Everyone loves an underdog. That is, except everyone involved with college football.

As soon as two Group of Five schools qualified for the 2025 College Football Playoff, every college football talking head started falling all over themselves to explain why they didn’t deserve to be there, didn’t belong, and shouldn’t be allowed to compete there in the future.

The TV ratings for the first round of the CFP seemed to give pundits further ammunition, especially since most of their arguments had more to do with driving TV audiences than rewarding winners.

The war against college football Cinderellas has been intense, and you can add a somewhat surprising voice to the mix: NBC Sports college basketball announcer John Fanta.

As part of a wide-ranging interview with the New York Post’s Steve Serby, Fanta shared that while he enjoys seeing Cinderella teams compete in college basketball’s March Madness, it doesn’t work the same for college football.

“I would not have two Group of 5 teams in the Playoff,” said Fanta. “I am all for Cinderella. But Cinderella exists in college basketball.

“The opening weekend of the College Football Playoff was a dud. It’s not about picking Miami over Notre Dame. Miami beat Notre Dame. What doesn’t make any sense is the committee for weeks had Miami below Notre Dame, and then put Miami in over Notre Dame. So the committee has no rhyme or reason to what they are doing. That’s my issue with the Playoff. I think the Playoff is gonna deliver great games.”

Fanta’s argument is somewhat moot, as future editions of the CFP are highly unlikely to unfold as this year’s did, thanks in large part to Notre Dame’s revised MOU and likely changes to the ACC’s selection criteria.

Also, while the Tulane and JMU games were largely uncompetitive, plenty of Power 4 schools (and Notre Dame) have laid far worse eggs in CFP games.

If there’s a villain in this year’s CFP draw, it’s the Power 4 programs that didn’t do enough to justify their inclusion, rather than the G5 schools that earned the right under the current criteria.

While transfer portal details are rare and hard to verify, the overall trend is that defensive standouts might be the bargain play over a top offense. Quarterbacks have already made deals like Darrian Mensah’s $4 million reported payday a year ago, with some speculating the market might drive over $5 million now.

But when On3sports provided a recent peak behind the curtain at the values and costs of recruiting portal talent, it was clear that defense remains the value play. On3 provided a few fascinating details.

Defensive linemen can be relatively high priced. For instance, On3 cited the reported deal of David Bailey (which some have valued at over $3 million) as the potential high side of defensive paydays. Elite pass-rushers aren’t cheap, and the $1.5 million high end value quoted by On3 is clearly contemplating that possibility.

Penn State edge Chaz Coleman is one of the players already indicated to be entering the portal who might command the type of value On3 notes. With three years of eligibility, the 6’4″, nearly 250 pound Coleman is an elite prospect. Another name nearly on that level is Oklahoma State transfer Wendell Gregory.

But defensive tackles, despite the relative scarcity of players with the physical attributes to provide lane-clogging snaps, tend to lag a bit lower than pass rushers on the college football food chain. If pass-rushing ends are still a bargain compared to quarterbacks, then defensive tackies will generally land cheaper still, with few likely to break the $1 million barrier by On3’s projection. One name that could be in that company, though, is Wake Forest transfer Mateen Ibirogba.

The massive value of the entire recruiting world, as documented by On3, lies in the secondary. Ranking defensive backs lowest of all the position groups profiled, On3 noted that vast number of defensive backs who join the portal. On3 indicates that an elite safety is probably a slightly higher value than a cornerback.

At the moment, Iowa State’s Jontez Williams is a top corner transfer, while Tennessee’s Boo Carter leads a slightly underwhelming safety class.

But at a projected value of $300,000-$850,000, a school could afford an entire secondary cheaper than an elite quarterback, at least according to the valuation reported by On3. Whatever path to the Playoff the next portal-playing team chooses, defense is clearly the economic option.

The transfer portal has radically challenged the college football landscape.

What was once a way for a few players to plead their case for a chance to switch schools has now become one of the most active free agency periods in all of sports.

Instead of needing to recruit high school students and hope the development turns them into future stars, programs can now change their entire outlook in one offseason by signing already-developed talent in the transfer portal.

For many teams like the Indianas and Vanderbilts of the world, backed by strong NIL foundations and donors, it’s been a godsend.

For the James Madison Dukes, the loveable, scrappy underdog story of the 2025 season, making it all the way to the College Football Playoff, the transfer portal is a monster that they can’t fight off.

A week after their loss to the Oregon Ducks on the road in the first round of the CFP, their fearless leader, Bob Chesney, is already drinking mimosas in Los Angeles in his new job at UCLA.

More news: Transfer Portal Prediction: CFP Team Lands 8,000-Yard QB Brendan Sorsby

More news: Transfer Portal Prediction: 5-Star Florida QB DJ Lagway Lands at SEC Rival

Beyond that, their quarterback and on-field captain, Alonza Barnett III, is transferring to join a bigger, more well-funded program in the new year.

He isn’t the only offensive player to leave the Dukes. In fact, all 11 of their starters from the College Football Playoff are either graduating or have entered the transfer portal, leaving James Madison barren.

North Texas finished 11–2 (7–1 AAC) and reached the American Athletic Conference title game before falling 34–21 to Tulane, which clinched its first-ever College Football Playoff berth.

Even so, the Mean Green closed the regular season as one of college football’s highest-scoring offenses and earned a New Mexico Bowl berth.

The team’s starting quarterback, Drew Mestemaker, led the FBS in passing yards in 2025 with 4,129 yards, throwing 31 touchdowns against seven interceptions while completing 70.2% of his passes and recording multiple 300-yard performances, including a 608-yard school and AAC single-game record against Charlotte.

With the January transfer window approaching, Mestemaker is expected to enter the portal, a move that would remove North Texas’ most productive player from its roster.

With Mestemaker set to test the transfer market after a breakout year, several potential landing spots have quickly emerged. Here are the top three:

1. Oklahoma State

Eric Morris, who coached Mestemaker at North Texas in 2025, was hired by Oklahoma State on November 25; that continuity, system fit, and Morris’s direct knowledge make OSU the most natural landing spot.

2. Indiana

Media reports and portal analysts indicate Indiana has shown “significant interest,” with the Hoosiers’ offensive profile, recent success with transfer quarterbacks, and need for a proven starter aligning as Fernando Mendoza prepares to move on to the NFL.

3. Texas Tech

A Texas product who thrives in high-volume, high-tempo passing schemes similar to what Texas Tech runs, Mestemaker feels like a logical fit. With senior Behren Morton set to move on after the CFP, Mestemaker could step in as an immediate starter for the Red Raiders.

An Austin, Texas, native and program walk-on, Mestemaker did not have a conventional high-school QB resume, but developed rapidly under the North Texas staff.

His breakout redshirt-freshman season brought national recognition, including The American Offensive Player of the Year award, First Team All-American honors, and the Burlsworth Trophy, which is given annually to the nation’s top former walk-on.

For competing college football programs, Mestemaker offers a low-risk, high-reward option at quarterback, while for Mestemaker, the decision centers on staying within a familiar system or pursuing a bigger stage.

Read More at College Football HQ

• $2.4 million QB emerges as transfer portal candidate for SEC program

• Major college football program ‘expected to hire’ 66-year-old head coach

• College Football Playoff team loses player to transfer portal

• College Football Playoff team loses starting QB to transfer portal

The Rose Bowl will feature the top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers taking on the Alabama Crimson Tide. Still, the consensus seems to be that Indiana is the darling of many fans going into the game, with underdog Alabama still seen as the traditional power.

It goes beyond that, however, for many within the Alabama program. After all, there was some debate nationally on whether this team even belonged in the College Football Playoff field. For Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard, that doubt may not be the focus, but it does motivate the Crimson Tide.

“Not necessarily,” Germie Bernard said. “We’re always just focused on us and playing our best game, but obviously, it adds an extra fuel to our fire knowing that everybody is doubting us. Nobody wants to see Bama win. We put that on our shoulder, and we just work harder.”

The narrative surrounding Alabama had been that they finished the season struggling, with a notable loss in the SEC Championship Game. The Crimson Tide even found itself in a debate with Notre Dame and Miami for the last two at-large bids. In the end, Alabama made the field but there were still questions and doubts following the team.

A win over Oklahoma in the opening round of the CFP silenced some doubt about Alabama. In particular, the way Alabama won, coming back from down 17-0. With rumors swirling around head coach Kalen DeBoer at the time, there was a growing narrative surrounding the Crimson Tide that something was wrong. So, finding a way to come from behind and win, which included a Bernard catch for the ages, helped solidify that the Crimson Tide belonged there.

Kalen DeBoer knows he now needs to get the best he possibly can out of his team. So, in a recent appearance on The Triple Option, he broke down how to get the best out of his team in the College Football Playoff.

“Well, yeah, and, again, we started out slow, but I thought, really, the last two and a half to three quarters, we really played well, we really played team football. And that’s where it starts. I think that’s one thing we have, is we have a real team. And, you know, again, the SEC Championship was something that, you know, really was frustrating for our guys. (We) know we didn’t play our best, but, you keep working back, there’s just been these moments where the team just always rises to the top and guys are playing for each other. And, I think our guys truly believe that, you know, when you play great competition, there are going to be plays, there are going to be times and moments where it doesn’t go perfect,” DeBoer said.

“But, the other side of the ball, the other phase of the game is going to figure it out. They’re going to make an adjustment. They’re going to get back on a roll. Once we really settled in, I thought both coordinators made some good adjustments. I thought our coordinators, and our players, did as good of a job in this game as we have all season long of just staying the course but also adjusting to the moment.”

Alabama will meet Indiana in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. EST.