If there was any doubt whether college football has truly entered a new chapter, the quarterfinals put it to bed. This iteration of the College Football Playoff features a final four with a “new-money” feel: Two programs risen from the dead, a Miami team that hasn’t been a factor in its current student body’s lifetime, and perpetual also-ran Oregon representing the most prominent football brand in the group.
On the latest episode of “The Audible,” Ralph Russo and Bruce Feldman break down the wild quarterfinal results, the statements made by programs facing doubt, and the stunning power shift facilitated by the name, image and likeness era. Here are three takeaways from the episode.
Indiana left no doubt who the favorite is
“Indiana did to Alabama what Alabama used to do to other playoff teams. They were so much better,” Russo said.
If you missed the Rose Bowl or fell asleep because the action was so one-sided early, just know that the Hoosiers took the Tide apart on a molecular level. They more than doubled up Bama in total yards, holding the Tide under 200 and allowing just 23 on the ground. On offense, Indiana only punted twice and picked up twice as many first downs as Alabama.
“Alabama did not play with any edge or any energy,” Feldman said. “They looked like they were starting to give up.”
Curt Cignetti’s team, however, played to the final bell. In the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers picked up 154 yards and two scores, holding Bama to 32 yards and forcing a punt and turnover on downs. They left no doubt and established themselves as the apex predator in this postseason.
“There is no letting up. If they get on top of you, they are going to bury you. That’s how they want to play and what makes them so good. We are never stopping, we are going to keep scoring, we are not going to back off,” Russo said. “I have no words for the turnaround under Cignetti. It has no precedent; it might be the greatest story in the history of college football, frankly, if they win the national championship. It might already be.”
Ole Miss proves the Rebels are more than a coach
Could the Rebels be better off without Lane Kiffin? A better question would be: Has Kiffin’s departure helped Ole Miss?
“Good teams get better from digging deep and pulling together to handle adversity,” Feldman said. “How much more adversity can you have than your own coach bailing on you before the Playoff?”
Not only did the Rebels win a thriller against Georgia, but Trinidad Chambliss played himself into college football mythology, and new head coach Pete Golding and his players charted their own path to the semifinals.
They played free and easy football, never seeming overwhelmed or that nervous. They looked like a team set on separating their success from the sideshow created by Kiffin’s ugly departure, and may have erased that talking point altogether.
“They are here to prove that Lane Kiffin is not the reason they are here. You could see the circumstances bringing a team together, making them feel like they have something even more to prove,” Russo said. “We are being challenged here to prove our worth as players. I think there is some value in the way they’re playing.”
Are you not entertained?
This is what’s possible in the NIL era. Here stand Indiana and Ole Miss, two programs that, until this new paradigm, were non-factors in every sense of the word. They didn’t matter for 50 years and survived solely by being in the two most lucrative conferences in the country.
Miami has a legacy, but no success anyone born this century can remember. As Russo put it, “It’s been 25 years, and it’s been 25 years in which they haven’t been anywhere close to this. It’s been 25 years where they’ve been out in the woods.”
And Oregon, while recently successful, has fluctuated in the last 20 years without securing a title.
That the Ducks are the most “established” program left in the field speaks to how quickly trajectories can change with the ability to acquire talent and coaches and remake rosters overnight. Yes, Texas Tech spent $30 million just to get shut out, but we also watched Indiana (Indiana!) blow Alabama off the field, and Ole Miss topple Georgia, the terror of the 2020s.
“I think college football is more fun this way. I understand the reasons we got here are not necessarily so much fun because of the chaos off the field, no rules or regulations, but on game day, it has created a lot more interesting results,” Russo said. “I understand the chaos makes it feel like college football is in danger, but the fact is, I don’t think the product on the field has ever been better.”
Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.