2025 College Football Playoffs Discussion (12 Team Format)

[gmen6981]

SEC Shorts finally in with the first round video.
Lost my shit with "Battered Aggy Syndrome" with the snow shovel.

 

[ScriptOhio]

The Group of Five belongs in the CFP, but there's no room for Cinderella

Why modern college football is not built for the 'little guy' anymore

www.cbssports.com

Group of Five schools belong in the College Football Playoff, but a modern Cinderella is unlikely​

Why modern college football is not built for the 'little guy' anymore​

A mere mention of the term "Group of Five" makes certain sects of the college football fandom flare up. There is a seemingly eternal debate -- especially around the College Football Playoff -- surrounding whether Group of Five programs deserve the same level of access as their Power Four counterparts.

The arguments can become impassioned and are often the source of long chains of back-and-forth on social media. Make no mistake: this writer stands firmly on the side that the Group of Five needs some sort of representation in the College Football Playoff. Anything less would completely delegitimize over half the schools in the FBS.

Thanks to some ACC shenanigans, an unprecedented two Group of Five squads made the 12-team field. No. 11 Tulane suffered a 41-10 loss to No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 12 James Madison put up a good fight in a 51-34 road defeat at the hands of No. 5 Oregon. The Dukes did fall behind 34-6 late in the second quarter.

Neither Tulane nor James Madison performed terribly, even if the final scores tell a different story. The Green Wave moved the ball well offensively -- they had 421 yards of total offense to Ole Miss' 497 -- but several back-breaking mistakes prevented them from capitalizing. James Madison could have rolled over after digging itself into a deep hole early. Instead, the Dukes outscored Oregon, which kept its first team on the field for a majority of the game, 28-17 in the second half.

Moral victories don't count for much in a single-elimination format. Unfortunately for the Group of Five, moral victories are the closest it will get to College Football Playoff success. Modern college football isn't built to support Cinderellas.
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Expanding the College Football Playoff field won't fix this issue. College football's postseason isn't March Madness, where a smaller team can get hot while making an inspiring run deep into the tournament.