Home games and brand-new stakes: What we like (and do not

Last week, ESPN’s college football press reporters made their cases for the players, groups and games that they are most delighted to see in the fall. Today, they’re speaking about the 12-team playoff– what the issues with the format might be and which groups will have the ability to take advantage of the new system. They’ll likewise give their way-too-early predictions for the 12 groups that will compete for the national title.

What are you most eagerly anticipating– or what is your biggest issue– about the new format?David Hale: The argument against a playoff– any playoff– was constantly about thinning down the routine season. For the many part, that wasn’t an issue during the four-team era, though there were certainly indications of problems. In a 12-team playoff with simply 4 power conferences now– and some might argue simply 2– there’s a genuine concern games that implied a heap in the routine season before are now more about phenomenon than stakes. With 7 “at-large” bids, groups that finish third and even 4th in the SEC or Big Ten will still have a genuine shot at the playoff. That might be a good thing to a degree, but it will likewise thin down the effect of the 3 months of games that lead up to the playoff.Take last year

‘s Penn State– a team that finished the regular season ranked in the leading 10, which would have ensured a playoff bid under this brand-new system. The Nittany Lions beat Iowa (meh) and lost severely to both Michigan and Ohio State. No other games on the schedule really moved the needle. So, under the 12-team model, you ‘d have a playoff group that generally just required to win one partially impactful game all year to earn its area. Is that truly what we want?And what,

precisely, is the point of a conference title game when both teams that play in the SEC or Big Ten championship will head to the playoff? The huge Georgia-Clemson game to open the 2024 season? The outcome suggests practically absolutely nothing in the playoff conversation. In a time when other sports are frantically searching for methods to add intrigue to the regular season– baseball’s “Field of Dreams” game, the NBA’s in-season tournament, the NHL’s outdoor classic– college football has actually successfully sold off its most valuable asset (the stakes of every Saturday’s games) in favor of a larger playoff field.Harry Lyles Jr.: Hale’s issue about a watered-down regular season is likewise mine. As somebody who was in the Big Home on Nov. 25 this year, reducing stakes of rivalry games at the end of the season like Ohio State-Michigan seems like the wrong choice. With that said, I completely plan on embracing the new format and will still enjoy it, particularly once we enter on-campus games at schools that historically haven’t remained in championship or playoff contention. Those electric environments are going to be great, and are among the many reasons that I like college football. And hi, the one year we get a real Cinderella will verify all of this, right?Chris Low: This is a simple one: the on-campus games in the first round. College football was made to be used college campuses with trainees walking from their dorms to the stadium, three generations of a household tailgating in the same area they have for decades and music blasting from fraternity homes. Then there’s the atmosphere that goes along with dipping into campus locations– Clemson diminishing the hill at Death Valley, the giant”T “opening at Neyland Arena as the Tennessee players charge onto the field, Washington fans showing up to Husky Arena by boat and sailgating, Penn State white outs in Delighted Valley and the Notre Dame fight song being had fun with Touchdown Jesus looking down on a cold winter season day in South Bend. Given, it’s simply one round of on-campus websites. But at least we get one round of real, live college football pageantry.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Expense Connelly: Honestly, I’m eagerly anticipating not being almost as angry about the choice procedure

and the top of the

rankings.

The CFP committee has actually proven that when picking the leading 4 teams is especially hard– as it was in 2014 and 2023– it can make some super-strange (and, when it comes to 2023, exasperating and misguided) choices. But now it obviously has quite a bit of margin for error. Plus, with the autobids in location for a set number of conference champs, there’s a path for majority of FBS to reach the CFP no matter what the committee thinks of them. Certainly there will still be some methods for the committee to anger people. We’ll determine a way to get fired up over whoever ranks 13th, for one, and it could still screw up who gets access to the playoff from the Group of 5 level. However it’s pretty clear at this point that if we want the right 4 groups in the semifinals, we require to invite a lot more than four groups to the party, and this margin for error will be a welcome thing for my blood pressure.David’s right in that the compromise for this margin for error is that particular games end up being spectacles just and the stakes for particular, big rivalry games are reduced. But male, oh man, are the conference title races going to be fun. The Big 12 is going to have

about 10 groups that are precisely the exact same from a quality perspective. The ACC might have about 4 to 6. And thinking about how much of an advantage byes could provide for the top 4 groups(a.k.a. conference champions), there ought to still be lots of stakes for Ohio State-Michigan, Oklahoma-Texas, et cetera. I always delight in the routine season, and I’ll be shocked if I don’t enjoy it even more this fall.Andrea Adelson: While I have been in favor of a broadened playoff because the BCS, I have issues about a playoff with this many teams. Hopefully this does not sound like a”leave my lawn “argument, however the season is now going to extend into late January, players will be playing more games than ever and ultimately, I believe we

are going to arrive to the semis and championship game with essentially the exact same group of schools that would have existed in a four-team CFP. What took place to Florida State last season (and UCF, Baylor, Ohio State et al formerly)enhanced the need to expand. The four-team CFP was obviously, and extremely seriously, flawed. However 12 teams seems like a lot of, and it will only further diminish whatever outside the playoff.Heather Dinich: The larger field of competitors is going to be fan-freaking-tastic. While the sport will eventually wind up with familiar faces in the national title game, the look of fairness will make for an even more fascinating and inclusive path to it. Notre Dame need to be in usually. Big 10 groups besides Ohio State and Michigan have a chance. It’s not just Alabama and Georgia in the SEC. And the best Group of 5 team no longer deals with unrealistic requirements to enter the unique club.Which team will make its first playoff look in 2024? USC Hale: Chances are, we’ll have a handful of first-timers. Unless TCU or Cincinnati wins the Huge 12, that league will definitely send out a first-timer to the playoff. Utah, Kansas and Texas Tech need to all remain in that discussion. The Group of 5 will have a vehicle quote, too, which will put Memphis, Tulane, Boise State and others in the mix. Wisconsin, Penn State and

Iowa each

had amongst the best general records of the four-team age, however never made a playoff. That could alter in 2024. However here’s one of the most enjoyable guess: USC. The Trojans relocate to the Big 10, which could either be a difficult shift or the secret to improving its defense (by avoiding all those Pac-12 offenses). I’m favoring the latter. Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart will have an enhanced chance to lead his group to the playoff next season. AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis Ole Miss Low: Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin have actually knockedon the playoff door in 2 of the last 3 seasons. The Rebels are poised to knock that door down in 2024. They have an elite( and experienced) quarterback in Jaxson Dart. Tre Harris returns as one of the more dynamic receivers in college football, and Ole Miss beefed

up its offensive line and front 7 on defense thanks to a transfer portal haul ranked as one of the best in the nation. Kiffin has pumped life into an Ole Miss program that has actually improved in all elements, and as schedules enter 2024, the Rebels appear to have among the more workable ones in the SEC.Penn State Connelly: Growth needs to certainly produce a fun batch of first-timers, however there’s no concern it helps the Penn States of the world over all others. In the last two regular seasons, Penn State went 0-2 versus Michigan and Ohio State and 20-0 against everybody

else– that pretty much screams”annual No. 8ish seed”– and if brand-new offensive organizer Andy Kotelnicki can offer an increase of creativity and volatility on that side of the ball, the Nittany Lions should be well on their method to striking just about the exact same mark this year.Missouri( and Arizona) Adelson: Ole Miss feels like an easy choice, but how about Missouri from the SEC? An expanded playoff surely implies the capacity for a minimum of 3 (or likely more?)SEC groups to make it in. Mizzou would have made a 12-team playoff last year and is returning quarterback Brady Cook and leading receiver Luther Concern III. Another team to watch on in the newly reconfigured Huge 12: Arizona. Jedd Fisch might be gone, but Brent Brennan has actually shown himself at San Jose State and gets to work with one of the very best QB-WR duos

returning to college football in Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan Memphis Lyles Jr.: I’ll pick the Group of 5 representative and choose Ryan Silverfield’s Memphis Tigers. With SMU going to the ACC, Tulane having another year of departures after 2022’s run to the Cotton Bowl, and UTSA welcoming in a new quarterback, I think the Tigers are in an excellent position in the AAC to make a run. Quarterback Seth Henigan will be going into his 4th season as a starter on a Memphis group that’s got some weapons returning around him, like wideout Roc Taylor and running back Sutton Smith. Linebacker Chandler Martin is also returning and was a leader both emotionally and statistically on their defense. That kind of continuity could be enough to assist them continue to break through just as they did this previous season.What is your way-too-early forecast for the 12-team playoff field? Keep in mind: The 4 highest-ranked conference champs will get the leading 4 seeds AND a first-round bye. This implies each author’s leading four groups listed below are also predictions of conference champions– however that may not always show where the writer would rank those groups in his or her top 25. For example, Dinich has Utah as the No. 3 seed and forecasted Huge 12 champion, however would rank the Utes No. 7 overall.Hale First-round byes: 1. Georgia, 2. Ohio State, 3. Clemson, 4. Kansas First-round matchups: 5. Oregon vs. 12. Memphis; 6.

Texas vs. 11. USC; 7. Notre Dame vs. 10. Florida State; 8. Alabama vs. 9. Ole Miss

Low First-round byes: 1. Georgia, 2. Ohio State, 3. Utah, 4. Clemson First-round matchups: 5. Texas vs. 12. Liberty; 6. Oregon vs. 11. Michigan; 7. Alabama vs. 10. Penn State; 8. Ole Miss vs. 9. Notre Dame Connelly First-round byes: 1. Georgia, 2. Oregon, 3. Florida State, 4. Kansas State First-round matches: 5. Texas vs. 12 Memphis; 6. Ohio State vs. 11. Utah; 7. Penn State vs. 10. Alabama; 8. Ole Miss vs. 9. Michigan Adelson: First-round byes

: 1. Georgia, 2. Ohio State, 3. Clemson, 4. Arizona First-round matchups: 5. Oregon vs. 12. Boise State; 6. Ole Miss vs. 11. Florida State; 7. Texas vs. 10. Kansas State; 8. Notre Dame vs. 9. Missouri

Lyles: First-round byes: 1. Georgia, 2. Oregon, 3. Florida State, 4. Utah First-round matchups: 5. Texas vs. 12. Memphis; 6. Ohio State vs. 11. Penn State; 7. Ole Miss vs. 10. Alabama; 8

. Notre Dame vs. 9. Michigan Dinich First-round byes: 1. Georgia, 2. Ohio State
, 3. Utah, 4. Louisville First-round matches: 5. Texas vs. 12. Boise State; 6. Ole Miss vs. 11 USC; 7. Oregon

vs. 10. Missouri; 8. Notre Dame vs. 9. Alabama