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USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Big Ten's College Football Playoff plan is recipe for making season worse, not better
Tony Petitti says his preferred College Football Playoff format would make for a compelling November, and, on that point, I agree with the Big Ten commissioner. November, though, doesn't require a commissioner's help. That portion of college football's calendar already rocks, full of epic rivalries and crucial games that influence playoff qualifications and seeding. On a wild Saturday last November, Florida upset Mississippi and Oklahoma stunned Alabama in results that altered the playoff field. That same day, Penn State barely survived Minnesota, and Arizona State wriggled past Brigham Young in a thriller with playoff stakes. Regular-season television ratings peak in November. It's the rest of the season that could use a boost. That's where Petitti's controversial 4+4+2+2+1+3 playoff plan falls flat. Big Ten playoff plan would devalue non-conference games Petitti claims to want a playoff model that would improve the regular season, but his plan wouldn't achieve that goal. The surest way to improve the season would be to incentivizing teams to play tough non-conference games and reduce the feast of cupcake games that shackle the season's early weeks. Petitti, though, aims to devalue non-conference games. November would stay great in his plan, and play-in Saturday would generate buzz, but his idea to award more than 80% of the playoff bids based on conference standings and play-in games would diminish September and, to a lesser extent, even October. 'Fans will gravitate to' play-in games, Petitti said Tuesday at Big Ten media days. At what cost? One play-in Saturday is not worth deflating September. If the playoff became a Petitti production based mostly on conference results, interconference games like Ohio State-Texas, LSU-Clemson and Michigan-Oklahoma would become glorified exhibitions. ABSOLUTE POWER: Big Ten, SEC fight to shape College Football Playoff HOME FIELDS: Our ranking of toughest Big Ten college football stadiums Play-in Saturday could prop up average teams Petitti admits to wanting to prolong the playoff hopes of average teams. He sees the chance for an 8-4 Big Ten team winning a play-in game and cracking the playoff as an asset, not a detriment. I see a structure that would make the season's first two months less relevant. I'm envisioning a scenario in which Iowa loses to Iowa State in a September non-conference matchup, and the Hawkeyes slog to 8-4 before winning a play-in game to reach the playoff, while the Cyclones go 10-2, lose a play-in game and miss the playoff. That's how a playoff becomes a farce. Fortunately, Petitti's playoff plan is going nowhere fast. He's failed to gain support from other conferences. The playoff format for 2026 and beyond remains undecided. Petitti would like to diminish the selection committee's role and, as he puts it, allow playoff spots to be decided on the field and not in a boardroom. In practice, his plan not only would dimish the selection committee, but it also could dilute the influence of some November results. Alabama, Mississippi and Miami lost to unranked opponents late last November, results that bounced them from the playoff. If Petitti's model had been in place, the losing teams would have retained a playoff path through play-in games. I don't see how college football's season improves if Syracuse upsetting Miami on the final day of November carries no weight on the playoff picture. How to actually improve college football's regular season Petitti's playoff plan would earmark four automatic bids for the Big Ten and four more for the SEC – that's half of a 16-team field – while the Big 12 and ACC received only two automatic bids apiece. Is it any wonder why the Big Ten hatched this plan, and the Big 12 and ACC detest it? If Petitti wants to get serious about improving the regular season, then he's going about this backward by focusing on conference standings and propping up mediocre teams. Here's how you improve the regular season: Preserve automatic bids for conference champions, but keep most of the playoff bracket open to at-large bids, and devise a system in which the playoff committee values meaningful non-conference results while evaluating bubble teams. As it is now, Big Ten teams like Indiana and Nebraska are canceling their toughest non-conference games in favor of weaker schedules, and SEC teams cling to their Championship Subdivision games like a child hugs a security blanket. These gimme games bog down the schedule, particularly early in the season. To rectify that, task the selection committee to reward teams that schedule – and win – tough non-conference games and hold accountable bubble teams that beefed up their record purely by blasting patsies. Do this, and you'd spur more Big Ten vs. SEC games, of which there are only three this season. Likewise, only three SEC teams will play a Big 12 opponent. Generating more high-stakes non-conference clashes between Power Four opponents not only would become a boon for September audience, those games also would help the committee separate the wheat from the chaff come selection time. Imagine if Oklahoma played Oklahoma State this October, instead of Kent State, or if Texas played Texas Tech in September, instead of Sam Houston, or if Southern California opened the season against Missouri, instead of Missouri State. That's how you improve the season. College football needs a play-in Saturday in December less than it needs more significant non-conference games, some of which could restore rivalries that conference realignment interrupted. College basketball figured this out. The NCAA men's tournament selection committee values victories against opponents within the top quadrants and thereby rewards teams that schedule tough. Qualifying for March Madness isn't purely an exercise of assembling a fine record. Who you played, and who you beat, matters. Teams that avoid tough games are held accountable in bubble debates. Petitti claims he's got college football's regular season at heart in his playoff plan. He's wrong. His playoff plan would diminish and neglect the non-conference portion of the schedule that needs enhancement. Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@ and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Where Clemson ranks in CBS Sports 2025 most intimidating environments in college football
When Clemson opens its home schedule with a high-profile clash under the lights, the atmosphere at Death Valley will remind the college football world why it's one of the toughest places to play. CBS Sports ranked the most intimidating environments for the 2025 season, and Memorial Stadium checked in at No. 8 on the list. Clemson will host LSU in what promises to be a marquee Top 10 matchup in Week 1. 'Anyone else anxious for opening weekend? LSU-Clemson from the ACC's Death Valley should be scintillating,' wrote CBS Sports' Brad Crawford. 'The Tigers' 40-game home winning streak was snapped in 2022 by South Carolina, but this is one of the nation's toughest road asks for quality teams. Notre Dame found that out two seasons ago after Clemson touched Howard's Rock before running down the hill and punching the Fighting Irish in the mouth. This is the only ACC environment that offers a SEC feel outside of Doak Campbell (Florida State) at night.' Clemson vs. LSU also landed at No. 7 on CBS' list of the best individual game-day environments this fall. As for No. 1 overall? That honor went to LSU's Tiger Stadium, which will host heavyweights like Florida, Texas A&M, and Alabama this year. Meanwhile, just ahead of Clemson in the venue rankings at No. 6 is a familiar location—Williams-Brice Stadium. The Tigers are aiming for their sixth straight win in Columbia this November and have dominated the series there, winning 17 of the last 22 matchups. 'Sandstorm. 2001. Cocky. Do yourself a favor and get to a South Carolina home game this season against Oklahoma, Alabama or Clemson,' Crawford wrote. 'The Gamecocks crowd will be fired up to try and spark a home victory over a ranked opponent, something they've accomplished three times during Shane Beamer's tenure. This place becomes really scary when South Carolina gets an early lead. It feels like the student section in the end zone is about to claw its way onto the field.' Though Memorial Stadium ranks behind a few SEC venues this year, Clemson fans will have their chance to make a national statement when Death Valley comes alive on opening weekend.
American Press
16-07-2025
- Sport
- American Press
Scooter Hobbs column: Kelly opens SEC Media Days with opener on his mind
Brian Kelly wasn't just spouting coaching gibberish when he led off the talkfest known as Southeastern Conference Media Days on Monday morning. You know the drill. Ask any of these coaches about, say, a key November rivalry war and they'll dial up an off-stage hook to eject the offender. Their sole focus, coaches will tell you with a straight face and schoolmarm finger point, is on the rent-a-win game the schedule has served up on a platter as a season-opener. If the sky-cam added to this year's media days is on alert, it can scan the media hordes and catch many eyes rolling toward the ceiling. But Kelly gets a pass there. With Kelly, season openers have hit critical mass. Never mind that LSU long ago discarded the season-opening, tune-up scheduling ploy. The Tigers have been playing real teams out of the gates, for sure, but are 0-3 in openers on Kelly's watch, an LSU streak that reaches five with the last two years of Ed Orgeron. Kelly is well award of it. He is also fed up and he's done dancing around the subject. He's pushing all his cards for the season out there right off the bat, going all-in for this year's opener at Clemson. The LSU weight room has the familiar Clemson tiger paws on the bags his own Tigers hit every day. The TV screens therein shine with the singular message, '1-0.' 'I think it is important for us to have a tangible, specific goal,' Kelly said. 'We needed to do some things differently this year. That is, embrace this opener … that this is a big game … let's not warm up into the season.' 'We know what our past records have been,' LSU linebacker Whit Weeks said. 'Every day we go into work to change that narrative.' Kelly's failures came twice against Florida State and last year against Southern Call. The two years before that it was Mississippi State and UCLA. Kelly is drawing the line in the sand against a Clemson team that should be the toughest of his LSU openers — and it's in the wrong 'Death Valley,' Clemson's Memorial Stadium. 'That's what you want,' Weeks said. 'You want to go play a good team you don't want to lollygag into the season; you want to get into a fistfight the first week.' Fine. The LSU-Clemson winner will put itself squarely in the playoff discussion. But, in truth, the opening-game failures have not been the death kneel for any of Kelly's LSU teams. And as much as falling short on the scoreboard, the Tigers didn't play well in any of those ugly openers. They pretty much recovered. Last year, for instance, Kelly's Tigers recovered from the late loss to USC and were seemingly cruising along at 6-1 before a collapse at Texas A&M was a prelude to a three-game losing streak. His first year, with his least talented roster, he overcame an opening loss to Florida State to beat Alabama en route to the SEC championship game. Going 0-3 in openers hasn't kept the Tigers from going 3-0 in bowl games, which naturally raised the expectations before the following season-opening flops. Of course, none of the postseason successes were playoff games, which with the expanded field will be the new measuring stick for teams of LSU's ilk. Yet Kelly is willing to raise the bar now and put it all on the line against Clemson, seemingly willing to worry about Florida in Week 3, Ole Miss in Week 5 and South Carolina in Week 6 when the time comes. He seems to know his team, which he really likes — likes it enough to put a tough goal in front of them from the very start. Why? His confidence seemed to be genuine. Never mind that the SEC will be as tough as ever. Mainly, he said, it will be the best top-to-bottom LSU roster he has had, with no excuse not to be the best team. It is even threatening to play some real defense, which would be a start with another prolific offense seemingly assumed. 'I love our roster, our team,' Kelly said, 'The camaraderie of the group, the seriousness and focus. I think we're going to have a defense that's going to be representative.' That would be a start. 'Anytime you go on the road and play a team like Clemson, you better bring a defense with you,' he said. __ Scooter Hobbs covers LSU athletics for the Lake Charles American Press.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
LSU football kickoff times set for SEC opener vs Florida, week 2 vs Louisiana Tech
BATON ROUGE — More kickoff times for college football games are rolling in as the current sports calendar has hit the dog days of the offseason. LSU football received kickoff times and television designations Thursday for its Weeks 2 and 3 games against Louisiana Tech and Florida at Tiger Stadium this fall. Advertisement The Tigers' home opener against instate for Louisiana Tech during week two on Sept. 6 will start at 6:30 p.m. and be streamed on ESPN+/SEC Network+. The following week, the Tigers will open up Southeastern Conference play against rival Florida at home and that game will also be a 6:30 p.m. kickoff time with ABC handling the broadcasting duties. LSU-CLEMSON KICKOFF TIME SET LSU football-Clemson kickoff time, TV channel has been set LSU SCHEDULES HOME-AND-HOME WITH SMU LSU football schedules home-and-home series with SMU LSU now has the kickoff times for its first three games of the 2025 season set and all three are night games. The start time for its season opener at Clemson om Aug. 30 was designated a couple of weeks. Advertisement The LSU-Clemson marquee Week 1 showdown at Memorial Stadium will kickoff at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC. AJ HAULCY What LSU football is getting in Houston safety transfer A.J. Haulcy LSU SPRING PORTAL TRACKER LSU football roster tracker: Who's in, out during 2025 spring transfer portal window Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@ This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU football kickoff times set for Florida, Louisiana Tech matchups
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
REPORT: Texas blocked Ohio State's attempt to move opener to prime time
When Fox Sports announced it had secured the rights to broadcast the Texas Longhorns 2025 season opener at Ohio State, there was one piece of information missing -- the time. Speculation swirled that, instead of the usual "Big Noon Saturday" time slot Fox uses for its top weekly game, the matchup would be moved to prime time. A new report suggests it was the Longhorns that blocked moving the game's start time. A few days after the original announcement, It was leaked that the game on Fox Sports would indeed be a Big Noon Saturday game. Ohio State fans have grown frustrated with Fox broadcasting the majority of their games at Noon. Many feel the early start diminishes the game-day atmosphere and excitement, especially for Ohio State fans accustomed to late afternoon or evening games that allow for a long tailgate. But the apparent reason Fox left the time off of the original graphic was because the Buckeyes' athletic department was lobbying for the Cotton Bowl rematch against Texas be moved to prime time on Sunday, either in the late afternoon or evening. Advertisement According to a new report by Chip Brown at Horns247, it was the Longhorns athletic department that rejected that proposal. Apparently, the feeling was Texas would have a better chance winning a Big Noon game on Saturday than a night game on Sunday. It's also possible Texas didn't want to disrupt travel or preparation for the next week's game against San Jose State. Obviously, those things could have been overcome if Texas actually wanted to facilitate the move. If the game could have been moved to prime time on Saturday night, Texas would have very little say in the matter. But the fact Ohio State wanted to move the game to another date (the next day) meant they had to get Texas' sign off. UT apparently did not sign off on the move. Saturday, August 30 has a slew of season openers, including LSU-Clemson in prime time on ABC. Sunday's only game is Notre Dame-Miami, also on ABC. Ohio State wanted the game to be played either in the late afternoon or at night on Sunday. Texas said no. Advertisement It's just one more storyline added to what will be an epic opener. This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Texas blocked Ohio State's attempt to move opener to prime time
