College football has been through the wringer with so many drastic changes — from NIL to conference realignment — that seemingly even Kirk Herbstreit is losing faith.
It’s safe to say that the sport we recognized even just a half-decade ago is completely different from the one fans see today.
For the College Football Playoff, the committee that decides seeding has long been accused of not weighing strength of schedule evenly, and instead, simply looks at end-of-year wins and losses, completely discounting the context of difficult seasons.
As a result, challenging non-conference games could be the next casualty.
Take the Texas Longhorns, who are entering conference title game weekend at 9-3 with no real path to the playoff — after they lost two SEC games following their narrow week one road defeat against Ohio State. Had Texas simply scheduled an FCS or Group of 5 opponent — like numerous other teams — they would likely be 10-2 and on their way to the postseason.
The Alabama Crimson Tide made headlines in this area when they moved their 2026 game against South Florida — one of the nation’s best non-Power Four Programs — all the way to 2032, and replaced it with Chattanooga instead.
Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN’s “College GameDay” and game broadcasts pointed this out on his X account and issued a stern warning to the decision makers of college football that this is only the beginning.
“Get ready to see this happen all over the sport,” Herbstreit wrote. “If it’s only about how many wins ya have and not who you’re playing and where you’re playing you’re gonna see every AD make these same moves. Kiss meaningful non conference games in late August and early September goodbye. Cupcakes moving forward till teams get to conference play.”
Herbstreit is likely spot on as teams try to appease a committee who cannot seem to come to a yearly agreement on playoff criteria.
Fans would not be upset with more conference games, but it seems those who have disdain for pointless cupcake matchups may be gearing up to see even more of them instead.
It’s just the latest consequence of the rudderless ship that is college football currently, and as per usual, the fans are going to be the ones paying the price.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
