Get ready for some massive college football news, because the College Football Playoff is officially blowing up to a 24-team field starting in 2027. This isn’t just some rumor, this is locked in with a five-year deal between ESPN and the CFP, announced Monday. Houston coach Willie Fritz is all in, saying this expanded format is exactly what college football needs to give more programs a real shot at the postseason.
The Playoff Landscape Just Got Wild
This 24-team playoff? It’s a game-changer. Fritz himself put it best, talking about how “more people access” the big dance and how fans are “thirsty for college football and quality games.” He’s not wrong! Under this new deal, we’re talking about 19 at-large bids, plus the champions from the Power Four conferences, and the highest-ranked Group of Six team getting in. And get this: the Power Four conference championship games are GONE starting in 2027. The Big 12 already confirmed their Dec. 4 championship in Arlington will be their last, with the regular-season champ earning the automatic bid going forward. What does this mean for our Cougars? If this 24-team field was around *this year*, No. 17 Houston would be sitting pretty for an at-large bid and could even host a first-round game right on campus. That’s huge for program visibility!
Houston’s Playoff Hunt: No. 17 And Counting
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves dreaming of 2027 just yet. Our Cougars are still scrapping for a spot in *this season’s* 12-team field, and the path is clear, if tough: they gotta win their final three games, and Texas Tech needs to drop one. Pull that off, and Houston takes most of the tiebreakers among multiple two-loss teams, punching their ticket to the Big 12 championship game. Right now, being ranked No. 17 in the CFP is the highest in program history, which is awesome. But as Fritz reminds us, “Being ranked right now doesn’t mean a whole lot. You want to be ranked as high as we can at the end of the season. That means we’ve accomplished some things.” He wants Houston “out there front and center as much as possible,” and this ranking is definitely helping.
On the injury front, it was great to see linebacker Jaden Yates back in action on Saturday after missing a month with a lower-body injury he picked up back in Week 5 against UCF. He led the team with nine tackles, and Fritz said he looked good, without “any side effects from the injury.” Yates is super important out there, rocking that “green dot” helmet which means he’s relaying calls from defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong and helping with alignment. When he was out, Sione Fotu and Carmycah Glass took over those duties, but it’s clear Yates is critical. Fritz thinks Yates “knocked a lot of the rust off and will play even better this week.” Speaking of Glass, though, he had to leave late in the first half against Cincinnati with his own lower-body injury and was getting evaluated Monday. Fritz said it’s “not 100%,” which is a worry.
Next up for the Cougars is a road game at Colorado this Friday. With the expanded playoff on the horizon and a real shot at *this year’s* Big 12 championship still on the table, every single snap from here on out is absolutely critical. Let’s see if they can keep that momentum rolling!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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