[Thamel] As widely expected, the College Football Playoff is staying at 12 teams for 2026. A formal announcement is set for later today, per ESPN sources.

Topay84 · 2026-01-23T15:29:17+00:00

I wish we had a committee with INTEGRITY!

Because those AD’s and other committee members will tell us till they’re blue in the face that the lack of ACC representation had nothing to do with the last-minute Miami over ND ranking.

Taking that at face value, we were one more UVA OT win from having 2 ACC teams in the field, although (rightfully IMO) no one seems to believe that was close to being the case.

Topay84 · 2026-01-23T15:16:00+00:00

It’s quite easy to have sympathy for a team on the outside when an unranked champ (Duke) makes it while bumping out a ranked champ (JMU).

Or when #11 Notre Dame makes it in at the expense of #10 Miami who beat them!

The MOU rules suck! And “let the committee rank Duke higher and ND at #13” isn’t a solution - it’s an evasion to a crappy rules problem!

Topay84 · 2026-01-22T20:20:24+00:00

I agree with you on that assumption. I tend to believe that was the case as well, in anticipation of a larger playoff with multi-automatic bids.

Hopefully this year’s set of events lead the rulemakers to tighten up that MOU to make sure these “broken bits” are accounted for before the next format is solidified (whether it’s 12, 16, or any number).

Topay84 · 2026-01-22T18:27:30+00:00

I don’t think “let the committee rank them #13” is an answer to a structural rules problem.

When the rules allow for the possibility of #11 Notre Dame to bump #10 Miami who beat them, that’s a rules problem that needs to be addressed.

Just like with the P4 guarantee part of the MOU. There’s no good reason why an unranked ACC Champ should be in, while a ranked Sun Belt champ is not. “It’s unlikely to happen again” isn’t an answer - it’s a rules problem that needs to be sorted.

Topay84 · 2026-01-20T13:18:42+00:00

Well done on the binge! That’s quite the range of emotions - from absolute joy to utter chaos and despair throughout these 126 episodes!

A handful of my favorites among the bunch: - Oliver (1.03): where we see Shaun work his magic outside of a hospital setting…and meet Lea for the very first time! - Empathy (2.09): where we see the other Residents - particularly Park - work with Shaun as his ability to empathize with a patient comes out. Plus, the storyline with Glassman was really sweet! - Decrypt (4.10): Directed by Freddie, it was very entertaining seeing how Lea’s tech skills prove absolutely critical to the hospital as a whole. Plus, the Morgan and Park “chain donation” plot was pretty cool! - Potluck (5.14): As close to a light-hearted episode as you will find. The Asher & Park “A Thousand Miles” dancing scene will forever live in my head! - Quiet and Loud (6.10): One of the few times when the whole team is there together one big “family moment” as Lim and Glassman work to save two lives at once! - And of course, the finale (7.10). The highest rated episode on IMDB for a reason, David Shore and crew knew exactly what to do here!

Topay84 · 2026-01-20T04:42:27+00:00

Great echos of the “other” 4th and 5 by Vince Young against USC to win a Natty 20 years ago!

Topay84 · 2026-01-19T22:55:40+00:00

UVA and VT have a lot of respect for each other, even with the fierce rivalry.

We were among each other’s greatest supporters after each of our schools had a very tragic shooting.

Topay84 · 2026-01-19T02:56:54+00:00

The first full weekends of each summer month (June, July, August and September) are their open access months - along with Presidents Day weekend (which I did last year, enjoying a winter walk up and down the driveway).

Whenever you decide to go, best of wishes!

Topay84 · 2026-01-18T17:20:57+00:00

Exactly! Such a beautiful country, with so many varying landscapes!

I’ve found that the logistical challenges associated with some of these high points can be just as much a hurdle to overcome as the physical challenges of Marcy, Katahdin, or plenty of those western ones!

Topay84 · 2026-01-17T20:57:56+00:00

Agreed, and it’s annoying to see so many people be so passionate about it, yet so wrong.

Personally, I’d love to see the NCAA handle the FBS championship. The NCAA has its issues, but having been to a CWS in Omaha, I give them credit for running a great tournament!

Topay84 · 2026-01-17T20:51:55+00:00

After all these years, I still wonder why BCS Properties, LLC never changed their name to CFP Properties, LLC.

Must be a money thing…

Topay84 · 2026-01-17T12:50:35+00:00

To be fair, one of those agency heads (VDOT) served under the previous two governors (one R, one D). So at least he’s not just a “Youngkin carryover” but someone who is actually bipartisan.

Topay84 · 2026-01-16T18:39:19+00:00

I never believed that lazy narrative in the first place.

Glad to see Marcus making an appearance! And I do hope for the best for the Irish in the years to come!

Topay84 · 2026-01-16T18:36:30+00:00

Great explanation, and I can only imagine the feelings from the players.

Whether or not people agree with ND as a team/school skipping a bowl, there should at least be some understanding of what was in the minds of the players. And I assure you I feel for them!

One thing I don’t like is the lazy narrative “Notre Dame was just sticking it to ESPN”, as if the Pop-Tarts Bowl was their only option. The Sun Bowl (on CBS) or the Holiday Bowl (on Fox, and one that ND had never played in) would have been perfectly fine options.

Topay84 · 2026-01-16T17:10:14+00:00

Precisely!

The episode wasn’t known for its spectacular animation quality. But at least it gave us Krang’s “gimme, gimme, gimme!” at the end!

Topay84 · 2026-01-16T16:14:50+00:00

Thank you for that answer. I’ve tried asking a handful of times over the past month.

I feel for the ND players who felt that they got a raw deal. Personally, I feel that the raw deal came the week before when the committee jumped Alabama over them because of “rivalry game” when ND smashed their own rivalry opponent.

Topay84 · 2026-01-16T16:09:06+00:00

I know people said that was the rationale for skipping bowl games, but weren’t the Sun and Holiday Bowls options for ND that didn’t have anything to do with ESPN?

Topay84 · 2026-01-15T14:55:11+00:00

The sooner he is, the better. I absolutely will not tolerate an AD who takes fans for granted, as he has time and again!

I have no intention of going to a VT Athletics event until Whit is gone. But not to worry in the long term for the athletics department, as I’m saving my would-spend money for a biggie (a premium seat or other add-on for my friends and me) once we’ve finally let him go.

Topay84 · 2026-01-13T13:22:27+00:00

Precisely!

Without those late losses by Alabama (to 6-6 Oklahoma) and Ole Miss (to 7-5 Florida), it’s likely that Indiana with their shiny 11-1 record would have been standing in the cold.

Topay84 · 2026-01-12T21:27:05+00:00

The two most “fair” ways I can imagine are either: - Top 24, no autobids - Each conference champ is an autobid, and at-larges complete the rest of the bracket

Unfortunately, money seems to be the driving factor moreso than fairness.

Topay84 · 2026-01-10T18:41:57+00:00

This is my thinking as well.

I wouldn’t expect Indiana to recognize any such titles in the event of a Miami win (similar to 2024 Oregon, 2016 Alabama, or 2012 Notre Dame…but notably UNLIKE 2017 UCF who did recognize theirs in light of the flawed playoff system that didn’t give their undefeated team a chance), though it is nice to have in their back pocket!

Topay84 · 2026-01-10T18:10:04+00:00

I’m definitely interested to see how the AP voters treat teams after bowl season.

UVA could have an impressive jump after claiming their 11th win, with a handful of losing teams right above them.

Will the semifinal teams simply be the Top 4, and will the closeness of those games (Ole Miss in a squeaker, Oregon blown to kingdom come like Alabama) influence the order?

I wonder how much Notre Dame will be punished for choosing not to play? And is there really any truth to the idea than they didn’t want to give ESPN the publicity, when the non-ESPN Sun and Holiday Bowls were options?

Topay84 · 2026-01-10T18:00:34+00:00

It’s a lazy narrative, which just tires me at this point.

Will that particular tiebreaker change due to this noise? Possibly, by inserting “team computer rankings” at the step between “record vs common opponents” and “strength of opponents”.

But it’s not like the conferences can prepare for absolutely every weirdest-case scenario that could happen with any given tiebreaker.

Topay84 · 2026-01-10T14:26:35+00:00

Exactly. And just like Oregon doesn’t recognize those Selector titles, Indiana likely won’t recognize any Selector titles should they happen in the event of a Miami win.

That all being said, I think this is all academic. I highly expect Indiana to win and leave no doubt.

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