
Big 12 ending media poll all about distrust of College Football Playoff system
On the surface, it's a sensible trend.
Back in the day, preseason polls were considered crucial in generating interest and getting the public back up to speed on college football after an eight-month hiatus. But now, given the intense year-round coverage of the sport, expansion of the College Football Playoff and the automatic bids that go to conference champions, you can make a solid case that preseason polls have outlived their usefulness and simply exist as fodder for the content machine.
Many fans will say, 'Good riddance.'
But the Big 12's decision is also part of a different trend, which we've seen across all the power conferences this summer and is actively harming college football: Distrust of the postseason system they built.
The brass-knuckle truth about why the Big 12's coaches and athletics directors voted to eliminate their preseason poll is that that last year, their conference champion Arizona State was picked last by the media. Meanwhile, preseason favorite Utah struggled to a 5-7 record.
Inside the Big 12, there's a belief that the upside-down nature of last year's conference title race – which, admittedly, the voters got very, very, very wrong – created a perception that the league wasn't very good. As a result, Arizona State did not get enough respect from the CFP committee and, more problematically, Brigham Young got even less.
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Though Alabama's exclusion (and the SEC's subsequent hissy fit) has driven almost all the offseason dialogue over last year's CFP selection process, there's an argument to be made that BYU had more of a gripe.
Without doing a full autopsy, the Cougars were 10-2 with a pair of losses by a combined nine points and a head-to-head win over SMU, the team that got the final at-large spot. We can debate whether that made BYU more playoff-worthy than Alabama, but it's more than fair to say BYU didn't get nearly as much consideration as it should have – either by the committee or the media, which ranked the Cougars 17th.
Did the Big 12 get the short end of the stick last year because Arizona State was ranked 16th in a preseason poll and BYU was 13th? I'm skeptical.
But people in the Big 12 believe that. Just like people in the SEC now believe that they're not getting credit from the committee for their strength of schedule. And just like people in the Big Ten now believe that they need four automatic bids in the proposed 16-team iteration of the CFP because they believe it's harder to play nine conference games than the SEC's eight.
See where this is heading?
At the SEC's spring meetings this year, we actually had an athletics director – Florida's Scott Stricklin – suggest in an interview with Yahoo! Sports that a committee might not be the right vehicle for choosing the postseason field.
'I question whether it's appropriate for college football,' said Stricklin, who – wait for it – served on the committee from 2018-21.
Explaining his position further, Stricklin claimed that football was different from other college sports because there's a longer season in basketball or volleyball, so the committees that put together those postseason tournaments have more available data to consider.
But Stricklin has this completely backwards. The relative lack of data available in a 12-game college football, and thus the need for human interpretation, is the very reason why a committee is the best way to choose the CFP.
Pretty much everyone in the sport agreed with that notion more than a dozen years ago when the CFP was formed and the commissioners flatly rejected using statistical models or computer rankings to pick the teams.
In fact, the opaque use of computers in the Bowl Championship Series formula was one of the big complaints of the pre-College Football Playoff era. Nobody wanted decimal points on someone's hard drive deciding a national championship. The entire idea behind a committee was that actual people were best suited to look at a season and judge which teams were most qualified.
Has it been perfect? Of course not.
But there is simply no way to boil a college football season down to one number or even one point of emphasis when every conference schedules differently and there are even significant disparities within a conference now that they all have 16-plus teams.
As long as that scheduling model exists, the only way to effectively run the sport is for the conferences to empower a set of impartial human eyes to make decisions and then accept their work regardless of which league it favors in a given year.
College football has brazenly moved away from that ethos this summer. The SEC's strength-of-schedule propaganda campaign has felt unnecessary and desperate, arguably one of the most embarrassing moments for the league in the last two decades. The Big Ten trying to strong-arm its colleague conferences into four automatic playoff bids cuts against the very idea of competition and threatens to make college football's postseason look more like WrestleMania. And now the Big 12 thinks its issue is a perception problem, not a football problem, so they're going to get rid of a preseason poll – as if the committee ever cared about that in the first place.
Expanding the CFP from four to 12 was a no-brainer. But moving the arguments for or against teams into the margins has come with an unintended consequence. Nobody believes in the system they built, so instead they'll attempt to game it.

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USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Predicting the 2025 Colorado football season with EA Sports' College Football 26
What record does College Football 26 give the Colorado Buffaloes? Nobody quite knows what the 2025 season has in store for the Colorado Buffaloes. Can they continue to build off the success established last season, or will the losses of stars to the NFL be too significant for them to overcome? However, with the release of College Football 26 from EA Sports, although we may not get a perfect picture, we can certainly try to gauge an idea of how the game expects this season to unfold. So as a part of our 2025 season preview at Buffaloes Wire, that's exactly what we did. So let's jump into the virtual world of college football and see what EA Sports' simulation engine has in store for the Colorado Buffaloes, led by virtual coach Kirk Patrick. Week 1: vs Georgia Tech, 27-20 OT win If one thing was clear through this simulation, EA Sports thinks Colorado fans will need two things for the 2025 season: ponchos and heart medication. Trailing 13-3 at halftime, the Buffaloes rallied from behind, ultimately tying the game on a strike from Kaidon Salter to Utah State transfer wideout Jack Hestera with 1:04 left in the game. The Yellow Jackets won the toss for overtime, electing to play defense first, but were no match for a Salter and Micah Welch-led ground attack. After Welch found paydirt, the Buffaloes' defense did their job on the ensuing possession to lift Colorado to 1-0 on the season. Week 2: vs Delaware, 27-21 win It was another slow start for the Buffaloes at Folsom Field, where the Blue Hens looked to pull off a stunner, leading 14-7 at halftime. However, the second half was all Salter, throwing and running for a touchdown while Welch struggled on the ground. A pair of field goals from Alejandro Mata and an interception by Carter Stoutmire sealed this one in the Buffaloes' favor, moving the team to 2-0. Week 3: at Houston, 28-21 loss Another rainy contest, Colorado was dominating this early Big 12 matchup at the half, 14-7. Welch had an impressive game, running for 73 yards and a score on just six carries. However, as the clock wound down, Zeon Chriss and the Cougars found their way forward, running through the heart of the Colorado defense. Though the teams traded interceptions late in the contest, Houston took possession of the ball and a 28-21 lead into the two-minute timeout. The Buffaloes got stops on first, second, and third down, but on fourth, a 43-yard scoop from Chriss iced the Buffaloes' 3-0 dreams. Week 4: vs Wyoming, 31-24 win The Buffaloes must have been licking their wounds to begin this one, letting the Cowboys hang around for most of the game. Salter was excellent, bouncing back from his poor performance in Houston to complete 75% of his passes to the tune of 237 yards and a score. Colorado's defense finally stepped up and forced two fumbles, both recorded by cornerback Preston Hodge, which were key in helping the team move to 3-1 on the season. Week 5: vs No. 11 BYU, 13-10 win The first of the Buffaloes' matchups with a top-25 ranked opponent comes early, with an undefeated Cougars team entering Folsom Field. This game was a defensive chess match, with the Buffaloes' X-factor ultimately being Salter, who scored the only Buffaloes touchdown of the day on a pass to Omarion Miller. Despite Welch only running for an abysmal 18 yards on 16 carries, Stoutmire made a game-sealing interception late for the Buffaloes' first win in the Big 12 Conference, and moving them to 4-1 on the year. Week 6: at TCU, 23-20 win Much like their 2023 contest, this was a back-and-forth battle right down to the end. Down 20-16 late in the fourth quarter, Salter marched his team down the field to get into the red zone just before the two-minute timeout. From there, the Horned Frogs' defense clamped up, forcing the Buffaloes into a desperate fourth-and-7. Like he's done all season in the simulation, Salter remained calm and found sophomore wide receiver Joseph Williams in the end zone for a 17-yard game-winning touchdown with 1:45 left to play. Just like that, Colorado was rolling to a 5-1 start on the year. Week 7: vs No. 16 Iowa State, 40-34 loss I said Colorado fans would need heart medication for this season, and this was a game they should keep those meds close by. This doozy of a contest saw Colorado have plenty of opportunities to beat Iowa State, including getting the ball down six under two minutes to go. However, the cardiac Buffaloes didn't have it in them this week. Colorado trailed for a majority of the game, which meant that Salter had to throw the ball 41 times, and it wasn't his best outing. Two interceptions, including one in the red zone, killed the momentum of the Buffaloes' offense and allowed Iowa State to escape. The lone bright spot in this one was the emergence of the so far silent Miller, who caught six passes for 144 yards and two scores. Week 9: at Utah, 30-7 loss Fresh off a bye week, Colorado should have walked into Rice-Eccles Stadium looking for vengeance after letting the opportunity with the Cyclones escape their grasp. Instead, they walked in half-asleep and let the Utes have their way with them. Colorado fell behind early and stayed there, leaning on Salter to throw it 35 times, which, as we've seen, isn't a recipe for winning. Salter got his one interception out of the way early, but it was catastrophic for the team's momentum. Throw in an untimely Miller fumble, and this is one that Buffaloes fans would rather forget. Week 10: vs Arizona, 28-14 win If last week was when everything went wrong for Colorado, this week, it all clicked. An early interception by Wyoming transfer Tyrecus Davis gave the Buffaloes' offense the ball early, and they did not disappoint. Welch finally had a great game, running for 85 yards and a score on 24 carries. Salter was back to his pre-Iowa State form, dealing for 199 yards, two scores and another touchdown on the ground. Stoutmarie caught his third interception of the year to seal a dominant win for Colorado over Arizona, finally putting them back on the right track. Week 11: at No. 25 West Virginia, 20-14 loss In a barnburner in Morgantown, this was by far Salter's worst game of the season. Two disastrous interceptions late in the game, which I'm sure had the virtual fans clamoring to see true-freshman Julian Lewis. Welch went down with an injury, which saw Dallan Hayden step into the starting role for the next two games, and he was equally as ineffective. Miller posted another massive receiving effort, with his nine catches for 151 yards and a touchdown, single-handedly keeping Colorado in this contest. The defense held up their end of the bargain, but the offensive woes continued for the Buffaloes as they fell to 6-4. Week 13: vs Arizona State, 30-27 win The Colorado Buffaloes trailed 20-3 going into the locker room at halftime, struggling to produce much offense as the Sun Devils threw all over their defense. The second half continued to be a separate story as Miller put the team on his back, hauling in seven catches for 63 yards and a touchdown. While the running game continued to struggle, Salter put together another solid performance, throwing for over 230 yards and two touchdowns. Davis caught his second interception of the year late to stifle the Sun Devils' comeback efforts and move the Buffaloes to 7-4 on the year. Week 14: at No. 24 Kansas State, 26-24 loss Colorado has been known for their comebacks this season, and it looked like they were on their way to another miraculous victory. Colorado took the lead with under a minute and a half left to play, with Hayden bruising his way into the endzone to give them a 1-point lead late. While the Buffaloes' defense was fantastic in this one, with Davis, Hodge and D.J. McKinney all snagging interceptions, they folded late. A march from Avery Johnson moved the Wildcats down to the goalline, where they kicked the game-winning field goal with just 27 seconds left on the clock. Colorado's chances of a ranked finish to the season appeared to go by the wayside. Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: vs Florida State, 25-22 loss Maybe it's prophetic that Coach Patrick's season was ended by the real Coach Prime's alma mater. Both teams traded scores in this one, and much like their game against Kansas State, Colorado held the lead late. The Salter to Miller connection was as sweet as candy, connecting seven times for 104 yards and a score. However, even another interception from McKinney wasn't enough to hold back Thomas Castellanos and the Seminoles. Castellanos marched his team down the field using all three timeouts to score the would-be game-winning touchdown with just a hair under a minute to play. End of season record: 7-6 overall, 4-5 Big 12 Well, that's certainly one outcome for the Colorado Buffaloes' season. It is also one I don't think many fans would be satisfied with. I'll make the disclaimer that I didn't make any changes to the depth chart; instead, I allowed things to play out as if the Week 1 depth chart were permanent. It also appears that the running stats are slightly off in the simulation engine, as no matter which running back played for the Buffs, they would not average more than 3 yards per carry. Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith ended up winning the Heisman Trophy, and if you're wondering, Texas Tech beat Penn State 24-18 in the national championship. College Football 26 provided quite an interesting take on the 2025 season, and if it's any solace for Buffs fans, Nebraska finished 4-8, so this simulation wasn't a total loss. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.


USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
One Big Ten game to watch each week of the 2025 season
Before you know it, the start of a new college football season will be kicking off and the chase for a spot in the College Football Playoff will be underway. The Big Ten landed four teams in the playoff field last eyar with Penn State, Ohio State, Orgeon, and Indiana all representing the conference. Ohio State won it all and Penn State reached the semifinal round. The Big Ten should once again be prepared to send multiple teams into the playoff, and each week of the season should have something to say about it along the way. If you only have time to invest in one game on the Big Ten schedule each week this season, then here are the games you should probably be locking in on this fall. Week 1: Ohio State vs. Texas This is the layup to start the season. A College Football Playoff rematch between defending national champion Ohio State and potential preseason SEC favorite Texas will get the College GameDay treatment and send Lee Corso off into retirement. This is the game of the week in college football to start the season. Week 2: Michigan at Oklahoma The second week of the season sees Michigan making a trip to Oklahoma for a matchup of two blueblood programs each looking to get back to the top of the college football world. This is a solid litmus test for each program early in the year and one that will give the Big Ten or the SEC some potential bragging rights a week after the Ohio State-Texas showdown in Columbus. Week 3: Wisconsin at Alabama A third-straight Big Ten-SEC matchup is on the calendar this season when Wisconsin travels to Alabama in Week 3. The Badgers were no match for the Crimson Tide last season in Madison, and this one could also be a bit more lopsided than fans will want to see. But it is the highlight of the week for the Big Ten schedule. Week 4: Nebraska vs. Michigan Michigan and Nebraska take the field in one of the first Big Ten conference matchups of note this season. I am a bit bullish on Nebraska this season, as you will see, and Micigan is hoping to be riding some early-season momentum that could be fueled by a road win at Oklahoma. Week 5: Penn State vs. Orgeon Beaver Stadium will be rocking for this primetime whiteout game featuring a Big Ten championship game rematch between Penn State and Oregon with early-season Big Ten championship and playoff stakes on the line. Odds are probably pretty good that ESPN's College GameDay could make an appearance at this game as it is one that everyone will be looking forward to. Week 6: Ohio State vs. Minnesota Ohio State has had the upper hand on Minnesota in a lopsided fashion, but the Gophers have the potential to be a little pesky. File this one under sneaky interesting this season. Could the Buckeyes be looking past Minnesota before next week's game? Week 7: Illinois vs. Ohio State Ohio State hits the road to take on an Illinois program that is continuing to build something under head coach BRet Bielema. Could Illinois pull a surprise against the Buckeyes and open the Big Ten race wide open the rest of the way? This could be a tricky road trip for Ohio State. Week 8: Iowa vs. Penn State Speaking of dangerous road games, Penn State is well aware of how difficult a road trip to Iowa can be. That should be the case here as the Hawkeyes hope to slow down Penn State's offense and use a grinding offensive style to keep the Nittany Lions on the ropes. If this game gets played under the lights, brace yourself for three hours of absolute torture and suspense. Week 9: Michigan State vs. Michigan This in-state rivalry game has lost some of its luster in recent years, but it is always worth keeping an eye on. If Michigan gets off to a good start with some of the games already mentioned, then the Wolverines could be establishing some identity and making a move for Big Ten and playoff contention once again at the expense of a rebuilding Michigan State. Will Bryce Underwood be cemented as the quarterback by now? We'll find out. Week 10: Ohio State vs. Penn State Arguably the game of the year in the Big Ten, Penn State looks to rattle its Ohio State skeletons in a true house of horrors against its biggest obstacle during the James Franklin era. This could be a potential top-five matchup and is almost certain to see College GameDay pay a visit for a record-setting 14th time. Week 11: Penn State vs. Indiana There are two games worth paying attention to here. And if things go Penn State's way the previous week, then the Nittany Lions will take the top spot again as last year's feel-good story Indiana visits Beaver Stadium. The other game to watch closely will be Oregon's road game at Iowa. Again, if that game gets played in primetime, the Ducks could get the full Kinnick Stadium experience for the first time as a Big Ten member. Week 12: USC vs. Iowa Let's say Iowa causes some chaos in the Big Ten this season and scores at least one home upset against Penn State or Oregon (or both!). That would likely put Iowa in the playoff driver's seat as they head to the West Coast to face USC. This is the perfect letdown setup for Iowa coming off a home game against Oregon the previous week. Meanwhile, what will the Trojans actually be at this point in the season? Could USC be making some noise of its own? Week 13: Penn State vs. Nebraska As I alluded to earlier, I have a positive outlook for Nebraska this season. The schedule is somewhat favorable for Nebraska to be making a trip to Happy Valley with a very respectable record and a top 25 ranking. And the playoff push could very well be on for Penn State coming down the final stretch (and maybe Nebraska too). So this game will be very important for both teams heading into the final week of the season. And it could be cause for a second visit from College GameDay. Week 14: Michigan vs. Ohio State The game of the week every year in the Big Ten in the final week of the regular season remains Ohio State-Michigan. The Wolverines look to keep their winning ways against the rival Buckeyes at home this season. Will Michigan be playing spoiler for Ohio State, or will the Buckeyes snap the losing streak to Michigan and build some momentum going into the postseason? Obviously, the loss last year was a bit of a fire lit for the Buckeyes' championship run, but Ryan Day could still use a win against the hated Wolverines to silence any remaining critics one more time. Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads

NBC Sports
7 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Deion Sanders wants NFL-style fines for uniform violations in college football
When he was an NFL player, Deion Sanders was fined multiple times for uniform violations. Now that Sanders is the Colorado head coach, he'd like to see such fines brought to college football. Sanders said at Big 12 media days that he dislikes how many players in college football wear their pants down only to their thighs, with nothing covering their knees. 'Let's do something about the uniforms,' Sanders said. 'We've got guys in biker shorts. That makes me sick because I'm a football guy — I played this game at a high level and I have so much respect for this game. How can we allow guys out there in biker shorts, no knee pads, no nothing, literally pants up under their thighs, and that's cool?' College football officials could enforce the uniform rules by throwing flags on players who don't wear knee pads, but Sanders said he'd like to see the rule enforced with fines. 'I think there should be a fine implemented for that stuff, and let's have more respect for this tremendous game,' Sanders said. Sanders has also said he wishes the NCAA had a salary cap, and that the NCAA would adopt NFL playing rules. As college football becomes more than ever a professional sport, Sanders wants to go all the way and make it as close to the NFL as it can possibly get.