When the Nebraska HC Matt Rhule floated the idea of a 40-team College Football Playoff, the internet didn’t just blink. It blew up. Rhule’s suggestion came wrapped in a thick coat of absurdity for many, and CBS Sports’ Josh Pate wasn’t in the mood to entertain any what-ifs. He fired back on social media, calling out the “madness” of such a format and flatly dismissing it as reckless expansion talk. Even Nick Saban, never one to stir the pot without purpose, distanced himself from wild growth proposals, reportedly pushing for a tighter 16-team model that still respects the integrity of elite competition. The real meat, however, lies in the new structural shifts already happening this fall.

FOX Sports’ RJ Young laid it out bluntly: “Even though we’ve only had one round of the 12 team playoff but we found out some things that we like about it we found out some things we didn’t like about it – particularly the big conferences, notably the SEC, did not like the way that the seeding was done because they felt that the College Football Playoff selection committee had too much control over who was going to play whom, as you’ll know, right?”

That control resulted in some downright clunky matchups. “We ended up with some lopsided matchups and we also ended up with Georgia, Tennessee having to play games that we didn’t think that well Georgia should have to play. Tennessee perhaps, right? Tennessee has to go to Ohio State. They didn’t really like that.” For programs like Texas and Arizona State, it wasn’t just about pride—it was about dollars and visibility lost.

So, the fix is in. The 2025 College Football Playoff will run with a “straight seeding” model. That means none of the politicking of yesteryear. No preferential treatment for a mid-tier conference champ who happens to squeak by in a soft schedule. The top four-ranked teams get the top four seeds and a first-round bye. Full stop. “I think this is really going to make this simpler for everybody involved, and it’s going to look a lot more like the Top 25 might look and a reflection of what college football actually looks like going into a playoff,” Young explained. It’s the kind of format that rewards resumes over résumés—the real tape over reputation.

But let’s not forget the bigger picture. This version of the 12-team playoff? It’s a rental, not a home. Reports indicate that by 2026, the Playoff is likely expanding again—this time to 14 or even 16 teams. As Young agreed, “We think we’re going to get to 16. It’s as simple as it says. The top four teams will get the top four seeds and the first-round bye. The conference commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua all reached that agreement, and I think it’s important to note that this was unanimous across the committee. Everybody wanted this.”

That would make the current 12-team structure a two-year experiment, a pit stop on the way to a broader, more inclusive format. The pressure from the Big Ten and SEC has been relentless. These powerhouses want more seats at the table, more TV windows, more leverage. And when college football’s two biggest brands speak, the room tends to get real quiet, real fast.

All Power Four conference champions will still get an automatic bid, as will the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. But how they’re seeded won’t be tied to titles anymore. It’s about final rankings. That’s a subtle shift with massive implications. No more hiding behind a banner—if you’re not among the best 12, no amount of confetti can save you.

So while Matt Rhule dreams big and Pate fights back, the sport continues its steady evolution into a full-fledged postseason machine.

Matt Rhule’s pitch had Josh Pate (literally) throw up

Well, Matt Rhule sure knows how to stir the college football pot — and not everyone’s feeling so great about it. During an interview with HuskerOnline, suggesting, “The more spots the better. Make that thing 40 and let’s go.” Now, that may have been a tongue-in-cheek comment, but it caused a full-blown stomachache for some in the media.

Case in point: Josh Pate. He wasted no time hopping on X  to deliver his unfiltered reaction: “Just saw the Matt Rhule 40 team playoff quote I’m throwing up.” Yes, throwing up. No mincing words there.

Things escalated quickly. When a fan tried to give Rhule the benefit of the doubt — hinting maybe the coach was joking — Pate didn’t budge. “Are you saying I was click baited?” he replied, clearly not in the mood for excuses.

The whole exchange went viral, racking up over 167,000 views and sparking a heated debate online. Even On3’s Ari Wasserman chimed in, suggesting coaches should focus on improving their teams rather than lobbying for easier playoff access routes. Rhule’s wild 40-team playoff pitch is almost certainly not happening, but it did get people talking.