The first two games in the first round of the 2025 College Football Playoff were pretty competitive. The final two games, however, were not.
For FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt, No. 6 Ole Miss’ 45-10 drubbing of No. 11 Tulane and No. 5 Oregon’s decisive 51-34 victory over No. 12 James Madison put a damper on what should’ve been an exciting weekend for the sport. With Tulane and James Madison losing in the fashion they did, Klatt believes the playoff format needs to be reconsidered.
“It was a tough day for the Group of 5,” Klatt said. “It was a tough day for the creators of this playoff. It was a tough day for the leaders of college football. All of us sat there and were like, ‘How do you continue to screw up what is so obviously an easy fix?’ I think that this playoff is not built right.
“I got into all sorts of hot water this week when I said, ‘In college football, we don’t want Cinderellas.’ I’m right. Did you watch the last two games of the first round? Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Texas and BYU were just sitting at home watching Tulane and JMU play in games in which they were overmatched. That’s not cool.”
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Within the present iteration of the 12-team CFP, the 5 highest-ranked convention champions obtain an automated berth. Within the overwhelming majority of different seasons, the winners of the Energy 4 conferences (ACC, Large Ten, Large 12, SEC) and the highest-ranked Group of 5 champ would obtain these automated bids.
This yr’s subject noticed 8-5 Duke throw a wrench into issues by successful the ACC. Duke wasn’t ranked within the closing CFP ballot, whereas No. 20 Tulane (AAC champion) and No. 24 James Madison (Solar Belt champion) have been ranked larger, placing them within the playoff. However, it is price noting there have been noticeable flaws with each groups.
Tulane went 11-2, with one among its losses coming in a 35-point blowout to Ole Miss earlier within the season. James Madison, in the meantime, went 12-1 earlier than the CFP, however did not beat an influence convention staff all season lengthy.
With that rule in place, Tulane and JMU made the CFP over Notre Dame and BYU, who have been the eleventh and Twelfth-ranked groups, respectively, within the closing CFP ballot. Each groups completed with related information as Tulane and JMU (Notre Dame: 10-2, BYU: 11-2), with every selecting up wins over a staff ranked within the prime 16 of the ultimate ballot.
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Whereas Notre Dame and BYU had higher resumes forward of the CFP, Klatt did not wish to blame the Group of 5 groups for the losses. Somewhat, he continued to level on the construction of the CFP subject as the largest concern.
“They do not want our charity. They do not want our pity,” Klatt stated. “JMU and Tulane, sadly, at the moment are going to be regarded as these groups that received thrown on the market within the School Soccer Playoff. It is not their fault. It is the fault of the individuals who constructed this construction, clearly.
“JMU is an effective soccer staff for what they’re — competing within the Solar Belt, competing for a championship within the Solar Belt, which they gained. Similar for Tulane, to compete within the American, which they gained. That does not imply they’ll go and beat Ole Miss on the street and beat Oregon on the street.”
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What occurred with the 2 Group of 5 groups this yr was barely totally different than what occurred final season. Boise State was ranked ninth within the closing CFP ballot in 2024 after getting a top-25 win and practically beating Oregon on the street en path to securing a playoff bid. Boise State was capable of grasp round with Penn State within the quarterfinals as effectively, with the Nittany Lions solely securing an insurmountable lead late in that recreation.
Klatt, although, thinks that groups like Boise State is likely to be the anomaly transferring ahead with regards to Group of 5 groups.
“They should play in superior shut video games, semifinals and championships. Not go as much as Oregon and get their doorways blown off,” Klatt stated. “Credit score to [James Madison], as a result of they stored taking part in laborious they usually scored just a few instances and performed fairly effectively within the second half. That is superior. Guess why? As a result of that is a proud and good soccer staff for what they’re.
“The Group of 5 and Energy 4 are rising vastly aside. This isn’t the outdated days [when] Boise State was like, ‘Oh, they might go and beat anyone on any given day.’ That is not what we now have anymore. Because the switch portal opened, what we now have are the haves and have-nots. These colleges and that stage of soccer are being raided.”
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So, with that in thoughts, Klatt has a transparent answer as to what must be finished transferring ahead to keep away from related first-round blowouts: Both have a playoff for the Group of 5 groups, or set a better commonplace for them to make the CFP.
“Go play your personal playoff, which might be superior, and it might be superior for them,” Klatt stated. “If that is not what the answer is, then we’d like a prerequisite with a view to get into the School Soccer Playoff. Identical to the Olympics. Do you know that you have to run an Olympic time earlier than you possibly can then be within the trials and qualify by means of your nation to go and be within the Olympic Video games? Like in observe and subject?
“Properly, we’d like this in school soccer. We had the twentieth and Twenty fourth-ranked groups within the nation. If you wish to hold entry for the Group of 5 on this playoff, then simply say in the event you win your championship and also you’re within the prime 15, then you possibly can go play within the School Soccer Playoff. However till then, you simply get what we received to this weekend. And I did not suppose that was honest for Tulane or JMU.”
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