A Grip on Sports: The day after college football revealed its worst side, today is the best one for a lot of high school football players
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Today is a life-changing day for high school football players around the country. Tuesday night was one for any team outside the SEC and Big Ten hoping those same players may someday get to play for a national title.
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• One day. The best and worst of sports. From the powerful exerting their power to the dream of a lifetime manifesting itself with a signature.
Pretty cool. And pretty sad. All within about 20 hours.
Let’s start with the happy. Thousands of high school seniors today bind their future to a college football program. Most, if not all, have been working toward this day since they could take their first steps – and knocked over the family’s end table. For many, it is a golden ticket. The only way to change the future trajectory of their lives. Has been for a century. Still will be, albeit the name on their financial aid agreement probably won’t be the school from which they ultimately graduate, the transfer portal being all the rage these days.
Which means today is a celebration at high schools from Anacortes, Washington to Zephyrhills, Florida. From Millinocket, Maine to Chula Vista, California. In other words, everywhere.
Over the next few hours, each football playing college will trumpet the signings on social media, fans will celebrate and families will count their blessings – including that reduced food bill that will come into play next summer. Before the week is out – the signing period ends in three days – every coach everywhere will step in front of a microphone and tell the world they just signed the best class ever. It’s a tradition that dates back to ancient times.
The aughts? No, further. The ‘60s, probably. Maybe even to pre-color TV days. Other college traditions have been torn asunder. But this one? It endures.
The landscape around it, though, is different. Except it’s not. Not when one looks at the latest College Football Playoff rankings reveal – and what was said after.
Look, college football at the FBS level doesn’t hold a playoff. It didn’t during the four-team iteration of the national-championship coronation. It was an invitational. Only the cool kids were invited. An expansion to 12 teams was designed to change that. Five conference champs, seven at-large berths. Progress?
Not really. Progress would mean the CFP committee members actually had some power. Turns out, they don’t.
Even before the season began, the first season of a two-year experiment with the 12-team bracket, the SEC and Big Ten head honchos gave the group an ultimatum. Pick a bracket we like or we will take our ball and go home.
Through the first four ESPN-broadcast reveals, the CFP committee set a tone. Records matter. Losses matter, no matter who a team played. As the SEC ate its own, the conference’s team began to slip down the rankings.
That didn’t sit well with commissioner Greg Sankey. He lambasted the group last week, saying it was ignoring strength of schedule. That’s the SEC’s prized possession – even though strength of schedule is based on the premise computer programmers know more than human beings. Maybe. Maybe not.
His whining also held the threat when the media deal expired after the 2025 tournament, his conference would join with the Big Ten and demand the two be guaranteed every at-large berth allowed under the new agreement.
It seems to have been an offer the committee realized it could not refuse.
Tuesday night the strength of a team’s wins suddenly became more important to the committee than their losses. Three-loss Alabama, with its third one coming two weeks ago at a mediocre, at best, 6-6 Oklahoma team by three touchdowns, swept past a two-loss Miami team that lost a tight road game at 9-3 Syracuse. And committee chair Warde Manuel made it clear nothing that happened in the conference championship games was going to change the committee’s mind.
Is 9-3 Alabama better than 10-2 Miami? Not sure. But there is supposed to be a way to find out. A way to determine it on the field. Not happening. Fine.
Let’s go back to the BCS days, when computers picked the two teams that played for a trophy. When the machines gave us games like Oklahoma vs. USC in 2005 – a bogus title game the Trojans won 55-19.
No worries, though. When 2026 rolls around, the incessant wailing from the SEC and Big Ten will give us a 16-team tournament.
And the Power Two will gobble up at least half the spots.
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WSU: Despite all the chaos and hand-wringing the last quarter of the Cougars’ season wrought, the Cougars are locked in to their bowl destination. Somewhat. They will play in San Diego or Las Vegas on Dec. 27. That’s part of what Jon Wilner tells us in the S-R in his Pac-12 bowl outlook. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Wilner returns with his CFP thoughts in the Mercury News. … Of course, the CFP rankings reveal led to about 7.3 million written words from folks around the nation (and even more over the airwaves). We try to link as many stories as we deemed feasible – and we thought you had time to read. … John Canzano has his Monday mailbag. … Hate begets hate. No, really. Smashing empty helmets can beget attempting the same on the field. … The transfer portal isn’t open yet but players are announcing their intent. We pass along Christian Caple’s tracker for Washington. … Yes, it’s signing day. We can pass along places to track the players for the Huskies, the Ducks and the Beavers. … Top-ranked Oregon has a date with Penn State on Saturday. The Ducks will bring the Big Ten’s top offensive player along. … California is looking for a new offensive coordinator. Again. … USC is trying hard to keep its signing class intact. … The same can be said for UCLA. … Arizona State is playing for the Big 12 title and a CFP berth Saturday. That’s a lot of pressure. … Hey, more from Wilner. He believes Arizona keeping Brent Brennan around for another year was the only choice. And the right one. … Among the future Pac-12 members in the Mountain West, Boise State is in a good spot in the CFP rankings. … UNLV hopes to grab that spot Saturday. … Even before Fresno State can pick a new coach, the Bulldogs are losing players to the portal. … We can pass along portal news for San Diego State as well. … Utah State is recruiting to a Pac-12 future. … So is Colorado State. … In basketball news, the last week contained some highs and lows around the country. … Washington’s first Big Ten game was a loss. At UCLA. Things change – but not really. … Oregon opens at USC tonight with a revamped roster. … The Oregon State women routed Grambling in preparation for WCC play to begin.
Gonzaga: Mark Few loves Maui. Like the Bahamas. Enjoys three-game holiday tournaments in such locations. But the landscape seems to be changing. Tournaments with NIL money are the future. It seems. Jim Meehan delves into that today, and gives us the GU perspective. … Jim also got together with Richard Fox for their usual Zags Basketball Insiders Podcast. You can listen here if you want. … Malachi Smith is making his way through the G League. And missing his days in Spokane. … Greg Lee has his weekly women’s basketball notebook, and he begins with GU’s defensive woes. … Elsewhere in the WCC, the San Diego men stayed close for a half but were eventually blown out by Arizona State.
EWU: The Eagles have played a tough nonconference schedule. As Dan Thompson tells us, Dan Monson feels that will help his team when Big Sky play rolls around. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, the FCS second-round game between Montana and South Dakota State is a rematch of last season’s title matchup. … Even as Montana State sees a bunch of players named to the All-American teams, others get ready to transfer. … UC Davis begins its FCS playoff journey with a home game. … In basketball news, Weber State hopes to continue its winning ways.
Idaho: The Vandals had a chance, a decent one, actually, to derail Oregon’s national championship hopes in the season’s first week. They didn’t. But that game in Eugene has continued to influence both team’s seasons.
Preps: The winter seasons are underway, but before we get too deep into that, we want to share the GSL’s All-League teams in fall sports. Dave Nichols passes them along. … Dave was also out at a nonleague basketball game last night pitting the Rogers boys with Shadle Park. The Pirates held on for the win. … He also has a roundup of other action from the GSL. … Before he headed out, Dave and I got together at the S-R building for his Press Box Podcast. You can listen to his well-reasoned prep thoughts and my blathering here if you want.
Seahawks: Can the Hawks keep their young defensive players in the fold long-term? … Mike Holmgren moved along in the Hall of Fame process. … It’s already mock draft time. The Hawks picking another offensive lineman? Could be.
Kraken: After a disappointing stretch, Seattle headed off for an East Coast road trip. It started well. A big win at Carolina.
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• We are finally finished. After a slow start today. And a huge bump in the road midway through. But what’s above is the finished product for Wednesday. Until later …