Nov 11, 2026 · 1h 31m
Playoff expansion collides with Week 11 chaos
CFP Rankings & Expansion Reaction + Week 11 Prediction Show
The episode weighs whether a 24-team playoff would improve college football while mapping the results that could reshape this season’s playoff field.
- 1Josh Pate argues that a 24-team playoff prioritizes financial incentives over regular-season urgency and meaningful competition.
- 2Texas-LSU, Missouri-Georgia, and USC-Indiana previews reveal how Week 11 could alter several teams’ playoff paths.
- 3The latest rankings expose a volatile bubble, with Big 12 strength and Big Ten uncertainty complicating the committee’s choices.
Don't miss
Pate uses current FanDuel lines to build a hypothetical bracket and identify the teams capable of causing the most disruption.
The brief
Josh Pate opens by challenging the move to a 24-team College Football Playoff, arguing that money—not competitive necessity—drives expansion and threatens the urgency of the regular season.
His Week 11 slate centers on Texas at LSU, Missouri at Georgia, and USC at Indiana, where pass rushes, defenses, explosive plays, and close-game habits shape his predictions.
Pate then turns to the rankings, explaining why UCLA rose, Indiana fell during a bye, and the committee’s comparison-based process cannot be reduced to head-to-head results.
The closing bracket exercise finds playoff life for teams including Missouri, LSU, USC, Oregon, Houston, and Wake Forest, while Baylor, SMU, Miami, BYU, and Notre Dame threaten further disruption.
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