. Bevacqua highlighted that a 16-team bracket would include five automatic qualifiers and 11 at-large bids. This structure would have likely secured a spot for the Irish.

The current field features intriguing matchups despite the controversy. The Tulane Green Wave will face Ole Miss in a contest defined by coaching changes. The Rebels enter the postseason with new head coach Pete Golding following the departure of Lane Kiffin.

Jon Sumrall will lead Tulane before he leaves for the Florida Gators. Meanwhile, the James Madison Dukes completed a rapid ascent from the FCS to FBS in 2022 to now earn a playoff berth against Oregon.

The first-round games are set to take place on campus sites. Higher seeds will host these contests before the scene shifts to traditional bowl venues for the quarterfinals. The winners of the opening round will advance to face the top four seeds who received byes. Indiana awaits the winner of Alabama and Oklahoma while Ohio State will play either Miami or Texas A&M.

The No. 12 seed James Madison Dukes will visit the No. 5 seed Oregon Ducks on Friday, Dec. 19.

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Alabama Crimson Tide playoff resume in question following loss to Georgia

The Georgia Bulldogs solidified a spot in the College Football Playoff with a decisive 28-7 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton earned MVP honors after he threw three touchdown passes and rushed for another 39 yards.

The result marked the first time the Bulldogs defeated the Crimson Tide in a conference title game under the current coaching regime. The loss left the Alabama offense searching for answers after the unit finished with minus-3 rushing yards.

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer expressed concern regarding how the selection committee would view the blowout defeat. The program fell to 10-3 on the season and now sits on the bubble for the 12-team field.

DeBoer argued that reaching the SEC Championship Game should not negatively impact the resume of his team. He noted that the game provided a difficult additional data point that other contenders, like the Miami Hurricanes or Notre Dame Fighting Irish, did not have to navigate this weekend.

The debate surrounding the final at-large spots intensified immediately following the final whistle in Atlanta. Analysts questioned whether a three-loss team that was non-competitive in its final outing deserves a berth over teams with fewer losses.

The CFP committee must weigh the value of the difficult SEC schedule against the lack of offensive production shown on Saturday. The Crimson Tide entered the weekend ranked inside the top 10 but now face a nervous wait to see if their season will continue.

Urban Meyer Defends Alabama Playoff Resume

During the broadcast of the Big Ten Championship Game between the Indiana Hoosiers and Ohio State Buckeyes, a prominent voice emerged to support the Alabama case. Former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer argued passionately that the committee should not punish the Crimson Tide. Meyer emphasized the difficulty of playing the Bulldogs in their home state during such a high-pressure matchup.

“You guys, you can’t penalize Bama for going to Georgia,” Meyer said at halftime of the Indiana vs. Ohio State Big Ten Championship Game. “It’s at Georgia, it’s in Atlanta. You play a great football team, you can’t do that. You set the precedent, you’re going to hear people say ‘Why go play in that championship game?’”

Meyer debated the topic with Fox Sports analyst Mark Ingram, a Crimson Tide alumnus. Ingram worried that his former team would be left out due to the nature of the loss. Meyer countered that penalizing a team for playing an extra game against an elite opponent creates a bad incentive structure for the sport. He, like former NFL coach Jon Gruden before him, suggested that the current system is flawed and calls for a significant overhaul to remove the subjective nature of the selection process.

“Get rid of the committee and have all play-in games,” Meyer said.

The former coach outlined a specific proposal that would guarantee spots for conference teams. He referenced a model created by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Pettiti.

“The committee’s got to go away. We’ve got to do a play-in,” Meyer said. “We’ve got to do, and Tony Pettiti, the commissioner of the Big Ten, came up with a 4-4-2-2-1-1 model, and that’s going to be the Big Ten gets four. One plays two, they’re both in. One gets a ring, one doesn’t.”

The Crimson Tide will find out if they’ve earned a berth in the playoff during the Selection Show on Sunday at noon ET on ESPN.

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