Curt Cignetti accused ESPN of favoring the SEC, and Kirk Herbstreit quickly found himself in the firing line. Pat McAfee wasted no time questioning the ESPN analyst about claims that the network influences the College Football Playoff rankings.
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With 10 SEC teams cracking the top 25 compared to just six from the Big Ten, Cignetti’s accusations have intensified the debate over ESPN’s alleged conference favoritism.
During The Pat McAfee Show on November 5, McAfee jokingly portrayed Herbstreit as the face of ESPN’s SEC coverage and the man behind the rankings. He teased Herbstreit about whether he had a direct phone line to the committee to tell its members what he liked and disliked. The joke played on the growing accusations of ESPN’s SEC favoritism, which Cignetti had fueled just a day earlier.
Herbstreit wasn’t about to let the premise slide, even as a gag. “What the hell are you talking about? There’s going to be some sheep out there that think you’re serious,” he said.
McAfee immediately clarified that he was joking. He told Herbstreit he had about as much influence over the rankings as the show’s crew, then brought up Herbstreit’s golden retriever, Peter. Herbstreit joked that Peter would probably do a better job picking teams than anyone. The exchange underscored his rejection of the suggestion that he controlled the committee’s decisions.
The controversy stems partly from ESPN’s financial ties to college football. The network holds the SEC’s media rights under a 10-year agreement that began in 2024 and also broadcasts the College Football Playoff, including its weekly rankings reveal show. The Big Ten, meanwhile, signed media rights agreements with Fox, CBS, and NBC in 2022. However, the CFP selection committee determines the rankings independently. Herbstreit isn’t among its 13 members and has previously called for eliminating the weekly rankings show.
McAfee then turned to a more serious question. He pointed to accusations that ESPN influences the rankings and referenced committee chair Hunter Yurachek’s explanation of the voting process. He asked Herbstreit what he thought of the rankings and the committee’s responsibility to select the 12 playoff teams.
“It’s an impossible task,” Herbstreit said. “Every year whoever’s in that room just gets destroyed. I don’t know why you’d ever sign up to be on this list. No matter what their rankings are, they’re wrong. You know that it’s one of those things you’re going to piss everybody off no matter what you come up with.”
“I mean, you could dissect it if you want to look at Indiana at four. I’ve heard people that are up in arms about Indiana. How are they at four? Like, I don’t care. I really don’t care.”
Herbstreit dismissed the outrage, arguing that the initial rankings would inevitably change as teams suffered losses over the coming weeks. He also joked about the criticism surrounding Alabama’s No. 5 ranking but showed little interest in defending or attacking the committee’s decisions. Instead, he suggested waiting another four weeks before drawing conclusions.
Cignetti’s criticism began during his Wednesday night radio show on November 4, when he questioned why SEC teams were receiving favorable positions in the initial CFP rankings.
“SEC gets a lot of love from ESPN and all their writers that they don’t technically pay but march to their drum,” Cignetti said. “And that’s why you see all these SEC teams up there and some good two-loss teams from the Big Ten not quite as high. But like I said, it’s all gonna play out on the field.”
His frustration centered on the perceived disparity between the conferences. Alabama (6-2) landed at No. 5 and Texas (6-2) at No. 7, while Ohio State (6-2) checked in at No. 12. Indiana, despite its 19-15 loss to Ohio State on October 17, secured the No. 4 ranking. Undefeated UCLA landed at No. 8.
Cignetti also shared a CBS Sports graphic showing that Indiana had five victories over teams with winning records, adding the caption, “facts are stubborn things.”
Herbstreit, however, had little interest in getting dragged into the conference rivalry or defending every decision the committee made.
The next CFP rankings are scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, on ESPN. Indiana has a bye week before hosting USC on November 14.