"The new era of college football features a larger College Football Playoff and a lower bar (and more forgiveness) for inclusion. Meanwhile, the transfer portal and increased freedom of movement for players have meant that today's best teams can't quite stockpile awesome backups as easily as they could in the past. The idea of greatness has, therefore, also changed a bit."
"It is once again time for me to rank every College Football Playoff team to date. Is it an awkward mix of 40 teams that cleared one bar during the four-team playoff era and 24 teams that cleared a lower bar in the new 12-team era? Absolutely. Is that stopping me from continuing this tradition? Absolutely not. As always, this list is derived through a combination of numbers and my own personal opinions."
The College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams, lowering inclusion thresholds and increasing forgiveness for teams gaining bids. The transfer portal and greater player mobility limit rosters' depth and make it harder to retain high-quality backups. Greatness in modern college football prioritizes when teams peak rather than sustained dominance, exemplified by Ohio State's 2024 title run. Comparing teams across the four-team and 12-team eras is complicated because different standards were required for qualification. Rankings combine SP+ metrics and subjective judgment. Group of 5 teams like Tulane can show physicality but still reveal a lower ceiling when facing elite opponents.
Read at ESPN.com
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