2025-2026 College Football Season

[Donoghus]

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has decided to return to school for the 2026 season, he announced on ESPN's SportsCenter on Wednesday.

By going back to Oregon, Moore gave up a chance to be a top pick in the 2026 NFL draft. He'll project near the top of a loaded quarterback class for 2027.

"With this decision, mainly all my life has just been about being as most prepared as I can for any situation I go into," Moore told SportsCenter. "And when it comes to me making my decision, I just want to do what's best for my situation, especially as a quarterback.

I guess he must not have liked the idea of being drafted by the Jets.

Can't blame him for that. Jets organization is a dumpster fire.

Bad news for Dylan Raiola.

[Vermont Green]

I guess Moore is only 20 (21 in May).  That is pretty young for the NFL (not like the NBA).  Seems like a sensible decision.  He will be better prepared in a year.  There is some risk of course.  I guess with NIL money, the financial risk is not what it used to be.

As to who he gets drafted by, it is the Jets this year, who knows who next season.  I hope he is not doing this to try and game which team he goes to.  Would the Raiders or Cardinals or whoever necessarily be any better?

[mobilija]

I guess Moore is only 20 (21 in May).  That is pretty young for the NFL (not like the NBA).  Seems like a sensible decision.  He will be better prepared in a year.  There is some risk of course.  I guess with NIL money, the financial risk is not what it used to be.

As to who he gets drafted by, it is the Jets this year, who knows who next season.  I hope he is not doing this to try and game which team he goes to.  Would the Raiders or Cardinals or whoever necessarily be any better?

Anywhere is better than the Jets.

Hello Winnipeg Blue Bombers!

[Roy H.]

I guess Moore is only 20 (21 in May).  That is pretty young for the NFL (not like the NBA).  Seems like a sensible decision.  He will be better prepared in a year.  There is some risk of course.  I guess with NIL money, the financial risk is not what it used to be.

As to who he gets drafted by, it is the Jets this year, who knows who next season.  I hope he is not doing this to try and game which team he goes to.  Would the Raiders or Cardinals or whoever necessarily be any better?

There are franchises that are less well-regarded, but not many.  In last season's NFLPA report cards, the Jets ranked 29th, and their ownership score was an F.  That said, the Patriots ranked 31st, so a lot can change in one year (I'm presuming they get a better grade in 2026's report).

[mobilija]

I guess Moore is only 20 (21 in May).  That is pretty young for the NFL (not like the NBA).  Seems like a sensible decision.  He will be better prepared in a year.  There is some risk of course.  I guess with NIL money, the financial risk is not what it used to be.

As to who he gets drafted by, it is the Jets this year, who knows who next season.  I hope he is not doing this to try and game which team he goes to.  Would the Raiders or Cardinals or whoever necessarily be any better?

There are franchises that are less well-regarded, but not many.  In last season's NFLPA report cards, the Jets ranked 29th, and their ownership score was an F.  That said, the Patriots ranked 31st, so a lot can change in one year (I'm presuming they get a better grade in 2026's report).

Years on end the Jets have been at the bottom of the NFL landscape. I doubt there is a historically worse franchise than the Jets.

Edit: I did a little quick research. Cardinals likely worst historical franchise. But I?d likely rank Jets second. Based on playoff appearances and Super Bowls. Other contenders for worst franchise are Lions and Browns both have zero Super Bowl appearances but have a decent playoff resume. Where as Arizona and the Jets have each been to Super Bowl, the Jets won it w Namath. Both are near the bottom of playoff game, Jets 14, Cardinals 11.
Other teams with low appearances Playoffs and Supebowls are Jaguars and Texans but their relative newness to the league make it hard to rank their ineptitude next to much older franchises.

[Moranis]

The fundamental problem the Jets have is they have the trifecta for an owner i.e., he is a terrible decision maker, he meddles, and he is cheap. 

All that said, Moore should have come out.  He would have been the 2nd pick.  Next year, there is a good chance he isn't even the 2nd QB off the board, let alone the 2nd pick.

[Moranis]

Indiana hangs on and wins it's 1st national title. Big Ten now with the last 3 and 3 different schools.

On to next year.

[johnnygreen]

Indiana absolutely steamrolled their way past Alabama and Oregon. I have to admit, Miami proved they were worthy of being in the title game, as they gave Indiana all they could handle. Great championship game. Indiana was definitely a worthy champion, who showed they could blow teams out and still win close games in the clutch, which is not easy to do.

[wdleehi]

I really disliked how the officials called the game last night.   I understand "let them play" but this was too extreme.   There was way too much grabbing and holding allowed by defenders (both teams)   

[Roy H.]

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- With a Friday deadline looming, the Big Ten and SEC remain deadlocked about the future format of the College Football Playoff following Sunday's annual business meeting of CFP leaders.

"Still more work to do," Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said as he exited past more than a dozen reporters waiting outside the meeting room of the Lowe's hotel in South Beach.

The Big Ten and SEC have the bulk of control over the format in 2026 and beyond because of a memorandum of understanding that was signed by the 10 FBS commissioners, including former American Conference commissioner Mike Aresco, and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua. If Petitti and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey can't agree on a format by Friday -- an extended deadline imposed by ESPN, the sole TV rights holder -- the playoff will stay at 12 teams for at least another year.

There is overwhelming support in the room for a 16-team playoff to begin as soon as 2026, sources said, but the Big Ten won't agree to it unless the SEC agrees to a 24-team format three years later. Sankey and Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, the chair of the CFP's board of managers, have stated publicly that the SEC would prefer a 16-team model. Sources have said Sankey doesn't want to commit to a 24-team field now, and Sankey wasn't immediately available for comment following the meeting.

"This was not a deadline day of any kind," Keenum said after the meeting. "So they're still talking. We anticipate discussions will continue, and they will make a decision to stay at 12 or go to some other number."

A 24-team field would require the conferences to eliminate their championship games, and that's something that has been highly valuable for the SEC. Some in the room also have concerns about how a 24-team field would impact the regular season, sources said. When asked for the SEC's position on a 24-team field, Keenum said he didn't want to "get in front of my commissioner as he's having these conversations on this matter as to what number it will be."

I'm cool with 16, but 24 seems like too much. 

[Donoghus]

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- With a Friday deadline looming, the Big Ten and SEC remain deadlocked about the future format of the College Football Playoff following Sunday's annual business meeting of CFP leaders.

"Still more work to do," Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said as he exited past more than a dozen reporters waiting outside the meeting room of the Lowe's hotel in South Beach.

The Big Ten and SEC have the bulk of control over the format in 2026 and beyond because of a memorandum of understanding that was signed by the 10 FBS commissioners, including former American Conference commissioner Mike Aresco, and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua. If Petitti and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey can't agree on a format by Friday -- an extended deadline imposed by ESPN, the sole TV rights holder -- the playoff will stay at 12 teams for at least another year.

There is overwhelming support in the room for a 16-team playoff to begin as soon as 2026, sources said, but the Big Ten won't agree to it unless the SEC agrees to a 24-team format three years later. Sankey and Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, the chair of the CFP's board of managers, have stated publicly that the SEC would prefer a 16-team model. Sources have said Sankey doesn't want to commit to a 24-team field now, and Sankey wasn't immediately available for comment following the meeting.

"This was not a deadline day of any kind," Keenum said after the meeting. "So they're still talking. We anticipate discussions will continue, and they will make a decision to stay at 12 or go to some other number."

A 24-team field would require the conferences to eliminate their championship games, and that's something that has been highly valuable for the SEC. Some in the room also have concerns about how a 24-team field would impact the regular season, sources said. When asked for the SEC's position on a 24-team field, Keenum said he didn't want to "get in front of my commissioner as he's having these conversations on this matter as to what number it will be."

I'm cool with 16, but 24 seems like too much.

College football decision makers rank right up there with the dumbest people in sports.  24 teams is ridiculous.  The playoff schedule right now is insane. 

Having your national title game 7 weeks after the regular season ends is nuts and the national title game is even later next year (Jan. 25th).  Any momentum you have for your sport is long gone when you're taking almost two weeks between rounds and planting your national title game the Monday after the NFL playoffs.  How much sports talk yesterday was focused on Indiana/Miami rather than what happened over the weekend with the NFL divisional playoffs?

Not to mention the whole concept of having your transfer portal open up in the MIDDLE of your playoff schedule.

[Moranis]

The 24 model would be no conference championship games and would seemingly allow more of the non-power teams a seat at the table.  Still seems like toi many, but it really is just 1 more week than 16 which is covered by removing the CC week.

[Roy H.]

The 24 model would be no conference championship games and would seemingly allow more of the non-power teams a seat at the table.  Still seems like toi many, but it really is just 1 more week than 16 which is covered by removing the CC week.

I think conference championship games add more than watching a bunch of lousy teams play in a bloated playoff.

Adding four more teams this year would have worked.  Notre Dame and Texas, at least, were teams that could win on any given Saturday.  But, imagine adding *12* more teams this year?  What the hell is the point?  I presume this would have been the playoff field:

Indiana (13?0)
Ohio State (9?0)
Georgia (12?1)
Texas Tech (12?1)
Oregon (11?1)
Ole Miss (11?1)
Texas A&M (11?1)
Oklahoma (10?2)
Alabama (10?3)
Miami (10?2)
Notre Dame (10?2)
BYU (11?2)
Texas (9?3)
Vanderbilt (10?2)
Utah (10?2)
USC (9?3)
Arizona (9?3)
Michigan (9?3)
Virginia (10?3)
Tulane (11?2)
Houston (9?3)
Georgia Tech (9?3)
Iowa (8?4)
James Madison (12?1)

Is there any value added beyond that next four?  Here's the "extra eight":

Utah (10?2)
USC (9?3)
Arizona (9?3)
Michigan (9?3)
Virginia (10?3)
Houston (9?3)
Georgia Tech (9?3)
Iowa (8?4)

Those teams don't do it for me.

[Moranis]

 Some of the value may be giving the top 8 a bye. Now the bye has not been favorable, but if you give the bye teams a home game and move the game up a week or two, I think you will see much greater effect.  I imagine that is part of the Big Ten thinking.  Also, it took some weird stuff in the CC for Miami to even make the playoff and then they went on a deep run.   So who knows, what can happen. 

16 looks fine to me, but 20 wouldn't be bad if it guaranteed at least 6 conferences are represented.  12 byes and the bottom 8 more inferior teams play an extra game. 

[Moranis]

Started looking at next year and my Buckeyes have an incredibly difficult schedule (ranking is final ap poll this year)

Road games - 1 Indiana, 12 Texas, 17 Iowa, 20 USC, Nebraska
Home games - 4 Oregon, 21 Michigan, 26 Illinois,  Maryland, Northwestern, Ball St, Kent St

So they play every Bug Ten team that finished this year ranked along with the return game with Texas and Illinois that is tanked in coaches poll and just missed ap poll.  I know year to year is harder to predict, but that looks rough.