Here’s a controversial thought: I think the 12-team playoff is nearly perfect. Personally, I’d prefer 16, because incentivizing teams to avoid playing a home playoff game feels antithetical to the sport, but I also get the appeal of byes so it’s fine.

The problem, at least how it has played out this year and last, is that it is a format designed for five power conferences of roughly equal importance. You might have noticed that we no longer have that system.

Instead, we have increasingly bloated conferences without divisions, where we are almost guaranteed to have championship game participants decided by nuanced tiebreakers and mathematical formulas instead of head-to-head results. Even when it breaks cleanly, we often get dissatisfying rematches of games, sometimes just a week or two after the first matchup.

I don’t particularly buy the argument that the playoff has devalued the regular season – if anything, way more games matter for way more teams than ever did when only four teams got into the postseason dance – but it’s hard to argue that it hasn’t taken all the starch out of what should be the most consequential weekend of the year.

The games will still be fun, it’s college football after all, but only two games over these two days have a real impact on the playoff field. We don’t need to do the BCS thing and change the format every year as a reaction to what was off the season before, but we do need some kind of realignment to make these games matter again. If you’ve got a better idea than the current system, leave it in the comments below.

Sturgill rarely performs this song live anymore, only adding to its allure as the track that largely put him on the map to stardom. Country music is in a perpetual weird place right now and could desperately use another old Sturgill album, but he’s been off having fun dropping delightful bluegrass records and starring in season three of The Righteous Gemstones. 

Honestly, you could just make the simple tahini sauce in this recipe and throw it on just about anything. Either double the amount of chickpeas to have this on its own as a main, or pair it with a protein for a nutritionally dense dinner. With only three real steps, this is a great weeknight dinner when you don’t have a ton of prep time.

CUSA: Kennesaw State vs Jacksonville State (7 pm, CBSSN)

Current line: KSU -2.5 (flipped from JSU -1.5) | SP+ projection: KSU by 1.4 | FPI projection: KSU by 0.3

The Tennesaw dream is still alive, as the Owls sit at 9-3 heading into their first conference title game at the FBS level. Jacksonville State won the first edition of this matchup pretty handily a few weeks ago, running for 242 yards on 42 carries. The computers like Kennesaw State, but the style clash is enough to make you nervous. 

Sun Belt: James Madison vs Troy (7 pm, ESPN)

Current line: JMU -23.5 (up from -21.5) | SP+ projection: JMU by 20.2 | FPI projection: JMU by 18.4

The Dukes get an opportunity to make their case for the playoff, and are heavily favored to do so. This is probably the biggest mismatch of the championship games and, with JMU looking for style points, it could get out of hand early. Troy’s offense is particularly reliant on Rara Thomas (31 receptions, 5 touchdowns), previously seen at Mississippi State and Georgia, but JMU has more than enough talent on defense to focus on him without opening up the rest of the field.

American: No. 24 Tulane vs North Texas (8 pm, ABC)

Current line: UNT -2.5 | SP+ projection: UNT by 8.2 | FPI projection: UNT by 2.0

What a weird scenario unfolding in Tulane’s Yulman Stadium: the winner of this game will be in the college football playoff, but both head coaches have already signed deals to leave for other schools as soon as their championship hopes are over. 

On the field, this figures to be one of the best games of the year. North Texas has the No. 1 offense in the country according to SP+, which is wild because it is a metric that adjusts for opponent strength and G5 schools rarely find themselves in that stratosphere. UNT’s two best players are true freshman running back Caleb Hawkins and redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker – one of college football’s coolest stories, he didn’t start a game in high school and didn’t play until last year’s bowl game once Chandler Morris (now at UVA) entered the transfer portal.

The Mean Green don’t have a stellar defense to complement its massively productive offense, and Tulane is in the good/very good quadrant on both sides of the ball. This game will probably be decided by turnovers, and who can prevent big plays.

Mountain West: UNLV vs Boise State (8 pm, FOX)

Current line: BSU -4.5 (up from -1.5) | SP+ projection: UNLV by 0.4 | FPI projection: BSU by 4.0

It kind of feels like Boise’s last game in the Mountain West should end with a conference championship. Since joining the conference in 2011 – though they almost immediately announced a move to the Big East that never materialized – the Broncos have won or shared six titles, and will have appeared in nine of the 13 championship games held in conference history.

It looked unlikely that either of these teams would be here just a few weeks ago. UNLV sputtered after a hot start, giving up 96 points in losses to Boise and New Mexico, while the Broncos lost quarterback Maddux Madsen in the midst of their own losing streak. Both teams won their final conference games, ending up in a tie with New Mexico and San Diego State that had to be resolved by a computer formula tiebreaker.

Oh, right, the on-field stuff. Whoever gets to 35 first wins this game.

Big 12: No. 5 Texas Tech vs No. 11 BYU (Noon, ABC)

Current line: Tech -12.5 | SP+ projection: Tech by 11.7 | FPI projection: Tech by 4.3

Texas Tech is really good. Like, could win the national title good, and most people haven’t really noticed. Their only loss of the season came without starting quarterback Behren Morton against a feisty Arizona State team back in October.

BYU proooooobably needs to win this game to get into the playoff, but doing so is going to be an uphill battle. In the first matchup between these teams the Cougars could not move the ball. Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier (who wears number 47, something I just will not get used to) looked like a freshman for maybe the only time all season, turning the ball over twice and only averaging 4.5 yards per dropback. Massive running back LJ Martin (subject of a delightful Mic’d Up video series featuring his mom in the stands at games) should be fully healthy this time, though, and an upset probably requires him to do something special.

Worth noting, the Cougars might be playing with extra motivation, knowing that head coach Kalani Sitake rebuffed a Penn State offer (with some help from the Crumbl Cookies CEO) to stay in Provo.

MAC: Western Michigan vs Miami OH (Noon, ESPN)

Current line: WMU -2.5 | SP+ projection: Miami by 1.2 | FPI projection: WMU by 0.2

Miami makes its third-straight appearance in the MAC Championship, which feels pretty remarkable after losing half the team to the transfer portal and starting 0-3. Western Michigan is here for the first time since their spectacular 2016 season, where Corey Davis and company went 13-0 on their way to a New Year’s Six Bowl appearance.

The Redhawks won the first edition of this matchup – as an aside, I think we need to bring back divisions, there are way too many rematches in championship games this year – with a 17-0 run in the fourth quarter. That sets the table for what should be a fun game to have on as a second screen during the early window.

SEC: No. 4 Georgia vs No. 10 Alabama (4 pm, ABC)

Current line: UGA -2.5 | SP+ projection: UGA by 2.8 | FPI projection: Bama by 0.3

If this matchup feels a little flat for an SEC Championship, there’s a reason for that. Not only is this a rematch from earlier in the year, it’s also the fourth time in eight years that we get a Bama-Georgia tussle in Atlanta.

In a twist from previous iterations, however, both squads are far more chaotic this year than their record or talent level would suggest – each is 4-1 in one-score games and have rarely dominated matchups against quality opponents. Alabama still can’t run the ball, which paradoxically may play into their favor because Georgia stops the run better than anyone else, so they could abandon the concept altogether. An injury to Georgia center Drew Bobo could factor in on the other side of the ball, as the Dagws couldn't get their own run game going against Georgia Tech without him. Basically, this one is going to be weird.

The one oddity that could emerge here is if Georgia wins by multiple scores. Last year, the committee refused to punish teams who lost conference title games but with an increasingly tight bubble would they be willing to drop the Tide from the field? A BYU upset would further push the question, and might be the only drama we get come Selection Sunday.

B1G: No. 1 Ohio State vs No. 2 Indiana (8 pm, FOX)

Current line: OSU -4 (down from -5.5 at open) | SP+ projection: OSU by 0.9 | FPI projection: IU by 0.1

We could see a slugfest or a shootout in Indianapolis, and neither would be particularly surprising. With the limited information we have through 12 games, it’s hard to call this anything but a game between the two best teams in the country. 

Weirdly, this is maybe the game with the least stakes of the whole weekend because both teams are getting byes, but also potentially the most impactful for how we view the playoff as a whole. If Ohio State wins comfortably, everyone is on notice for the start of a Buckeye dynasty. If Indiana can at least do some damage, well, then we wonder if Ohio State’s (relatively) cushy schedule might have masked underlying issues and the field suddenly feels pretty wide-open.

Ohio State has the most efficient passing offense in the country, maximizing quarterback Julian Sayin’s absurd accuracy and ball placement to offset a just fine running game, but rarely pushes the ball downfield. That could be trouble against an Indiana defense that is seemingly only susceptible to big plays – of the 11 touchdowns allowed by the Hoosiers this year, six of them came from at least 44 yards out.

ACC: No. 18 Virginia vs Duke (8 pm, ABC)

Current line: UVA -3.5 | SP+ projection: UVA by 7.3 | FPI projection: UVA by 1.5

Somehow, Virginia (Virginia!) getting into the playoff is the normal outcome here. A Duke win would put the committee to the test, as only the five highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed a bid. Based on the most recent rankings, that would have James Madison in the field over a 9-5 Duke team that lost to UConn and Tulane. Would they actually leave the ACC out of the bracket entirely?

On the field, Virginia holds the advantage nearly any way you slice it. Duke has a sensational quarterback in Tulane transfer Darian Mensah, and a couple of future NFL players on defense, but the Cavaliers have been consistent all season on both sides of the ball.

Things aren’t entirely wrapped up with the class of 2026, with another signing window still to come in February, but the vast majority of top recruits are now committed and signed to their future teams. A couple takeaways:

🥇 Full 247 composite rankings here, probably the most useful shorthand to view classes since this accounts for rankings by every major recruiting service.

🏆 Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans pulled the top-rated overall class, ending the SEC’s 17-year run with the recruiting crown.

⚓ Vanderbilt pulled the biggest coup of the week, flipping top overall QB Jared Curtis from Georgia. He is, unsurprisingly, by far the highest-rated signee to ever step foot on West End. You might remember the previous holder of that belt, but more for his work on the microphone than play on the field.

😫 Turns out, going on 55 days without hiring a head coach is bad for recruiting. Penn State signed just two players, with a large portion of its class now headed to Blacksburg with former coach James Franklin. The Nittany Lions’ 155th-ranked class is historic in its futility, just ahead of Army and Prairie View A&M, as the last power conference team to finish even in the triple digits was Wake Forest in 2004.

No. 14 South Dakota State at No. 3 Montana (2 pm, ESPN+)

On October 24, the Jackrabbits were 7-0 and looking forward to a No. 1 vs No. 2 matchup with fellow FCS titan North Dakota State. They would lose that game 38-7 and drop the next four as well, putting their postseason hopes in serious jeopardy. An overtime win against North Dakota (as always, in the FCS you’re going to need to be able to differentiate between lots of Dakotas) got them into the field, and with quarterback Chase Mason finally healthy they again look like a true title contender. Bad news for Montana, who also looks like a viable title contender, to draw this matchup so early in the tournament.

The remainder of the games should absolutely be on your radar, but are best consumed like the first round of March Madness: keep the scoreboard up on a second screen and flip around to whatever game is closest at the given moment.

No. 12 Villanova at No. 5 Lehigh (Noon, ESPN+)

No. 11 South Dakota at No. 6 Mercer (Noon, ESPN+)

North Dakota at No. 4 Tarleton State (1 pm, ESPN+)

Illinois State at No. 1 North Dakota State (1 pm, ESPN+)

No. 10 Abilene Christian at No. 7 Stephen F. Austin (2 pm, ESPN+)

Yale at No. 2 Montana State (2 pm, ESPN+)

No. 9 Rhode Island at No. 8 UC Davis (10 pm, ESPN2)

Jackson State vs Prairie View A&M (2 pm, ESPN2)

Winner goes to the Celebration Bowl, officially styled as the Black college football national championship,  against South Carolina State. Jackson State has been a SWAC power since Deion Sanders arrived, and has largely maintained the momentum built by the two years Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders spent on campus. Prairie View has mostly struggled in the modern era – though, as noted earlier, they are now recruiting on par with Penn State – with its last SWAC title coming in 2009.

Praise be, we enjoyed these things, some of which require a subscription.

The Sickos Committee put together a must-watch video of every safety in college football this year. Jack White’s halftime performance at the Lions game on Thanksgiving rocked. Pete Volk talked to Taskmaster contestant Ania Magliano on exactly how the show rewires your brain. The Fried Egg, one of the best outlets for recreational and professional golf going right now, put together a roundtable on the best moments of Rory McIlroy’s magical 2025 season. Shea Serrano’s venerable Good Movie series hits Remember the Titans, which, despite being very heavy-handed handed even for a live-action DIsney movie, is still a film that makes me feel real emotions anytime it shows up on TNT. Hey, remember when MACtion was must-see TV? Split Zone Duo unpacks what went wrong and why the conference feels particularly irrelevant in the current college football landscape. The Bitter Southerner put together a list of the best southern albums of 2025, you should listen to all of them.