Get used to it, people: There's no surefire CFP path
Expecting year-to-year consistency from the playoff committee is a fool's errand. As it picks the four best teams, it won't always reward conference titles or challenging schedules.
Expecting year-to-year consistency from the playoff committee is a fool's errand. As it picks the four best teams, it won't always reward conference titles or challenging schedules.
Jeff Brohm will take over as Purdue coach after winning two conference titles at Western Kentucky.
All-American running back Leonard Fournette plans to bypass his senior season at LSU and enter the upcoming NFL draft.
By the time the initial rush of money slowed, Alabama had become a 14.5-point favorite at Las Vegas sportsbook operator CG Technology for its CFP semifinal against Washington.
The four teams in the College Football Playoff all graduated at least 74 percent of their players in 2016, according to The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports.
The other New Year's Six matchups: Michigan-Florida State in the Orange Bowl, USC-Penn State in the Rose Bowl, Auburn-Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, Western Michigan-Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl.
Despite being left out of the College Football Playoff picture on Sunday, coach James Franklin says his No. 5 Nittany Lions are "humbled and honored" by the opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl.
Despite major NFL defections, the hype in Tuscaloosa was off the charts in 2016. At every turn, the Crimson Tide rose to the occasion, sealing a perfect regular season with an SEC title.
The CFP semifinal matchups feature the best game (Ohio State vs. Clemson) and the best coaching matchup (Nick Saban vs. Chris Petersen). Here's what else you should watch for this bowl season.
The Big Ten race made for a very different CFP debate, but the focus belongs on the Tide and their chance to be compared to the sport's greatest teams.
The Crimson Tide became the greatest college team of the past 80 years, according to FiveThirtyEight's Elo power rating.
How do we fix the persistent gap in graduation rates between African-American and white student-athletes?
From the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl to the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl, we pick the winners of the 41 bowl games. We even toss in a bonus pick for the CFP National Championship.
Quarterback J.T. Barrett had to watch from the sideline when Ohio State won the 2014 national title. Now he gets a chance to win one on the field.
Purdue used to be a Big Ten force and fun to watch. Really. The Jeff Brohm hire brings hope of an offensive revival and a return to relevance.
The final four is set. Did the committee get it right?
Meyer sympathizes with Penn State
Franklin weighs in on Penn State's nonconference schedule
CFP Top 4 picks revealed
P.J. Fleck honored to be in Cotton Bowl
Barrett looks forward to playing 'great friend' Watson
Kanell still has questions about Ohio State
Did Penn State's schedule hinder its CFP chances?
Finebaum gives committee credit for top four
Petersen happy to see Washington get rewarded
Decision for No. 4 was difficult
The Big Ten enjoyed its status as the best conference in the country in 2016. Bowl season offers the chance to keep that title going into 2017.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh spoke for the first time on Sunday about his criticism of officials after the loss against Ohio State that cost him a $10,000 fine and a reprimand from the NCAA.
Ivan Maisel, Adam Rittenberg and Ryan McGee discuss the final College Football Playoff rankings, debate whether the committee got it right and break down some of the matchups.
The College Football Playoff field is set. Can anyone beat Alabama? Here is a look at every team's chance to win the playoff.
"Straight predators" is how LB Tim Williams described his Alabama defense. The Tide are relentless and overpowering -- and they're nowhere near done.
Alabama made short work of Florida in the SEC title game just like it made short work of the rest of the conference this season. But it gets real now.
Clemson nearly blew a three-touchdown lead against Virginia Tech, but the Tigers held on to presumably punch their College Football Playoff ticket.
In the end, the top four teams entering the conference championship games -- Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Washington -- were selected for the College Football Playoff.
South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said he believes his players who claim that a racial slur was used on the field at Clemson during last week's rivalry game.
After Alabama cruised over Florida for the SEC title on Saturday, Lane Kiffin addressed his future by saying he would like to stay as the Crimson Tide offensive coordinator through the playoff.
Alabama linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton injured his right knee in Saturday's 54-16 win over Florida, and coach Nick Saban said he is "probably out for the year."
With Ohio State's playoff hopes in the air and his oldest daughter making him a grandfather for the first time, Urban Meyer watched Sunday's CFP announcement from the maternity ward.
Amid speculation he could be fired, Cincinnati coach Tommy Tuberville, who went 29-22 over four seasons with the Bearcats, stepped down on Sunday.
IU conducted two investigations into former football coach Kevin Wilson -- one in 2015 and another just weeks before the sides parted ways Thursday -- over his mistreatment of injured players.
Ex-NFL coach and Tampa resident Tony Dungy told Oregon officials that USF coach Willie Taggart would be a "good fit" in Eugene. Boise State's Bryan Harsin is also in the mix for the vacant job.
Former Baylor coach Art Briles is not a candidate for the vacant head-coaching position at Houston, the school announced in a statement Saturday.
West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen has agreed to a five-year extension that will keep him at the school through 2021, the school announced Saturday.
After coming back from injury, OU's Samaje Perine decided to kneel at the Oklahoma State 2-yard line on the final play of the game instead of scoring what would've been an easy touchdown.
The 2016 season has mostly belonged to Louisville's Lamar Jackson. But in our poll of ESPN experts, a new No. 1 player has edged past the Cardinals' Heisman favorite: Oklahoma's Dede Westbrook.
Lamar Jackson is still on top of the Heisman Watch, but voters are no longer in complete agreement he will win it.
Washington will reunite with former head coach Steve Sarkisian, now an Alabama assistant, in the CFP. Sarkisian recruited several of the Huskies' key players. His last UW recruiting class signed John Ross, Keishawn Bierria, Kevin King, Elijah Qualls, and others in 2013.
Washington has won 15 of 16 games since blowing a 17-0 lead at ASU last November. Many Husky players tell me that that loss provided the final fuel necessary to motivate Washington and push it into the realm of the elite -- and now the College Football Playoff.
LSU running back Leonard Fournette plans to bypass his senior season and enter the upcoming NFL draft.… twitter.com/i/web/status/8…
Filed to desk: LSU's Leonard Fournette will enter the 2017 NFL draft, but plans to play in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31. Fournette is the nation's No. 1 overall prospect according to ESPN's Todd McShay and No. 2 according to Mel Kiper Jr.
Sorry, Penn State, the four best teams got into the College Football Playoff fivethirtyeight.com/features/sorry… pic.twitter.com/goJfUMJGzc
Happy 50th birthday day to Jerome Lane (one day late), one of St. Vincent-St. Mary's finest pic.twitter.com/MWR97Zpykf
Purdue nabs Western Kentucky's Jeff Brohm to become new head coach of the Boilermakers. es.pn/2gcrRfB pic.twitter.com/SM6c2Arq7e
Jeff Brohm's passer-friendly offense will have a good building block at Purdue in rising junior David Blough. He led the Big Ten this season with 3,352 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, though he also threw a whopping 21 interceptions. Brohm is an outstanding developer of quarterback talent, and Blough has all the tools to succeed under his tutelage.
I've heard Troy coach Neal Brown would have interest in the Western Kentucky job. Brown was Kentucky's offensive coordinator in 2014 and 2014. Idaho coach Paul Petrino should get a look, along with Western Kentucky co-offensive coordinator Tony Levine, the former coach at Houston.
"If [Lamar Jackson] wins, it's gong to be like losing a fairly decent NFL game." $50K Heisman ticket pending. es.pn/2gI71W2
For those wondering: Westgate would've made Washington a 4.5-pt favorite over Penn State on a neutral field.
"[After] the initial rush of money slowed, the Crimson Tide were 14.5-pt favorites." @DavidPurdum on CFB Playoff: espn.com/chalk/story/_/…
There are 41 college football bowl games. Here are 42 predictions: es.pn/2gUoicz pic.twitter.com/B4Ft19aXvF
"They played as hard as they can." Urban Meyer sympathizes with @PennStateFball being left out of CFB Playoff. es.pn/2gUcLtu
There are currently 1,473 upper level seats to the Fiesta Bowl (Ohio State-Clemson) selling for below face value.
FPI chances to win national title: Alabama 42%, Ohio State 26%, Clemson 19%, Washington 13%
Alabama has scored 14 non-offensive TDs this year; Washington one of only 11 teams to not allow a non-offensive TD. (ESPN Stats & Info)
Alabama opened as a 14-point favorite over Washington, which would be the biggest spread in the 3-year history of the playoff, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Cincinnati coach Tommy Tuberville, who went 29-22 over four seasons with the Bearcats, stepped down on Sunday. es.pn/2h3JJaq
UNC coach Larry Fedora on Stanford: "Being on this side of the country, we don't get to stay up late enough to watch their games. My wife doesn't let me."
Christian McCaffery quietly rushed for 1,603 yards and led the country with 211 all-purpose yards per game, but he didn't have the same spotlight after Stanford struggled early and he battled injuries. He could jog viewers' memories in the bowl against North Carolina, which is 113th in rush yards per game.
Stanford's current run of 8 straight bowl games started at the Sun Bowl in 2009 -- Andrew Luck's first season as QB. David Shaw was Stanford's offensive coordinator then, and his starting QB in that game -- Tavita Pritchard -- is not QB coach.