Well, a big congrats is in order to Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes, as last night, they were crowned national champions as they defeated Notre Dame 34 to 23. So now that the 20 2425 season is in the books, we take a look at our way to early 2026 national champion odds because it cannot come soon enough. The odds are currently in the Buckeyes favor to go back to back at plus 450. You see there behind that tied for the second best odds at plus 650 are the Texas Longhorns and Oregon Ducks. Before we look ahead to next season in college football, let’s go ahead and look back at the first year of the 12 team playoff that resulted in the Buckeyes being crowned, and for that, we welcome in our own Chip Patterson.
Chip, it is so great to see you. So now that the first year of this new format has concluded, we can finally have some real opinions of how it all played out. There was a lot to take away from the new bracket, the format. So what did you learn? Number one thing I think I learned is that the good teams won.
That was one thing I was a little bit nervous about, right? That it would produce a fluky champion or a champion that was not deserving. And I do have some issues with the seeding and the overall format itself. But the fact that we’ve got an Ohio State team that started the year up in the top two, that spent almost the entire season inside the top four, and that went through a path that I would argue was the most difficult possible path taking out Tennessee, then Oregon, then Texas, and eventually Notre Dame. They went through this season and took out six of the top ten teams in the final AP poll.
If you include the regular season that this Buckeyes crew looked down bad after the loss to Michigan, but to be able to rally like they did, I do think that the College Football Playoff, in its 12 team format, has given us a worthy champion, and that is a good thing. Now, I think there’s a lot that can tweak be tweaked about this, especially when we look at the way the seedings work out, how we might get more competitive matchups.
And of course, Jordan trying to get a few more of those great on campus home environments as a part of this. But all in all, if all’s well that ends well, having Ohio State as the national champion is a good representation of this football season. Most definitely.
And I’m so glad to hear that we can kind of both agree here. On the new College Football Playoff. It did its job to keep fan engaged and vested. However, I am glad that you did bring up the seeding because this format itself, specifically the seeding, kind of saw all the issues and now it’s bringing up some questions, as you mentioned, to some potential changes that are coming to the 12 team playoff. But what do you want to see changed?
Chip I’ve got two requests. Number one is absolutely the seeding because you know who it screwed over the Big Ten champion Oregon Ducks and the SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs. And we cannot have a postseason format that that is creating disadvantages for the conference champions of the two best conferences in all of college football. Because if you look at the way the rankings lined up, as opposed to the seedings, number one, Oregon had to face number six, Ohio State.
Instead of having to go up against a number eight or number nine seed if it were more closely tied to the rankings.
And Georgia, well, they had to play Notre Dame, which was ranked number three in the AP poll heading into the playoff, number two versus number three in a 12 team bracket. We’re not even supposed to see that matchup until you get to the semifinals. Now, why did that happen? Because of, you know, the complicated and in my opinion, overly complicated seeding format. It sent Notre Dame from number three all the way down to number seven.
That allowed for Ohio State not to be one of the top 5 or 6 teams, but instead get kicked down to the 8 or 9 spot. All of this because Boise State gets a fast pass, Arizona State gets a fast pass. And of course, the Fighting Irish not permitted at all to have a top four seed because of the conference championship qualifier. Do I think conference champions do deserve an automatic bid into the bracket? Yes, because then you still get that conference play bonus from being able to get it done during the regular season.
But do I think that gets you a fast pass to the quarterfinals? No. I think that if we line up our seedings and our rankings, two things will happen. Number one, I think fans will be less confused when we’re unveiling the rankings in November. That was a real tough hurdle for a lot of common fans to get over.
But number two, we’re going to get better matchups and more fair matchups for all the top teams, especially those conference champions. Obviously, these are some of the things that we would like to see changed.
But in terms of the committee, can you give us some insight, Chip, as a timeline of like maybe when some changes will be made? Great question. So there’s already been one meeting this past week.
We got nothing. A lot of like we’re hearing you, we’re hearing you, we’re hearing you. There is one meeting coming up in April.
There is another meeting coming up in May. They do have the ability to be able to call a meeting by teleconference at any time.
But this is the detail that’s important in order to make any changes for the 2025 season, the College Football Playoff needs to have total unanimous voting in favor of this, and that is why I don’t know if we’re going to get a change to the seeding format before 2025, because unfortunately, what motivation does the Mountain West have to be able to change that opportunity to get your conference champion into the quarterfinals? What motivation did the big 12 and the ACC have to change a format where those who are really being hurt were the champions from the Big Ten and the SEC. Now, when it goes to 2026 and beyond, you don’t need a unanimous vote. You just need a majority according to the bylaws. So, Jordan, we’ve got meetings in April, we’ve got meetings in May, we’ve got a list of complaints and a list of issues that also include maybe working with the NFL.
So you’re not having your semifinals on a Thursday and a Friday night. So we may get some answers in April and May, but I am very concerned that it might just be no changes at all for 2025, because they’re not going to get everybody on the same page. All right. We will wait and see and we know you will keep us posted. Chip Patterson on all of the latest.
Let’s go ahead and pivot here to what next year brings. Because college football fans everywhere next season just can’t come soon enough for us, especially Texas Longhorns fans. As the Archie Manning era officially begins right now on CBS sports.com, our own Dennis Dodd released his Way Too Early top 25 rankings, and the Longhorns chip are in that top spot. They will open their season, as we know, against the national champs and the Ohio State Buckeyes, taking over the starting quarterback position in Austin comes with immense, unfathomable expectations.
Always. So do you think Arch Manning will live up to that hype? Yes I do, I think that Texas is rightfully going to be placed either at number one, number two, or at worst, number three. That is because of the expectations for the former five star prospects, the flashes that he has shown us with his size, his athleticism and his playmaking.
But one thing that I think makes Texas that much more substance than simply flash and celebrity name, is the way that Steve Sarkisian has built this team year over year.
He shows up to Texas and immediately he understands that in order to prepare the Longhorns for the Southeastern Conference, he has to change the way they are built at the line of scrimmage. That’s where you get that’s where you get Byron Murphy De’vondre sweat.
That’s where you get a Vernon Broughton and Alfred Collins. That’s where you see these defensive lines be able to go 6 or 7 deep with high level players and the offensive lines as well. Texas had injuries to Kelvin Banks to Kam Williams all along the offensive line.
And they had a next man up mentality that worked because they’ve got the size and they’ve got the bodies that are ready to go play even in the SEC. So even with injuries along the lines of scrimmage this year, they showed their depth. Being able to make it to the SEC Championship game, finishing as the SEC runner up, then making it to the semifinal. So when I think about Texas competing for a national championship next year, is Arch Manning a big part of it? You daggum right, but what I believe is that the DNA and the core of the foundation of this Texas program, and the reason why they can be successful is because Sark built them up at the line of scrimmage, and that is how you get sustainability.
Most definitely.
And we know Manning is no stranger to expectations right now. Longhorns with the second shortest odds to win next year’s national championship. You know we work our way down. Dennis Dodds, Way-too-early top 25 college football rankings at that third spot.
I’ll say it again, the third spot for next season, you will find the Miami Hurricanes with, of course, new quarterback former Bulldog Carson Beck leading them. I’m kind of shocked with this ranking here. Chip, do you agree with Dennis? Disagree. Big game Dennis Dodds the best in the business taught me about everything that I know.
But I got to think this is a lot of confidence in the Pop Tart bowl runner up that they’re going to be able to level up to all of a sudden being able to compete for conference championships and national championships.
This is a Miami team that has to fix the defensive side of the ball. And while they have made a coaching change at defensive coordinator, there has not been enough personnel for me to feel like Miami is well-rounded enough. Also, when you go from cam Ward healthy to Carson Beck coming off elbow surgery, I am not ready to vote. My confidence that Miami is going to go out there putting up 550 yards of offense, just like they did.
So to me, this is not a just add water. You know, drop Carson Beck in there and he’ll be the special sauce to take you over the top. I think there were issues with Miami this year that had to be addressed where I don’t have answers, and I think that the Carson Beck post surgery concerns are real. You just saw in that graphic Miami is a top 20 team. Sure.
Put them on your top 25. I’ll take it. But they are not inside my top ten. And a lot of it is because of my Carson Beck injury concerns and the fact that the defensive side was so poor that I don’t know, changing coordinators will be enough to be able to fix that. It’s a couple fair points that you bring up there.
We always welcome disagreements here on CBS sports HQ, so we’ll see if Dennis Dodd proves us wrong. Just quickly here, Chip. We’re running out of time. You’re way too early pick to win next year’s national championship.
I’m going to go with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
I think that Marcus Freeman showed us in that Monday night game. A lot of freshmen, a lot of sophomores, a young core that is ready to go out there and keep this thing rolling. Now, losing Riley Leonard will bring up a big question at the quarterback position. But look at Jaden Greathouse. You know, look at some of those young receivers Jordan Faison the way that they stepped up against a great Ohio State defense, I think Ohio State is losing a lot of seniors, much less lost on the Notre Dame side.
If we look at last night’s competitors, give me the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. That’s my way too early title pick for 2025. I don’t hate it. I do not hate it. Chip Patterson, thanks so much for all of the insight.
As always, you don’t have to wait till next season for more college football talk. Chip and the guys always have you covered on the cover three podcast. Get all the latest surrounding the greatest game. Scan the QR code on your screen.