As we approach discussions for the College Football Playoff, there seems to be no runaway team poised to dominate the rest of the competition in the post-season. The days of these powerful dynasties running the league appear to be over, but what happened to them?
College football has essentially implemented a free agency market with the use of the transfer portal. Created in 2018, the transfer portal alters the way a team is built. The traditional way of building a team is recruiting high school students and developing them, but now, coaches bring in experienced talent to strengthen their roster and fulfill their needs. Many teams value proven athletes over unproven talent, leading to more competition. As for the top programs in the nation, they can no longer have a deep roster of elite players because prospects want more playing time, leading them to transfer schools.
For example, the Indiana University Hoosiers have effectively used the portal by picking up experienced quarterback Fernando Mendoza from the University of California Berkeley. The Heisman candidate has led the Hoosiers to being ranked number two in the country, and has proven why experience is valuable. A team that notably didn’t use the portal effectively at the quarterback position is the University of Texas, when they recruited quarterback Arch Manning out of high school. The Longhorns have rolled the dice with Manning after his two years on the bench, but he has struggled and not lived up to expectations, showing that his lack of experience might be holding him back.
As for the players, the portal gives the athletes more power over their career. Experienced players transfer for various reasons, but a huge impact in their decision is Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals. NIL deals allow players to earn money for endorsements or sponsorships. College athletes can now receive multi-million dollar deals, which changes the way they choose schools and the way recruiting is viewed. NIL can shift the competitiveness because it allows any school, whether big or small, to compete for prospects. Talent can now be spread to any team willing to pay.
The University of Miami’s quarterback Carson Beck has a significant NIL deal that played a role in his decision to transfer from the University of Georgia. His guaranteed deal is $3-3.2 million, but his deal includes performance-based incentives which could increase the total value to $6 million. Beck has led his team to a 6-1 record with a chance to win the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and secure a playoff berth.
Another important aspect of winning is coaching. Coaching influences the team culture, development and performance of players. Aside from money and personal reasons, players also look into the coaching staff when picking a school. There has been a lot of coaching news lately that could highly impact the future of major programs.
Former Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions Head Coach James Franklin was considered one of the best at recruiting and developing players along with building a strong program. He was dismissed on Oct. 12, and his firing is not only impactful on The Pennsylvania State University, but also influential for whatever team he coaches for next. Franklin has expressed his plans to coach again and his desire to win a national championship.
Wherever he goes, expect a lot of players to head his way. As for Penn State, this firing has led them to fall short of expectations, and it will be interesting to see if they bounce back next year.
A new head coach position is open now in Death Valley after Louisiana State University (LSU) fired Brian Kelly on Sunday night. The firing comes after their loss to Texas A&M University, which made for back-to-back losses for the Tigers. They now have three losses this season, basically knocking them out of contention for the playoffs. LSU has a tradition of success, so it will be intriguing to see who takes over the coaching job in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Another SEC head coaching position that is available for next year is for the University of Florida Gators. Billy Napier was relieved of his duties down in the swamp. The Gators are 3-4 on the season, but with a new head coach next year, it may attract a lot more talent the Gators’ way.
There has been a lot of underperformance, inconsistency and surprises throughout the season that makes people believe it is truly anybody’s year. Clemson University, Florida State University, Penn State and Texas were all ranked in the Top 25 at the beginning of the year, but due to struggling performances and unexpected losses, only Texas remains ranked.
A lot of top ranked teams have experienced both dominating wins and near-losses. Texas A&M, for example, beat the University of Arkansas by only three points, but then crushed LSU on the road the following week. The University of Alabama beat Tennessee by three scores and then was nearly upset by the University of South Carolina the following Saturday.
The good surprises of the year go to Indiana, Vanderbilt University, Georgia Tech and Brigham Young University (BYU). Georgia Tech and BYU go into week 10 undefeated and in the top 10. Vanderbilt sitting at number nine with only one loss is amazing. Lastly, Indiana has been playing lights out, being ranked number two and blowing out every opponent. If you were to tell someone about these standings a couple years ago, you would have been seen as crazy.
It has been a wild run for the 2025 season of college football. Only a couple more weeks are left in the regular season before it’s playoff time. There has been no definite answer of the team to beat yet, but for every team it’s any given Saturday.
