The Status Quo Season: Breaking Down the CFP Top 25 — and the Three Brackets Championship Saturday Could Deliver
This year has been predictable for five straight weeks — boring, even — but all that’s done is stack explosive pressure behind one weekend. The lack of movement has created a single, unifying truth:
Championship Saturday is going to decide almost everything — and it will do it fast.
Six teams control byes.
Seven teams control at-large survival.
BYU and Alabama control the detonators.
Texas is the résumé wildcard.
Miami and Notre Dame exist in a constant philosophical argument.
BYU is the analytics darling trapped in the committee’s blind spot.
By Sunday afternoon, the status quo might be intact…
Or it might look like it got fed into a cotton gin.
When Coaches Pack Their Bags: The NIL Ripple That’s Hitting College Dugouts and Sidelines
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The rise of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals has disrupted college sports, making coaches as mobile as athletes and triggering a wave of defections to professional leagues. Tradition and loyalty no longer guarantee stability, as coaches seek relief from NIL chaos, recruitment pressures, and booster politics. This volatility affects athletes and families, who must now consider not just coaches but the entire structure and culture of a program. In the NIL era, adaptability is essential for both players and coaches, as change is the only certainty in college athletics.