There’s no denying Saquon Barkley’s greatness.

There’s no denying he salvaged his career by signing with the Philadelphia Eagles this year – or, said differently, by escaping the New York (Little?) Giants. There’s no denying we’re all being treated to appointment football now that he’s been granted deserved prime-time stages – starting with his Eagles debut in South America (of all places) in Week 1 to his pair of marquee performances over the past 12 days – worthy of transcendent abilities that were compared to the (nearly) incomparable Barry Sanders’ when Barkley came out of Penn State in 2018.

But should he be the NFL MVP in 2024? Gotta deny him that one.

It’s perfectly understandable to link him to the league’s premier award for football excellence – though no running back has won it since 2012, Adrian Peterson the only runner so honored in the past 18 years. Yet to watch Barkley follow up his scintillating Week 11 showing, when he broke the Washington Commanders by incinerating their defense multiple times in the fourth quarter, to his tour de force Sunday night – a career-best (and club record) 255 rushing yards and more than 300 overall in front of a national audience is the stuff of legends (and bronze busts) – begets debates, shifting betting odds and plays into our (temporary) obsession with the shiny object du jour.

Even Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay fueled the discussion following his team’s 37-20 defeat.

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“He’s as good as there is as a slash runner, to be able to work edges and then be able to erase angles and be able to finish,” he said after watching Barkley render LA’s late-game defensive gambles oh so pointless.

“That’s why he had the production that he had, and that’s why he’s had arguably an MVP-type of season so far.”

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said of No. 26: “He’s got everything you look for in a back. He’s been awesome, and he was awesome tonight.”

Maybe, at some point, Barkley’s candidacy becomes undeniable. With the benefit of the 17-game regular season, he’s on pace to do what Peterson couldn’t quite manage 12 years ago – namely, break Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set over 16 games in 1984. Barkley is on pace for 2,151, and the Eagles (9-2) might need him for all 17 games in a bid to overtake the Detroit Lions (10-1) in the race for home-field advantage and a first-round bye in the NFC side of the playoffs.

However I’ve already taken my deep breath since watching Barkley as Hollywood’s leading man for a night.

Again, the guy is awesome. The production, reliability, the humble attitude, breakaway speed, ankle-breaking cuts, the reverse hurdle – it’s precisely the type of package we crave in our sports stars. And it sure feels like Barkley has made the Eagles better.

But they’ve also made him better. Waaaaaay better.

Philadelphia is riding a seven-game winning streak and trails only the Lions in the NFC. Conversely, over the past three seasons, this is the Eagles’ worst 11-game start (they were 10-1 in both 2022 and 2023, when Barkley was still toiling in Gotham).

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All due respect to Shady McCoy, Brian Westbrook, Wilbert Montgomery and others, Barkley is probably the best back the City of Brotherly Love has called its own since Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren delivered the first two of the franchise’s four titles three-quarters of a century ago. (And all due respect to Van Buren – he scored the only points in a blizzard in the 1948 title game and ran over the Rams for 196 yards in the ’49 championship round, LA apparently a historical feeding ground for Philly backs – but I’d take Barkley.)

Yet let’s remember that the true MVP(s) of the Eagles are almost certainly the five men doing the primary blocking for Barkley, symphonic mauling conducted by legendary offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. This was a unit that paved the way for Miles Sanders, Barkley’s backup with the Nittany Lions, to rush for 1,269 yards in 2022, after which he signed a hefty contract with the Carolina Panthers … and hasn’t been heard from since. This was a group that helped D’Andre Swift craft his only 1,000-yard season in the NFL last year before he joined the Chicago Bears. This is a quintet known for giving rise to the notorious “tush push” – the Philly frontal assault that produces first downs and touchdowns in short-yardage situations practically without fail.

Even following the retirement of iconic center Jason Kelce – after a 2023 campaign that ultimately disintegrated with something akin to a locker room mutiny as Sirianni knee-capped his staff on the fly – Stoutland somehow seems to have made the front five better. Cam Jurgens has capably replaced Kelce. Following Barkley from New York, Mekhi Becton – a first-round washout as the Jets’ left tackle – has reinvented himself by taking over the right guard spot vacated by Jurgens and, along with Jordan Mailata, gives Barkley a pair of 360-pounders to run behind. Per the NFL analytics website PFF, Mailata is the league’s preeminent left tackle. Left guard Landon Dickerson is likely headed to his third straight Pro Bowl, and right tackle Lane Johnson might be a first-ballot Hall of Famer whenever he’s done.

Now it’s Barkley, averaging nearly 50 rushing yards more per game than he did during his time with the Giants, who is the beneficiary of this steak-and-cheese grinder that routinely pulverizes opponents into submission.

I was able to witness the formula personally as the Eagles relentlessly pummeled the Commanders. Barkley was steady, if fairly unspectacular most of that night at Lincoln Financial Field – until the dam broke and he ran for a pair of touchdowns covering 62 aggregate yards in a 20-second span in the game’s final five minutes. He wound up with 198 yards from scrimmage.

Chicken? Egg? Hammer? Scythe? Line? Barkley?

“We’ve found a rhythm offensively,” Johnson told me when I asked about their approach and success.

“We love the big, explosive plays. We love handing the ball to Saquon and wearing teams down physically up front. When you can do that, it opens up the pass game, weakens the pass rush when you attack the guys the way that we do. So, complementary football.”

And Barkley is a complementary piece here. That’s not to shade him one iota of the credit he’s due, but …

For some reason, quarterback Jalen Hurts still does most of the short-area dirty work, eight of his 11 team-leading TD runs from 1 yard. (Barkley’s TD runs average 31 yards – amazing, including two from 70+ against the Rams – but he hasn’t taken it in from the 1-yard line yet.)

Call it a quirky stat if you like, but the Eagles are 8-0 when Pro Bowl wideout A.J. Brown is available yet 1-2 without him. And Barkley dropped a very catchable pass in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons that he himself cited as the reason Philadelphia lost.

A defense teeming with blossoming stars – one that fell apart and maybe even quit in 2023 following the departure of coordinator Jonathan Gannon for the Arizona Cardinals’ top job – is now ranked No. 1 overall with grizzled assistant Vic Fangio calling the shots.

Even Sirianni seems to have gotten out of his own way sufficiently enough that his job status is no longer a weekly discussion point. And say what you want about the polarizing HC, but he does have a highly enviable 43-19 regular-season record and is on the way to his fourth playoff appearance in four seasons – most of that success obviously predating 2024.

Barkley is a superstar, a unicorn at his position, probably an eventual Hall of Famer. He’s an eminently valuable player for the Eagles.

He’s also a tailback playing for a team that might have been one questionable holding call away from beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57 less than two years ago … without him.

With most profuse apologies to Mr. Barkley, the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen, Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson and maybe even Detroit’s Jared Goff should probably rest rather easy – none of those teams likely to survive without their respective quarterbacks, whereas the Eagles have already proven to be championship-caliber pre-Barkley. In a quarterback-driven league that tends to appropriately reward that all-important position, one of them probably will – and should – be the 2024 MVP.

Sorry, Saquon.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

This story has been updated with a statement from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations.

Jake Paul is punching back at anyone suggesting the boxing match between Mike Tyson and the former YouTube star earlier this month was in any way rigged. 

Most Valuable Promotions, the company founded by Paul that promoted the fight, issued a statement Monday blasting “the wide circulation of incorrect and baseless claims that undermine the integrity of the Paul vs. Tyson event.” It comes on the heels of Paul having to address the allegations himself last week.

“Trash talk and speculation are common in sports, and athletes and promoters need to tolerate nonsensical commentary, jokes and opinions. But suggesting anything other than full effort from these fighters is not only naïve but an insult to the work they put into their craft and to the sport itself,” the statement from Most Valuable Promotions read. “It is further illogical and inane that MVP, in the debut of a hopeful long-term partnership with the world’s biggest streamer—an organization that made its first-ever foray into live professional sports with Paul vs. Tyson—would even so much as consider such a perverse violation of the rules of competition.”

Tyson vs. Paul: Legit fight?

Questions concerning the legitimacy of the fight were raised throughout the lead-up to the event considering the age difference between the 58-year-old Tyson and 27-year-old Paul. They persisted once Paul defeated Tyson by unanimous decision in a match that went the full eight rounds. Oscar de la Hoya and Joe Rogan are among the notable figures to insinuate the fight was either scripted or not real since its conclusion.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations sanctioned the Nov. 15 match, although Paul and Tyson agreed to adjusted rules that included heavier gloves and shorter rounds. MVP insisted in its statement Monday that all the proper regulations were followed and “both fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight.” 

A TDLR spokesperson wrote in an email to USA TODAY last week that the sanctioning body had ‘no reason to believe that the fight was manipulated.’ TDLR confirmed on Monday that it had not filed a complaint regarding the bout between Paul and Tyson.

Paul also denied allegations that the fight was rigged during a recent interview on a podcast hosted by his brother, Logan Paul. 

‘People are like, ‘Oh yeah, it’s rigged because look at him on the pads, but he didn’t do this in the fight.’ Because someone is … punching back,” Paul said on the podcast. “… People don’t realize my power, and my jab and my speed and my ability, and my footwork to get out of the way of those punches, so then all of a sudden he’s throwing at, literally, air.’

Jake Paul is winning

Paul has forged a successful boxing career through an unorthodox route, using his fame on YouTube to become one of the sport’s mainstream stars. He improved to 11-1 overall since 2020 with his win over Tyson. 

Though Paul vs. Tyson fight had plenty of critics and endured significant technical issues with its streaming-only broadcast on Netflix, MVP claimed in a previous statement that the event’s gate of $18.1 million is the the biggest for any boxing or MMA event outside of Las Vegas in U.S. history.

“This is not the first time Jake Paul has faced unfounded skepticism or outright disbelief as a professional athlete, and frankly, the claim that his bout must have been rigged is just the latest backhanded compliment to come his way,” said Nakisa Bidarian, Paul’s manager and co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, in a statement. “From day one in this sport, people have doubted his abilities—unable to reconcile how someone with his background has accomplished so much in such a short time.’

‘Jake has not only proven himself repeatedly, but he has continuously set historic records that speak for themselves. This event, which broke attendance and viewership milestones for a professional sporting event, is yet another example of his ability to deliver on the biggest stage. As long as Jake continues to exceed expectations, there will always be those who try to discredit his achievements. We embrace the doubt—it only fuels Jake to work harder and achieve greater success.” 

–USA TODAY Sports reporter Josh Peter contributed to this story.

The U.S. women’s national team is losing its rock.

Alyssa Naeher, the only goalkeeper to record shutouts in both World Cup and Olympic finals, announced her retirement from international soccer Monday. Matches in England on Saturday and in the Netherlands on Dec. 3 will be her last with the USWNT.

Naeher, 36, currently has 88 wins and 68 shutouts in 113 appearances for the USWNT, and her career goals-against average is 0.50. She is a two-time World Cup champion and Olympic gold and bronze medalist.

“Having the opportunity to be a part of the USWNT for the past 15 years has been the greatest honor,” Naeher said in a release from U.S. Soccer. “This has been a special team to be a part of and I am beyond proud of what we have achieved both on and off the field. The memories I have made over the years will last me a lifetime.”

Naeher had the unenviable task of replacing Hope Solo after U.S. Soccer banished Solo for multiple episodes of bad behavior. The two were polar opposites in personality; Naeher was quiet and uncomfortable in the spotlight, always deflecting credit to the rest of the team. Some suggested that would be to the USWNT’s detriment, and that not having Solo would cost the Americans at the 2019 World Cup.

“No one’s given her time yet,” defender Julie Ertz said ahead of the USWNT’s opener in that tournament. “We know who she is. We train with her every day. We know how good she is.”

In the semifinal against England, she blocked Steph Houghton’s penalty kick in the 83rd minute and then smothered the ball so the Lionesses wouldn’t have the opportunity to score on the rebound. The save preserved the USWNT’s 2-1 win and sent them onto the final, where they beat the Netherlands 2-0.

At this summer’s Paris Olympics, Naeher made a spectacular save in the 119th minute of the gold-medal game to uphold the USWNT’s 1-0 win over Brazil. It was her fourth shutout of the Games, the most by any U.S. goalkeeper at a single Olympics.

And while the U.S. women made their earliest exit ever at last year’s World Cup, it wasn’t Naeher’s fault. She allowed one goal in four matches. She also added to her lore by taking — and making — a penalty kick in the round-of-16 loss to Sweden.

She would do the same in the SheBelieves Cup title game against Canada earlier this year, stopping three of Canada’s four attempts and converting her own.

Naeher will play at least one more season for the Chicago Stars in the NWSL, where she holds the league records for saves and appearances.

The 2024 fantasy football season is just a couple weeks away from the playoffs for most fantasy managers.

Week 12 (MNF pending) was another dandy. Cooper Rush, Will Levis, and Bryce Young finished as QB1s. Saquon Barkley outscored the next-closest running back by 13.6 half-PPR points. Nick Chubb, Ameer Abdullah, and Jaylen Warren posted RB1 finishes. The top-four receivers were Jordan Addison, Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle, and D.J. Moore. And the top-10 tight ends consisted of Noah Gray, Chig Okonkwo, Austin Hooper, Luke Schoonmaker, and Cade Stover. The script writers were certainly at the top of their game.

Week 13 is upon us now.

Here’s a look at my Week 13 fantasy football rankings. Toggle between standard, half PPR (point per reception), and full PPR to see where players rank in your league’s format.

Our team at USA TODAY Sports has you covered with plenty of content to help with your Week 13 lineup and roster decisions. Wondering who the best waiver-wire claims are? We have that covered so you can make your pickups. Need to know what players you can drop? We have that as well. We also have a list of the 10 best buy low/sell high candidates.

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Please note: These rankings will change significantly as the week goes on. Check back on Sunday morning for final updates.

Week 13 fantasy football quarterback rankings: Risers and fallers

UP: Baker Mayfield – It feels strange to put fantasy’s QB5 in this spot, but here we are. Baker has finished as a top-eight quarterback in 8 of his 11 games this season. He’s an excellent start against a Panthers team that’s allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
UP: C.J. Stroud – The 23-year-old has ranked higher than QB10 just once since Week 1, but there’s plenty of reason for optimism in Week 13. The Jaguars are giving up the most fantasy points to passers this season, including a season-best 23.5 to Stroud in Week 4.
UP: Patrick Mahomes – Prior to Week 9, Mahomes had gone 16 consecutive regular-season starts without surpassing two touchdowns. He’s now racked up three scores in three of his last four games. He’s a top-eight play against a Raiders team that’s ceded the fifth-most fantasy points to the position since Week 3.
UP: Matthew Stafford – Since Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua returned in Week 8, Stafford has posted the following performances: QB5, QB13, QB20, QB5, and QB7. Three of the last six quarterbacks to face the Saints have surpassed 24 fantasy points.
UP: Bryce Young – This is a deep league-only play, but Bryce Young has now ranked as the QB19 or better in three of his last four games. Tampa Bay has surrendered the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
DOWN: Joe Burrow – Fading a quarterback who has 1,035 yards and 12 touchdowns over his last three games might not be wise, but the Steelers’ defense warrants that respect. No quarterback has eclipsed 18.4 fantasy points against Pittsburgh in 2024.
DOWN: Tua Tagovailoa – The Hawaiian native is riding hot in his last two games, but he could bust on Thanksgiving. Tua’s stats in cold-weather games are well-documented, but his general struggles on the road are even more concerning. Here’s how his last nine road games have gone: QB26, QB18, QB22, QB15, QB26, QB10, QB16, QB19, and QB22, in that order. It doesn’t help that the Packers have surrendered the fifth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
DOWN: Kirk Cousins – Excluding his two matchups with the Bucs, Cousins has ranked higher than QB16 once all season. The veteran ranks middle of the pack in most advanced quarterback metrics, but again, the Bucs matchups are doing a lot of the work there. He could be in for a long game against a potent Chargers defense.

Week 13 fantasy football running back rankings: Risers and fallers

UP: Bucky Irving – In his last two games, the rookie has finished as the RB6 and RB3 in half-PPR formats. Now he faces a Panthers team that’s allowed the most fantasy points to opposing backfields this campaign.
UP: Chase Brown – With the kind of volume Brown is receiving, we shouldn’t spend much time worrying about matchups. Over his last three games, the 24-year-old has posted performances of RB5, RB4, and RB10 while averaging 27 touches per contest. His opponent, the Steelers, have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to running backs since Week 4.
UP: James Cook – The 49ers have turned into a run-funnel defense of late. Over their last six games, they’ve ceded 10 touchdowns to running backs, compared to just eight from quarterbacks. Cook has finished as a top-10 back in four of his last six games.
UP: Rico Dowdle – A favorable game script led to Dowdle racking up 98 yards on 22 touches in Week 12, and another favorable matchup awaits in Week 13. Since Week 7, no team has allowed more touches and fantasy points to running backs than the Giants.
DOWN: Christian McCaffrey – Is it time to be concerned about CMC? In three games since his return, the veteran has yet to score and is averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. If Brock Purdy and Trent Williams can return in Week 13, McCaffrey should still be considered an elite play in a plus matchup.
DOWN: Kyren Williams – In six games with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp on the field, Kyren has totaled 505 scrimmage yards and three scores, while finishing higher than RB15 just once. In five games without both star receivers on the field, Williams has racked up 453 yards and a whopping eight touchdowns, ranking as the RB12 or better four times. Sure, the matchup with the Saints is enticing, but the back’s floor and ceiling is lower when the Rams are healthy.
DOWN: James Conner – From a fantasy perspective, Conner has been solid this season, though not spectacular. Over his last nine games, the 29-year-old has ranked higher than RB15 just once. Things won’t be easy this week, as only three backs have posted double-digit half-PPR points against the Vikings all season.
DOWN: Rhamondre Stevenson – Stevenson has been the fantasy version of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in 2024. The 26-year-old has had four performances of RB35 or worse, and five outings where he’s finished as the RB10 or better. The issue is that the Mr. Hyde version can tank lineups, as he’s posted 6.2 half-PPR points or fewer in four of his last nine games.

Week 13 fantasy football wide receiver rankings: Risers and fallers

UP: Courtland Sutton – Since Week 8, Sutton is fantasy’s WR2. During that stretch, here is how he’s ranked: WR26, WR7, WR7, WR27, and WR2. He’s a locked-and-loaded top-10 receiver against a Browns team that’s given up the fifth-most fantasy points to the position since Week 3.
UP: Jaxon Smith-Njigba – Is there a new WR1 in Seattle? Over his last three games, JSN has finished as the WR1, WR12, and WR11, and the last two took place with DK Metcalf on the field. Fire him up against a reeling Jets defense.
UP: DJ Moore and Keenan Allen – In the two games since the Bears released themselves of the Shane Waldron misery, Moore and Allen have racked up 23 and 16 opportunities (targets plus carries), respectively. Moore totaled 119 yards and a score in Week 12, while Allen posted 86 yards and a score of his own. Both are in play against a Lions secondary that’s ceded the eighth-most fantasy points to receivers this season.
UP: Michael Pittman Jr. – With Josh Downs a “long-shot” to play in Week 13, Pittman is back on the WR3 radar. Against the Lions in Week 12, MPJ totaled 96 yards, his best mark since Week 4.
UP: Xavier Legette – The rookie has finished as a top-35 receiver in four of his last six games, and a mouthwatering matchup awaits in Week 13. Since Week 5, the Bucs have surrendered the second-most fantasy points to receivers.
DOWN: Justin Jefferson – You’re still starting Jefferson, but it might be time to lower expectations. Over his last three games, Jefferson has posted performances of WR33, WR29, and WR60, and he’s ranked higher than WR11 just twice in his last nine outings. Let’s hope for a “squeaky wheel” game in Week 13.
DOWN: Tyreek Hill – Speaking of adjusting expectations, Tyreek is no longer the sure-fire WR1 he once was. In fact, Hill hasn’t finished as a WR1 since Week 1. Traveling to Lambeau on a short week doesn’t help matters, nor does the fact that the Packers have ceded the second-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers since Week 5.
DOWN: Deebo Samuel Sr. – Among receivers with at least four games under their belts since Week 4, Deebo ranks 60th with an average of 7.2 half-PPR points per game. Yikes.  

Week 13 fantasy football tight end rankings: Risers and fallers

UP: Taysom Hill – Over his last five games, Hill has posted finishes of TE1, TE29, TE5, TE16, and TE1. In fact, no player scored more points than the veteran Swiss Army Knife in Week 11. Given that his flower hasn’t been any lower than most high-end tight ends, Hill is a no-brainer top-five option in Week 13.
UP: Jonnu Smith – Since Week 7, no tight end has scored more fantasy points than Jonnu Smith. The 29-year-old has finished inside the top three in three of his last six games, and he’s ranked lower than TE17 just once since Week 4. He gets a solid matchup this week, as the Packers have allowed the eighth-most points to tight ends since Week 3.
UP: Noah Gray – With nine targets and four touchdowns in his last two games, Gray is officially on the streaming radar. The Raiders have allowed the third-most fantasy points to the position in 2024.
DOWN: Evan Engram – In even outings this season, Engram has finished higher than TE12 in half-PPR formats just once. Even if Trevor Lawrence returns, Engram is a fade in Week 13.
DOWN: Dalton Kincaid – We shouldn’t let preseason ADP cloud our judgment of a player, and Kincaid is a prime example of that. The second-year tight end has finished as the TE14 or worse in all but one game this season. The matchup is also not on his side, as the 49ers have yet to allow double-digit half-PPR points to a tight end this season.

Week 13 fantasy football rankings

The Los Angeles Angels are continuing their pre-holiday shopping spree, agreeing to terms with free-agent pitcher Yusei Kikuchi on a three-year contract.

The 33-year old left-hander agreed to a $63 million contract, according to a baseball official with direct knowledge of the deal.

The official spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the deal has not been finalized.

Kikuchi finished last season in dominant fashion after being traded to the Houston Astros. He spent eight seasons in Japan before signing with the Seattle Mariners in 2019. After making the AL All-Star team in 2021, he joined the Toronto Blue Jays for 2 1/2 seasons and was dealt to Houston in late July.

With the Astros, Kikuchi started relying on his slider more than ever. And the results were impressive. In 10 starts with Houston, Kikuchi went 5-1 down the stretch with a 2.70 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 60 innings.

All things Angels: Latest Los Angeles Angels news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

FREE AGENT RANKINGS: The 120 most impactful players available this offseason

Over 166 games (154 starts) in his six-year MLB career, Kikuchi has an overall record of 41-47 with a 4.57 ERA.

He becomes the fourth free agent Angels general manager Perry Minasian has signed so far this offseason, joining pitcher Kyle Hendricks, catcher Travis d’Arnaud and infielder Kevin Newman.

Kikuchi could potentially be the Angels’ opening-day starter, fronting a rotation that includes righties Hendricks and Jose Soriano, and southpaws Reid Detmers and Tyler Anderson.

Last weekend’s college football upset extravaganza pretty much ended two arguments that have been raging around the sport for decades during its slow-walk from the antiquated poll era to the BCS to the College Football Playoff. 

The first was that a real playoff like every other sport has would diminish the regular season. Wrong. 

The second, from the other side of the spectrum, was that the playoff had to be expanded because it was excluding teams that were worthy of competing for a national championship. Also wrong. 

Where we have landed in 2024 is what feels like a sweet spot: Tons of moments mattering that wouldn’t have otherwise mattered, like Arizona State fans flooding the field (twice) after beating BYU because of its implications for the Big 12 title race, while also ensuring every team has a fair opportunity to get in the field. Nobody really believes that Arizona State is going to win a national championship, but having a pathway into the playoff for a team that went 3-9 last year and would have otherwise been irrelevant this season is a huge net positive for the sport.

And as we sit here with one week left in the regular season, we can be assured the drama will continue: Another 18 or so games this weekend alone will have playoff implications, and they will create a whole new set of debates about which teams are in line for the final few spots. 

It’s equally clear, though, that expanding the playoff further is unnecessary. Even now, it seems possible a team that has had a pretty mediocre season — maybe 8-3 Alabama or 9-2 Clemson — will find its way through the back door into the 12-team field as others crumble.

Expanding to 14 teams, as some of the conference commissioners have proposed when the new CFP contract takes effect in 2026, is not likely to increase the season’s entertainment value much, if at all. But it would almost certainly provide lifelines for teams that have not achieved much on the field and have no chance of winning the championship. 

Fine. Whatever. The difference between a 12- and 14-team playoff is so negligible it’s not worth getting upset about. 

The problem, though, is the justification for why the commissioners, led by the SEC’s Greg Sankey and the Big Ten’s Tony Petitti, have pushed for another expansion. They want those bids to themselves, and they want to codify the distinction between the two richest conferences and everyone else. 

In fact, when they first floated the 14-team proposal, the SEC and Big Ten wanted four automatic bids each.

Translated to this season in the Big Ten, that would have meant neither Penn State’s thrilling 26-25 win at Minnesota nor Indiana’s blowout loss to Ohio State last weekend would have mattered at all. Nittany Lions coach James Franklin wouldn’t have needed to make some gutsy calls down the stretch, including a fake punt, nor would we have been paying close attention to how Indiana matched up against an elite opponent because they’d have both locked up their playoff spots long before. 

In the SEC, the debate wouldn’t be whether Alabama, Ole Miss or Texas A&M can still get into the playoff despite a third loss, it would be which one gets a guaranteed fourth spot that none of them did much to earn. 

After internal and external pushback, the four-bid guarantee died on the vine. The next proposal centered around each of them getting three automatic bids, while the ACC and Big 12 got two apiece with a spot reserved for the top-ranked Group of Five champion. That one was also unpopular. The eventual format for 2026 remains up in the air, pending further discussions after this season. 

The SEC and Big Ten initially argued for multiple automatic bids under the premise that expansion to 16 teams and the addition of several big brand names has made their leagues significantly stronger than the others. While that’s true if you look at the leagues holistically, it has not played out that way with individual teams. If anything, the real-world effect of expansion has diluted schedules to such an extent that the top SEC and Big Ten teams actually seem weaker than they would have been before. 

Just look at Texas, which sits at 10-1 heading into a matchup this weekend at Texas A&M that will decide who plays Georgia in the SEC championship game. Is Texas a playoff lock even if it loses? Most likely yes. But when you look under the hood at the Longhorns’ record, they haven’t beaten a single team currently ranked in the top 25. Their best wins came against 6-5 Oklahoma, 6-5 Vanderbilt, 6-5 Florida and 6-5 Michigan. If they don’t beat the Aggies, there will be a legitimate case to exclude Texas from the Playoff altogether. 

An SEC fan would argue that it’s not easy to win all the games Texas won, as Alabama and Ole Miss proved last weekend. But for the last couple of decades, SEC superiority was based on the idea that the great teams in its league were automatically playing the toughest schedules in the country, and that the best teams should be able to weather those challenges as the great Alabama or LSU or Georgia teams did. Now, they want their members to be treated like trust-fund babies. 

If the SEC only gets three teams in the Playoff this year, which seems like a real possibility at the moment, the league will only have itself to blame. Yes, the SEC is still the strongest league top-to-bottom and will put the most players in the NFL. But when you expand to 16 teams while only playing half of your league members in a given season, it’s less a conference at that point and more of a scheduling federation. And if you judge Texas by the schedule it has played, rather than the SEC logo on its uniform, we should all demand that the Longhorns make their case this weekend with a win in College Station. 

What’s better for the sport: Watching to see if a team can earn its way in or relying on quotas that Sankey leveraged from his colleagues in a backroom deal? What’s better: Seeing whether Penn State has the chutzpah to hold off Minnesota in a tough road environment or having the security of knowing that the Big Ten’s political power is going to get them in no matter what? 

No playoff format is perfect, and there will always be someone who feels aggrieved by getting left out. The commissioners should probably tweak the format with the first-round byes a little bit to ensure that a Big 12 champion ranked No. 10 or 11 doesn’t get the No. 4 seed, which could skew the bracket in a weird way. 

But the excitement and drama from this spectacular college football season have proven that you don’t need to expand the Playoff any more, and you certainly don’t need to prop the Big Ten and SEC up with a bunch of automatic bids because they’ll have too many contenders to handle.

If anything, it’s proven to be the opposite. Everyone with a real shot at winning the title will be in the 12-team field, and nobody who gets left out will have a good argument to be in. They should keep it that way.