Will The College Football Playoff Expand To 16 Teams?
“It seems like 16 may be the preferred number, but there’s no format decision," according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
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Curt Cignetti
Head Coach, Indiana
During head coach Curt Cignetti’s initial season at the helm of the Hoosiers last fall, Indiana eclipsed a double-digit win total for the first time in program history.
Now, on the heels of an 11-2 go-around combined with a College Football Playoff appearance, Cignetti’s offense is primed to evolve even further under Cal transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
In a recent interview with Greg McElroy, Cignetti explained that he and his staff are working to create increased opportunities for their signal caller to use his legs — an option that was utilized across just 0.25% of all snaps with former gunslinger Kurtis Rourke.
“I think, with [Mendoza], you’re going to get some of [the quarterback run] without even calling it,” Cignetti told McElroy. “You know, we’re having a big discussion on the quarterback draw, and when you look at your pocket passes and how many times he runs for big gains — you know, why do you even have to put it in, right?”
Cignetti said he plans on moving Mendoza around more, giving him increased looks to launch from different points outside of the pocket or take off with his sizable 6’5” frame.
Boise State’s Culture
The Broncos finished spring ball with the 95th ranked transfer portal class nationally, but the program’s most important offseason victory came from staving off potential suitors for veteran defensive tackle Braxton Fely.
Fely earned second-team All-Mountain West honors as a junior a season ago, and he concluded the campaign with 24 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks.
Although Fely briefly entered the transfer portal in early April, he withdrew his entry just three weeks later.
He narrowed his interest down to Cal, Georgia Tech, Miami, Ole Miss, TCU, and Texas A&M, but ultimately, Broncos’ head coach Spencer Danielson convinced Fely to “come home” in a decision that had “nothing to do with NIL.”
Now, Fely will join five incoming transfers across Boise State’s defensive line in preparation for the fall.
Justice Haynes
Running Back, Michigan
CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer recently identified 10 potential breakout stars who could shake up this year’s College Football Playoff race, with Michigan running back Justice Haynes headlining the group.
Haynes, a former five-star recruit, joined the Wolverines this offseason after a two-year stint at Alabama. Over the last two seasons, he compiled 616 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, while averaging 5.9 yards per carry.
Throughout his short career in Tuscaloosa, Haynes averaged 3.4 yards after contact — a mark that will serve the bruiser well against physical Big Ten defenses.
“He’ll have far more opportunities to carry the ball in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and should be the focal point for one of the country’s best rushing offenses,” Hummer noted.
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Gametime Announcements
No program has appeared on Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” more than Ohio State, and to the dismay of the scarlet and gray faithful, it doesn’t appear that distinction will change any time soon.
On Monday, Fox announced it will be airing the Buckeyes’ likely top five, week-one matchup against Texas as a part of its “Big Noon Kickoff” package. Traditionally, the battle would’ve been a shoo-in for a primetime kickoff slot.
Fox’s resistance to flex some of the top Big Ten contests to primetime has fractured the network’s relationship with some of the conference’s most loyal fans.
Since “Big Noon Kickoff’s” inception in 2019, 12 top 10 games have been played at noon Eastern Time.
Heightened College Football Playoff Expansion
According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, each Power Four conference commissioner met in New York last Thursday to discuss future format amendments to the College Football Playoff.
While reports surfaced this offseason that the 12-team field would likely expand to 14 soon, Dellenger reported that the idea of a 16-team model is “getting support.”
The Big Ten and SEC allegedly “control the future format,” and would receive four automatic bids each with a 16-team bracket in place.
Aside from the two super conferences, the Big 12 and ACC would each warrant two automatic selections and the Group of Six would receive one, leaving three at-large spots up for grabs.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel echoed Dellenger’s findings, stating that, “It seems like 16 may be the preferred number, but there’s no format decision [yet].”
While increased playoff participation could enhance the postseason’s quality, it borders a fine line of whether inclusion would be considered prestigious or inflationary.
Between The Numbers 📊
85%
The Buckeyes are currently rolling on the recruiting trail.
Last week, Ryan Day landed the services of four-star wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt from Santa Ana, California.
247Sports ranks Dixon-Wyatt as the sixth-best pass catcher in the country, and the addition now gives Ohio State 11 four or five-star pledges out of its current 13-man class.
Ohio State’s 85% blue-chip ratio is the highest of any competing recruiting class with a minimum of 10 commitments.
Aside from Dixon-Wyatt, the Buckeyes hold commitments from three other four-star wide receivers, who all rank as top 10 prospects in their respective states.
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Tommy Tuberville | Senator, Alabama
“College football is the heart and soul of America — but it’s in danger if we don’t level the playing field.”
Last week, CBS Sports confirmed that former Alabama head coach Nick Saban and chairman of the Texas Tech board of regents Cody Campbell will serve as co-chairs to President Donald Trump’s commission into college athletics.
According to Yahoo Sports, the commission will examine prominent issues facing college sports, including the transfer portal, unregulated booster compensation that goes directly to athletes, the employment of college athletes, and Title IX.
Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville, who previously served as the head coach at Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech, and Cincinnati, is a staunch supporter of reshaping college athletics’ modern landscape into a more sustainable model.
Per the report, the president is also considering issuing an executive order “aimed at greater scrutiny towards NIL deals,” but NCAA president Charlie Baker believes that any executive action would need congressional involvement.
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me by email at adam@brenemanmedia.com.
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Shoutout to Connor Krause for helping to write this newsletter and putting it together!
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