The College Football Playoff format may change once again, as rumors persist that the seeding format for conference champions may change this spring.
There were plenty of takeaways from the initial season of the 12-team format. First, BYU was the only Power Four team to have two losses or less and not make the playoff. The result of two-loss teams making the playoff should have a splash effect on postseason odds and win totals throughout the offseason.
The fear for college football was that the sport would become a diluted product with meaningless games, but the opposite proved to be true with knockout games taking place throughout November.
None of the top four seeds in the playoff made the national semifinals, as every team with a bye week was knocked out in the quarterfinals.
Ohio State and Notre Dame had one common variable on their journey to the National Championship: the transfer portal.
The additions of safety Caleb Downs for the Buckeyes and quarterback Riley Leonard for the Irish were the biggest factors that dictated the 2025 national title participants.
When looking forward to the 2025-26 season, the transfer portal and a schedule conducive to a 10-win season are paramount. Our first bet of the season comes on a team that has already made a statement with the incoming transfer class.
College Football Futures, Picks
The transfer of quarterback Conner Weigman to Houston indicated that the Texas A&M quarterback position belongs to Marcel Reed.
The third-year signal-caller will get all five offensive line starters back from a unit that finished top-25 in Line Yards.
Running back Le’Veon Moss opted to wait another year for the NFL, electing to come back to College Station next season.
At the same time, offensive coordinator Collin Klein made his biggest portal impact through the acquisition of two premier wide receivers.
N.C. State🐺 and Tennessee🍊 clash in Charlotte on Saturday
KC Concepcion looks to be one of the best WR in the country
Are the Wolfpack ready for an SEC upset pic.twitter.com/ukAGgH4wpg
— 229 Sports (@229Sports_) September 4, 2024
KC Concepcion enters his junior season with 16 career touchdowns after two seasons at NC State.
With 87% of snaps in the slot, Concepcion provides the Aggies with a quick-strike tool between the hashes. That's an important factor considering 12 of Reed's 15 touchdowns came between the hash marks for Texas A&M.
The Aggies continued in the portal with the addition of former five-star recruit Micah Hudson of Texas Tech. While he has stepped away from the team, he has a spot saved in College Station.
Before offseason adjustments are made, the Aggies project as an 8-4 team in 2025. Texas A&M will dodge Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia in conference play.
An early nonconference game against Notre Dame could be one of the only hedge positions needed in the regular season with a national title ticket in hand.
Considering knockout games occur well before the quarterfinal, taking a team with longer odds on the board is the only route in the new playoff era.
Pick: Texas A&M to Win 2026 National Championship (+3500)
