When was the last time we had a College Football Playoff that resulted in the final four teams having at least a twenty-four-year drought for a National Championship? The answer is never! We are in the era of the transfer portal, NIL, and a twelve-team playoff that has brought new interest to the game.
Your father may be up in arms about the format, but hey, old people usually hate change. This year, we won’t see Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, Florida, LSU, or Michigan taking home the title as we have in the last 30 years. So who the hell is going to win this thing?
Parity has Finally Hit the World of College Football
Oh my, how the game has changed! With the creation of the transfer portal and the implementation of Name, Image, and Likeness, the collegiate game has become NFL-lite (yes, I spelled it like the beer because what else do you drink during football?). Some people love it, some hate it, but we all have to accept it. Whatever side of the fence you hang your knickers on, you have to admit not all of it is bad.
Regardless of the sport, no one likes seeing the same team/teams on top. Well, unless it’s your team, but that’s not the point. You may be having a conversation with Pops, and he may be saying, “Back in my day, one or two losses would take you out of contention for the National Championship!” Well, Pops, you probably walked to school fifteen miles in the snow, uphill both ways, too. Things change!
B1G, SEC, and ACC Represent Final 4
This College Football season will conclude with crowning a champion who is long overdue. Out of the teams that remain, the University of Miami has won the most recent championship, dating back to 2001. That means most likely none of these players rostered on these four teams weren’t walking God’s green Earth yet! Hell they weren’t even crawling yet!
Oh, wait, I almost forgot Ole Miss’s last championship dates back to 1960, when my father was seven years old. I’m sure he remembers it vividly. Lane Kiffin may be getting cozy on his couch, watching the team he abandoned like the pity prom date that your parents forced you to go with, only to ditch them when you get to the dance. We can always ask Sandra Bullock to adopt more offensive linemen.
We also get to see the number one team in the country, Indiana, led by the chair-throwing, potty-mouthed Bob Knight. Wait what? Are we talking college football? And the Hoosiers are number one??? That’s right! Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, and Head Coach Curt Cignetti have their program two wins away from a Natty.
Last but not least, the Oregon Ducks have a chance at their first national championship. Read that again! It’s a shocking stat. The team that has the sweet Nike deal for the best uniforms in the country, and countless classic ESPN commercials, has never won a College Football National Championship!
Final Thoughts
I am not a fan of student-athletes entering the transfer portal after every season, but hey, we’re not here to play school. And NIL allows young college athletes to earn a living as if Ricky Rowe’s dad wasn’t getting a tractor for the farm for him attending Western University (if you know, you know). Now it’s public knowledge.
Whether you love it or not, it does give an even playing field for the rest of the programs that couldn’t compete with the big dogs of yesteryear. Overall, I think it’s good to bring parody to the College Football ranks, and this year proves it!
