The 2025 college football season will be remembered for its drama, historic achievements and renewed debate over how the College Football Playoff (CFP) selects its champion. Indiana University enjoyed the season of a lifetime, finishing undefeated at 16–0 and capturing their first national championship in program history by defeating the Miami Hurricanes in the title game. The Hoosiers also won the Big Ten Championship and dominated in CFP games, including big playoff wins over powerhouse programs like Alabama and Oregon.
Other storylines included Miami’s rise as a national contender fueled by explosive performances from breakout players, as well as ongoing frustrations from traditional powers like Notre Dame, who found themselves in the spotlight due to their schedule and playoff positioning. The season also featured significant coaching news and tactical shifts across major programs.
Despite the excitement, controversy surrounding the College Football Playoff persisted. Expanding to 12 teams was meant to reduce debate, but questions remain about which teams truly “deserve” a spot. Fans and analysts are still arguing about snubs and selections. One major issue is the requirement that conference champions receive automatic bids, even if they come from weaker conferences. In some cases, teams with multiple losses from smaller or less competitive leagues earned playoff spots over stronger teams from major conferences. Critics argue that this can lower the overall quality of competition and unfairly punish teams that play tougher schedules. This also creates other problems for teams who are not in conferences.
One central point of debate is strength of schedule (SOS). Ideally, SOS rewards teams that face tougher opponents, ensuring that an undefeated team isn’t just unbeaten against weak competition. However, critics argue the current system doesn’t always value SOS consistently. Some teams with weaker overall schedules but one or two high-profile wins are ranked similarly to teams with more difficult slates, while others with strong resumes and challenging schedules are left out or under-ranked.
The advantage of a strong schedule is that it can justify a loss and show a team’s true competitiveness, but the disadvantage is that it increases the risk of losses that hurt playoff chances. Conversely, easier schedules can boost a team’s win total but may not prove its strength against elite foes.
As college football moves forward, debates over playoff structure, scheduling formulas and selection criteria are likely to continue, keeping fans engaged and analysts arguing long after the season ends.