Baylor AD Mack Rhoades to lead CFP selection committee
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades will lead the College Football Playoff selection committee next season.
Other new members of the 13-person committee will be former Michigan State and Cincinnati coach Mark Dantonio, Maryland AD Damon Evans, Middle Tennessee State AD Chris Massaro, former Mississippi tight end Wesley Walls and sports writers Ivan Maisel and Steve Wieberg.
The committee is in charge of ranking the teams to set them into the 12-team postseason bracket that debuted last season. Still undetermined is whether there will be changes to the system in 2025.
The commissioners from the SEC and Big Ten are in favor of reworking the system so that conference winners aren't automatically awarded first-round byes. But any changes for the upcoming season would require a unanimous vote of the 11 conference commissioners and Notre Dame AD who run the playoff.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
The Associated Press
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
27 minutes ago
- New York Post
Seahawks coach sounds off on ‘crazy' Sam Darnold QB controversy after $100 million star's rough practice
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald isn't opening the door to a Sam Darnold quarterback controversy. Speaking Tuesday on Seattle Sports 710-AM, the second-year coach quelled any speculation that the team's $100 million acquisition could lose the role of QB1 before the start of the season. 'No, you guys are crazy,' Macdonald replied when asked if anything except injury would loosen Darnold's grip on the job, per ESPN. 'I respect that you've got to ask it, but it's just a crazy question. It's just not going to happen. Sam's our starting quarterback. We love him. He's doing a tremendous job.' Advertisement 5 Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald in December 2024. Getty Images 5 Sam Darnold looks to pass at Seahawks OTAs on June 2, 2025. AP Darnold, 27, signed with the Seahawks on a three-year, $100.5 million pact in March following a career year with the Vikings. Advertisement Macdonald, 37, responded to Tuesday's question after Seattle took a spin on the Darnold roller-coaster at OTAs this week, when he tossed two interceptions in a brief span. The coach made it clear no one is hitting the panic button in early June with the season opener three months away. 5 Sam Darnold (r.) chats with Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (l.) on June 2, 2025. AP 'God forbid you're the worst payer of all time because you made one bad throw or one bad decision,' he said. 'That is not what we're trying to build. We want these guys to go prepare the right way and then when they go out on the practice field, go freaking let it rip and then we'll go fix it. … We've got time. It's June 3 … They're going to get plenty of reps. We'll get those things fixed.' Advertisement Darnold is starting anew in the Pacific Northwest after earning his first Pro Bowl nod in Minnesota, where he threw 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions en route to a postseason appearance. 5 Sam Darnold and the Seahawks agreed to a three-year, $100.5 million pact in free agency. AP The NFL journeyman — whose previous stops included the Jets, Panthers and Niners — came crashing back down to earth in the playoffs, with the Vikings being routed by the Rams in the wild-card round, 27-9. Darnold tossed a touchdown and an interception, and was sacked nine times. Advertisement The Vikings are moving forward with last year's first-round pick, quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who missed last season due to a knee injury. 5 Sam Darnold is coming off a career year with the Vikings. Bill Kostroun for New York Post Prior to Darnold's arrival, the Seahawks moved on from quarterback Geno Smith, trading the fellow ex-Jet to the Raiders in March after missing the playoffs following a 10-7 campaign. Even with the Seahawks all-in on Darnold, they do have a $37.5 million escape hatch in the event they want to get out of the union after a year. Seattle also has insurance in former backup quarterback Drew Lock, who rejoined the team in April after a stint with the Giants, and rookie Jalen Milroe, taken in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Alabama. Darnold and the Seahawks host the Niners in their season opener on Sept. 7.
USA Today
38 minutes ago
- USA Today
Where do Oklahoma Sooners land in ESPN's latest FPI?
Where do Oklahoma Sooners land in ESPN's latest FPI? The Oklahoma Sooners are looking to bounce back after a poor 2024 season that saw them go 6-7. Now, in 2025, Year 4 under head coach Brent Venables and Year 2 in the Southeastern Conference is a pivotal season for both the present and the future of the program. OU plays in the loaded SEC and isn't among the favorites to compete for the conference title in 2025. However, ESPN's latest Football Power Index believes Oklahoma will be much better than they were a year ago. According to ESPN's Neil Paine, "The FPI is a predictive rating system that estimates each FBS team's strength (in points per game relative to the national average) on offense, defense and special teams, making adjustments for starters lost, recruiting talent and other personnel changes. Those numbers are then plugged into the schedule, and everything is simulated 20,000 times to track each team's odds of winning its conference, making the playoff and advancing through to the national title." Oklahoma came in at No. 17 in ESPN's FPI. While that's a very good mark, it actually puts them tenth in the SEC, speaking to the overall strength of the league. The offseason additions of GM Jim Nagy, OC Ben Arbuckle, QB John Mateer, and RB Jaydn Ott, along with Venables taking command of the defense, have put the Sooners in a position to show marked improvement in 2025. Other moves like adding offensive analyst Kevin Wilson and LB coaches Nate Dreiling and Wes Goodwin to the staff and retaining DT David Stone are under the radar, but they could pay big dividends as well. However, the Sooners play what's been billed as college football's toughest schedule. They play eight of the top 20 teams in the FPI. In fact, OU's only game against Power Four competition that doesn't see them face a team in the FPI's top 20 is against Missouri. Additionally, FPI projects that the Sooners will have the ninth-best defense in the country in 2025. That defense was the only reason Oklahoma didn't lose even more games a year ago, and despite losing Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman Jr. to the NFL Draft, that unit has a chance to be good again this year. FPI thinks that two Oklahoma games are among the biggest games of the entire season. The first is on October 11th, when the Sooners take on the Texas Longhorns in the annual Red River Rivalry matchup. Texas ranked No. 1 in the FPI. The other is on November 15th, when OU travels to face the Alabama Crimson Tide, who are ranked No. 3 in the FPI. The Sooners have a chance to be one of the most improved teams in Power Four in 2025. However, Venables and Co. will have to navigate an absolutely brutal schedule if they want to have a chance to make the College Football Playoff. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
At least 11 people die in a stampede outside a cricket stadium in India after IPL win
BENGALURU, India (AP) — At least 11 people are dead and more than 30 injured after a stampede on Wednesday as crowds tried to enter a cricket stadium in southern India's Karnataka state, authorities said. The crush happened as tens of thousands of cricket fans gathered outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru city to celebrate the winners of the Indian Premier League, the world's most popular T20 cricket tournament. Karnataka state's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who only uses one name, said the crowd tried to break one of the stadium's gates and enter to take part in celebrations. Eleven people were killed and 33 others were injured, Siddaramaiah said, adding that most of the injured were stable and receiving treatment in hospitals. 'At a time of celebration, this unfortunate event should not have happened. We are saddened by this,' he told reporters. 'No one expected this crowd,' he said. Cricket fans had come out to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru's first Indian Premier League title win on Tuesday . The team had given away free passes to fans for the event through its website, and urged them to follow guidelines set by police and authorities. Local TV news channels showed some people stretched out on the ground and emergency personnel carrying people into ambulances, while celebrations inside the stadium continued. D.K. Shivakumar, the deputy chief minister of Karnataka state, told reporters that 'the crowd was very uncontrollable.' The Board of Control for Cricket in India, which organizes the IPL, in a statement called the incident 'unfortunate.' 'This is a negative side of popularity. People are crazy for their cricketers. The organizers should have planned it better,' BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said. Stampedes are relatively common in India when large crowds gather. In January, at least 30 people were killed as tens of thousands of Hindus rushed to bathe in a sacred river during the Maha Kumbh festival , the world's largest religious gathering. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
