The 2025 College Football Playoff is underway, and Saturday night time concluded the primary spherical. After the 8 vs 9-seed recreation on Friday, a tripleheader on Saturday completed it and set the stage for the quarterfinals in opposition to the highest 4 groups that every one obtained byes. It was a full day from begin to end, although after the 7 vs 10 recreation, the drama gave method to blowouts, which was anticipated and put the Group of Six’s future playoff spots into query. Here are three takeaways from the gameday that set the quarterfinal matchups for the 2025 College Football Playoff:
1. Notre Dame needed to be throwing their televisions throughout the room
The midday recreation was a conflict between the final at-large staff to make the sector, the Miami Hurricanes, in opposition to the Texas A&M Aggies. Both have been the one groups to beat Notre Dame within the common season, so it was becoming they performed one another after the Irish whined a lot about being not noted, and it was becoming the sport featured such putrid performances by each groups.
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The Hurricanes missed three subject objectives, the Aggies turned it over 3 times, and a 22-yard block within the 2nd quarter mixed with sufficient different mishaps to fill a Muppet Show to make it a 10-3 Miami “victory” on the finish of the ballgame, the place each groups ought to’ve misplaced and been despatched house packing. Notre Dame needed to be going nuts watching these groups attempt to get their acts collectively, however as deserving as they assume they’re of the playoff, take into consideration this: These two circus troupes have been the groups they misplaced to, so I don’t know the way good of a resume they will actually say they’ve.
2. Aggies flopped big-time on house turf, blew terrific season late
Texas A&M entered Thanksgiving week with an 11-0 document, sole possession of first place within the SEC, and the #3 rating within the nation. They have been set to make not solely their first CFP but in addition their first SEC championship recreation. After Friday night time, nonetheless, they have been bested by their archrivals in Austin and bounced out of the SEC image by tiebreakers.
Their 11-1 document was nonetheless adequate for internet hosting within the CFP first-round, although, and Kyle Field was packed to the brim to make the ACC’s solely qualifier concern and tremble earlier than Aggie Nation.
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Well, A&M higher concern and tremble earlier than Aggie Nation as a result of they put out one of many largest duds within the historical past of the playoff. Even James Madison and Tulane scored extra factors than the Aggies, and regardless of holding their opponent to only factors and watching them miss not one, not two, however three subject objectives, they misplaced 10 to three in entrance of all 104,122 of these followers.
Three factors!! That’s what bought Hugh Freeze fired from Auburn in opposition to Kentucky! Very bitter finish to an 11-0 begin.
3. Green Wave and JMU performed properly, however have been within the flawed bracket
Will the Group of Six proceed to get convention champion auto-bids to the CFP? Should they? It hurts to consider taking these away, but it surely additionally hurts to have a look at the Saturday slate and see two video games the place completely no drama will occur in any respect. They performed properly, however by no means truly threatened to win.
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The 12 greatest groups aren’t being put within the 12-team playoff within the auto-bid format, and whereas that’s a part of what makes the NCAA Tournament nice, it doesn’t appear to be working for faculty soccer two years into the enlargement.
Perhaps when that Group of Six staff could be just like the undefeated UCF and Cincinnati groups of a number of years in the past, they will get in and play with an precise likelihood of successful (after which, like UCF and Cincinnati, transfer as much as the large leagues within the subsequent spherical of convention realignment!).