Cover 3 College Football Final & Future College Football Rankings, YOUR Mailbag Questions & more!
Jan 22, 2026
The hosts dive into the final college football rankings, sparking debates over teams like Miami and Ole Miss. They share their strategies for ranking and discuss the SEC's dominance. Excitement builds around the Way-Too-Early 2026 Rankings and standout teams to watch. The conversation turns to coaching moves, including Gary Patterson's transition to USC. They also tackle the impact of the transfer portal and NIL on team dynamics, wrapping up with insights on replication of successful strategies.
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Late Wins Carry Extra Weight
- Miami's final ranking splits opinion because writers weigh late playoff wins heavier than season-long performance.
- Chip defends Miami at No. 2 because of high-end playoff wins and the Notre Dame victory.
Power Ratings Rebalanced The Field
- FPI and power ratings shifted perception: no SEC team in the top six for the first time.
- The panel credits in-season power models for correcting preseason SEC bias.
Treat Early Polls As Conversation Starters
- Use early way-too-early rankings to provoke thought, not certainty.
- Tom and Chip treat Brandon Marcello's list as a starting point and compare it to their own evaluations.