College football’s Week 0 provided drama fans have missed since last year, but now the real fun begins.
With Week 1 fast approaching, here are 10 burning questions for the new season.
1. Will the expanded playoff format work?
Now featuring 12 teams, the new playoff probably will avoid a controversy like last season, when an undefeated conference champion (Florida State) and a one-loss defending national champion (Georgia) were snubbed for a one-loss SEC champion (Alabama). But will adding two extra weeks to the season benefit or hinder the ability to crown an undisputed national champion?
2. Is conference realignment over?
The past 12 months have seen college football undergo dramatic changes. Texas and Oklahoma jumping to the SEC led to the to the demise of the Pac-12, sending 10 of its members scattering to the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 to financially survive and to stay competitive. Smaller conferences saw their own flurry of departures and additions as a result of the vacuum, but how long will the current landscape hold as the NCAA navigates the NIL era?
3. Who will win the Heisman trophy?
Predicting the Heisman winner at this stage is anyone’s guess, but among the early favorites are quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel (Oregon), Carson Beck (Georgia) and Quinn Ewers (Texas). That list is sure to grow and fluctuate as the season progresses, but it isn’t far-fetched to assume the leading contenders for the playoff will feature the three finalists in New York City come December.
4. Do the non-playoff bowls mean anything anymore?
With the new playoff absorbing all of the New Year’s Six bowls into the format (four in the quarterfinals and two in the semifinals on a rotating basis), teams not in the expanded 12-team field — but having at least six wins — will participate in the remaining 36 minor bowls.
However, those bowls have been losing luster for awhile now with many draft-eligible starters opting out in recent years. So will anyone care about the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl besides the two teams in it? And will iconic games such as the Rose and Fiesta bowls mean anything if they’ve been relegated to stepping-stone games ahead of the national championship?
5. Is Ohio State head coach Ryan Day in trouble?
After losing to Michigan for a third year in a row and missing out on the final four-team playoff last season, Ohio State’s Ryan Day is one of those hot-seat coaches. The patience of Ohio State fans will be running thin if the Buckeyes can’t bring home their first national championship since the 2014-15 season. And another loss to the Wolverines — even if Ohio State makes the playoffs — might be the final straw for Day.
6. Is it playoff-or-bust for Alabama and new head coach Kalen DeBoer?
Replacing Nick Saban won’t be easy, but it doesn’t hurt to inherit a program and roster like Alabama’s. DeBoer, fresh off a national championship appearance with Washington, won’t have the same grace period most coaches get in their first season. Following up on last season’s SEC title with another conference championship will difficult, but it’s still achievable. Anything short of a berth in the 12-team playoff would be considered a disaster in Tuscaloosa.
7. Will there still be a playoff snub?
While the expanded playoff was meant to eliminate a Florida State fiasco like last season, there is bound to be at least one team on the outside looking in that feels snubbed. In fact, the new format is structured so teams ranked in the top-12 are not all guaranteed to make the playoff. So, it’s entirely possible that the No. 12 team could be left out for a lower-ranked Group of Five champion.
8. Will anyone go undefeated?
Sporting an undefeated season typically has earned a team a spot in the original four-team playoff (sans 2017 Central Florida and 2023 Florida State). However, now an undefeated season won’t be necessary to secure a spot in the expanded format. It’s very likely a one-loss team — and perhaps even a two-loss team — could find its way into the new playoff. The era of undefeated national champions could be in the past.
9. Is the ACC a free-for-all?
With a stunning upset in Ireland on Saturday over Florida State, Georgia Tech severely hampered the No. 10 Seminoles’ quest for another conference title and a top-four seed in the playoff. Now ACC teams Miami, Clemson and Virginia Tech are squarely in the conference title hunt.
10. Is Georgia really the team to beat?
The Bulldogs came in at No. 1 in the AP preseason poll and boast a Heisman favorite in quarterback Carson Beck, but will the road to the national championship actually run through Athens? Georgia is no lock in the SEC, especially with No. 4 Texas entering the picture, and No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Oregon will certainly have something to contribute to the conversation from the Big Ten as well.