Seismic shift in the college football landscape

[jvols5]

As a Tennessee fan, I don’t want the rest of the SEC to dominate.

Yes, I agree, but I used to be one of those all SEC guys, but seeing as it would somehow help us, but it didn't from the wonderful yrs of 08 until Heupel. Now my mindset is screw them all cause it doesn't mean crap. I only want Tennessee to do well and that's it

 

[Chickenfarmer]

It is about the money to buy and keep a talented roster. Playoffs are survival of attrition. Someone is going to be injured and really change the mechanics and chemistry of a great team. It’s hard to build a team where it’s next man up in this era of NIL and Portal where no one except Arch is willing to wait his turn.

 

[NEO]

SEC went after mercenaries. Most were in it for theirselves.

I think the higher rated guys now are in it for NIL and the lower guys don’t get NIL and are playing to get notice and just drafted.

As an example do anyone work harder on D the Will McBride?

It almost bit OSU as multiple almost sat out but decided to play due to more NIL money.

 

[VolPack22]

Alabama and no Clemson?!

Love it

It really wouldn’t matter who it is. Ohio State would have waxed anyone.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

If they just did away with the automatic byes to conference champions we would see a lot better playoff imo. I’m cool with giving the top 5 conference champions automatic bids any format that allows teams to vault several spots in front of them is a joke. Just rank them 1-12 and match them up accordingly. Whenever the number 1 team in the country is playing number 6, while number 4 gets to play 9 in the second round. That’s a big problem. Oregon should have been playing the winner of Indiana/Boise State but gets stuck playing the winner of Ohio State/Tennessee. And Georgia should have been playing the winner of Tennessee/SMU instead of the number 5 team in the country. You get punished for being the number 1 and number 2 team and it shouldn’t be that way.

The problem with that is if they do that, they take away any importance to the conference championship games. I guess they could say winning your conference still grants you an automatic bid, with no bye guarantee, but let's be honest, most teams who are good enough to win their conference title game would probably be getting in anyway.

 

[hUTch2002]

I love this part of modern college football. It's a very swing sport. I think what the SEC has been will be impossible to replicate. Any year, any conference or team can turn it around.

Agreed. As my granny always said, the worm will squirm, meaning things will always change. The SEC has been the best conference for a while but it won’t always be, just like the SEC has now risen to the best basketball conference while that has not historically been the case. Granted, the major shift in conferences has created less competition so it’s the Big 10 and SEC with a big gap to 3rd. I still think the SeC is best overall but I could easily see that shifting to the Big 10 in the next couple of years but it also might just be a down year for the SEC. Overall, it really doesn’t matter. As long as UT wins I don’t care which conference is better.

 

[hUTch2002]

The problem with that is if they do that, they take away any importance to the conference championship games. I guess they could say winning your conference still grants you an automatic bid, with no bye guarantee, but let's be honest, most teams who are good enough to win their conference title game would probably be getting in anyway.

I think you still give weight to conference championships so if 2 resumes are similar you give the nod to the champ. Also, with how the conferences are currently set up the only way you get buy in from the non Power 2 conferences is the auto selection as they’d rightfully fear their champ being left out for a 4th or 5th Power 2 team.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

These matchups would have led to more competitive games outside of Ohio State since they are blowing the doors off everyone it seems. If you don’t see that then you are just trolling.

1st Round:
Notre Dame vs Arizona State
Ohio State vs Alabama
Tennessee vs SMU
Indiana vs Boise State

2nd Round:
Oregon vs Indiana
Georgia vs Tennessee
Texas vs Ohio State
Penn State vs Notre Dame

I can’t possibly take anyone seriously if they are still advocating for that shitheel Bama team to have made the playoffs. That would have been a joke and an absolute disgrace. In fact it’s a disgrace that any alleged Tennessee fan would still be carrying water for that moribund program.

You’re sitting here and arguing the playoff would be much better if we got to see Georgia dominate Tennessee again and got to see Texas v Ohio State and Penn State v Notre Dame. We have already seen that first game I listed and will see the other two next week. Unless you really wanna see Indiana and Oregon, I don’t see how this playoff you laid out is any better aside from the perspective of Tennessee fans.

 

[JohnWardForever]

Can't buy that. GA had the same problem TN had at Ohio State. No WR open and OL could not hold long enough so a sack happened. Saw GA QB make some very nice throws. I think problem was GA OL.

Beck would have gotten the ball off quickly, accurately, not panicked, and the whole team would have played better with no concern for a journeyman playing QB in a National Championship Semifinal. And everyone here with a football IQ knows it.

 

[VolPack22]

I can’t possibly take anyone seriously if they are still advocating for that shitheel Bama team to have made the playoffs. That would have been a joke and an absolute disgrace. In fact it’s a disgrace that any alleged Tennessee fan would still be carrying water for that moribund program.

You’re sitting here and arguing the playoff would be much better if we got to see Georgia dominate Tennessee again and got to see Texas v Ohio State and Penn State v Notre Dame. We have already seen that first game I listed and will see the other two next week. Unless you really wanna see Indiana and Oregon, I don’t see how this playoff you laid out is any better aside from the perspective of Tennessee fans.

This is why nobody takes you seriously. You try to twist everything people post and it’s a bit embarrassing at this point. Alabama was the 11th ranked team according to the CFP committee. I have never advocated for them to be in. Where did I say they deserved to be in? Now you are just making assumptions. Tennessee vs Georgia on a neutral field with Georgia’s backup QB. Idk how you can legitimately say that wouldn’t have been a competitive game the second go around. Indiana vs Boise State would have 100% been competitive. Oregon vs Indiana/Boise State would have been more competitive than that Ohio State matchup. ND vs ASU would have been competitive. You are just a troll.

 

[THEONLYTENISEE]

Yes, I agree, but I used to be one of those all SEC guys, but seeing as it would somehow help us, but it didn't from the wonderful yrs of 08 until Heupel. Now my mindset is screw them all cause it doesn't mean crap. I only want Tennessee to do well and that's it

Look at Clemson, they don’t need Miami and FSU to be good to make the playoffs.

 

[VolPack22]

The problem with that is if they do that, they take away any importance to the conference championship games. I guess they could say winning your conference still grants you an automatic bid, with no bye guarantee, but let's be honest, most teams who are good enough to win their conference title game would probably be getting in anyway.

This year proved conference championship games are obsolete. All of the conference champions in the CFP went 1 and done. Championship games will be the way of the dodo bird whenever this thing expands again in 2026. It will soon turn into championship weekend. The top 2 teams from the SEC and Big Ten will be in the CFP while teams 3 through 6 in those respective conferences will be playing “play-in” games and each conference will get 4 teams in automatically.

 

[Firebirdparts]

Saturday Down South had an interesting article on fixing the playoffs. 1st take 4 highest seeds not the 4 highest conference champs as the bye teams. Then let the bye teams pick where they want to play and who they want to play of the first round winners, starting with the #1 team picking 1st. This would have led to UT playing Boise St at home. This probably would have led to UGA playing UT again in the Peach Bowl, assuming UT beats Boise St.

Reducing to 8 would make more sense. In fact, 4 would be more than enough. I know that’ll never happen.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Reducing to 8 would make more sense. In fact, 4 would be more than enough. I know that’ll never happen.

Cap it at 16 and no byes. I think that is that is better solution.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

This is why nobody takes you seriously. You try to twist everything people post and it’s a bit embarrassing at this point. Alabama was the 11th ranked team according to the CFP committee. I have never advocated for them to be in. Where did I say they deserved to be in? Now you are just making assumptions. Tennessee vs Georgia on a neutral field with Georgia’s backup QB. Idk how you can legitimately say that wouldn’t have been a competitive game the second go around. Indiana vs Boise State would have 100% been competitive. Oregon vs Indiana/Boise State would have been more competitive than that Ohio State matchup. ND vs ASU would have been competitive. You are just a troll.

I would rather have competitive semifinal and final games than competitive first round games. I would rather see a conference champion Clemson in over a weak Bama team. If that isn’t serious enough for you, then so be it.

 

[sami]

Agreed. As my granny always said, the worm will squirm, meaning things will always change. The SEC has been the best conference for a while but it won’t always be, just like the SEC has now risen to the best basketball conference while that has not historically been the case. Granted, the major shift in conferences has created less competition so it’s the Big 10 and SEC with a big gap to 3rd. I still think the SeC is best overall but I could easily see that shifting to the Big 10 in the next couple of years but it also might just be a down year for the SEC. Overall, it really doesn’t matter. As long as UT wins I don’t care which conference is better.

I don't get this Big 10 love the national media is desperately pushing and people are actually buying into. The Big 10 is Ohio State, a couple of good programs who can beat up on bad schedules (Oregon, Penn State), a few more decent ones (Illinois, USC, Michigan, maybe Indiana and Nebraska), and a whole lot of dreck.

Indiana and Oregon were exposed, and Penn State is only still playing due to getting the two weakest teams in the playoff. This idea of pretending that this year proved that the Big 10 is on the same level as, or "surpassed" the SEC, is utterly absurd.

But that's the power of national media narratives when they are hammered home over and over, I suppose.

 

[Orange-U-Glad]

SEC has discovered the price of parity this year—still has great talent, but spread among more teams. OSU has had great top recruiting classes and bought at least three players to fill the holes. Have the best receivers by a wide margin. It is possible that PSU and OSU are in the finals, which will make the media salivate over the great BIG. For years the rest of the conference rode Bama and UGU’s coattails.Now the rest of the BIG will do the same with their top 2-3 teams.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

I have never understood the whole I like the SEC and want it to be successful crowd. Why would you want any team besides TN to win?

 

[sami]

The problem with that is if they do that, they take away any importance to the conference championship games. I guess they could say winning your conference still grants you an automatic bid, with no bye guarantee, but let's be honest, most teams who are good enough to win their conference title game would probably be getting in anyway.

No they don't. Clemson isn't in the playoff except for the CCG win, and neither is ASU. The two SEC and Big 10 teams will both always already be playoff teams, but seeding can be affected in the CCG's. Why should teams that would have been ranked #9 and #12 be rewarded with byes?

It made the event ridiculous because it penalized the (at the time) best team and #1 seed, and rewarded the two CCG losers with free rides into the semis due to facing inferior 'conference champs'.

If the goal is placating lesser conferences, then leave it as it is. But if the goal is rewarding the strongest teams and having the best event, then those auto byes have to be eliminated.

 

[perico]

Tbh I think Texas has the horses to run with OSU. They got some dudes in that secondary. Doesn't mean they will stop OSU but I think they'll probably be the best secondary OSU faces. I can't wait to see the playcallers go at it in this one

I was at the Texas playoff game. They will get absolutely boatraced by OSU if OSU shows up. Neither Texas nor AZ State were championship caliber. It was a great game, but if those were 2 of the best teams this year, then talent is down all over.

 

[Doctrippin]

I am watching the playoffs and, like everyone else, watching the SEC drop like flies. Texas, who wasn't even in the SEC this time last year, is our only saving grace. We've seen wilder things this season. Vandy beating Bama. Ark beating us. etc. The playoff is not being dominated by the SEC as we would have imagined at the beginning of the season. We didn't even dominate the number of teams from one conference in the playoff. What's up with that?
I believe that we are seeing a permanent shift in the football landscape. One where the SEC isn't head and shoulders above the rest. More than 50% of the National Champions from the last 20 years are from the SEC. Our reputation was well earned.
The NIL era is going to level the playing field. Not every backwater team will have success, but the days of the biggest powerhouse teams dominating the conversation are on the wain. The transfer portal is going to keep teams from hoarding talent. If you're a starter for an unknown team, you can get recognized by bigger schools and transfer in. If you're a top recruit that finds yourself buried in a depth chart, you can find a slightly less talented team and become a starter, turning them into contenders. If you're a top player that is a starter, you can go where the money takes you. The SEC was where you wanted to go to play if you wanted the best shot at a championship. Now championships take a backseat to immediate money. In the Saban era, 5* players would ride the bench because they statistically stood a certainty to win a ring while they were there. Bear Bryant would recruit players he didn't even want to keep them from playing on other teams. Now players won't wait. They want playing time.......now. How can you ask for more NIL money if you aren't on the field?
The reality is that teams from regions where they don't have competition for NIL donors is going to thrive. Teams in economically strapped areas will not likely be competitive. states with deep pockets like Texas, Florida, California, Michigan, etc will always be good. Places like Arkansas, Nebraska, the Carolinas etc will always be squeezed for cash. Even take a state like Alabama and ask, " how does a smaller less affluent state like that support 2 major programs with enough NIL money to be contenders?" I don't think they can in the long run. Look how quickly Bama fell off already. Over the next 4-5 years teams will get by on depth of fan base and the power of their brand name. But as we go a few more years, and the teams lose their luster, the money machine will slow down. All those bandwagon Bama fans that sprung up all over the country aren't donors.

Ultimately, over the next 5 years, we are going to see parity in college football. We will go from 10-15 teams being legit contenders every year, to something more akin to the wild, wild west. Teams will need to be just good enough to get into the playoff. Then it's a crap shoot. The era of teams like Bama/Georgia/Clemson creating dynasties are over.

The least well-positioned team IMO is MS State. Starkville is a hard place to recruit to anyway, and now they have to compete on NIL as a smaller market school. Vandy has the wealthy alumni donor base they can tap, and Clark is really starting to do that. State is the new Vandy

 

[VOLINVONORE]

While I agree with a lot of this, it is hard to grasp from just 1-2 years.

I definitely thing Alabama/Clemson run is probably over. I think Texas is just getting started and Texas A&M could build something under Elko. We are starting to make some noise. I feel like we are not pulling in the talent yet and it is probably more of a slow build than a fast one. I think Auburn could have a breakout year.

Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, all three, stand to win big in this system as all three schools are loaded with money and the B1G, while strong at the top, is weaker at the bottom. Penn State and the West Coast teams could fit into that picture to a lesser degree. Heck, even Nebraska could, eventually, make a comeback.

Big12 just doesn't have the pedigree to win a title but could make noise with a few teams every so often. ACC still has some big names but we will see if FSU, Miami, Va Tech, or any of their stronger programs can do anything. ACC seems like such a waste of potential. They have teams in almost every Atlantic Media Market (well they did until they lost Maryland) and half their league is in the player heavy south. Why the ACC isn't a stronger football league has always befuddled me. It might be too late for them now with the new TV deals and expansions of B1G and SEC.

I am not sure Texas has the coaching to win a Championship. They have talent and depth at all positions. However, they make a lot of strange calls , especially on offense and seem to blow the big hames. It reminds me of Texas A&M when they recruited a lot of talent but never registered 9n the championship column. Talent is required, but it also has to be well coached.

 

[adam.vol]

Ultimately, over the next 5 years, we are going to see parity in college football. We will go from 10-15 teams being legit contenders every year, to something more akin to the wild, wild west. Teams will need to be just good enough to get into the playoff. Then it's a crap shoot. The era of teams like Bama/Georgia/Clemson creating dynasties are over.

The rich tend to get richer. Sankey screwed the SEC terribly by allowing the Big 10 to have greater representation over the playoffs selections and matchups.

TN could have easily been given a home matchup against Penn State and Alabama could have drawn Notre Dame in a game that they would be well suited to match against. An SEC heavy playoffs committee could have also matched Texas against Indiana in the first round, while ensuring Ohio State would have to play against Oregon in the second round. We could have had 4 teams in the quarterfinals while the Big 10 would have had 2 teams playing one another and Notre Dame would be gone also. Then the Big 10 would look like a fraud.

If you’re thinking about arguing about which conference is better, you’ve missed the point. The point is that odds can be manipulated to reach a desired outcome. Sankey must have been one arrogant person to allow Michigan’s AD to chair the committee without a strong SEC presence under him.

 

[Firebirdparts]

I didn't read the whole thread, but I don't think any of what we see today is sustainable. I think the only constant thing will be agony and misery with where we are. What I mean by that is that while 150 teams can ask fans for more money, only one is the champion. Fan fatigue is coming. I don't pay anything, so I don't have a gut feel for when it's coming.

The good news is that Tennessee is one of the winners. However, Tennessee fans might still become very fatigued and angry for being top 5% instead of top 1.

 

[volbound1700]

I am not sure Texas has the coaching to win a Championship. They have talent and depth at all positions. However, they make a lot of strange calls , especially on offense and seem to blow the big hames. It reminds me of Texas A&M when they recruited a lot of talent but never registered 9n the championship column. Talent is required, but it also has to be well coached.

They have a lot of money and, I believe, the strongest NIL in the SEC. Both Texas teams are 1 and 2 on NIL.