Until Saturday Newsletter: Football Madness Edition
Welcome to this special edition of The Athletic’s college football newsletter, Until Saturday. Today, we’re flipping the script and turning March Madness into Football Madness. Instead of basketball, we’re imagining a world where the NCAA Tournament is all about college football—a 68-team bracket where every Division I conference champion gets an automatic bid, and the rest are filled out with at-large teams. Sounds wild, right? But with the College Football Playoff (CFP) already expanding to 12 teams and discussions of a potential 16-team format on the horizon, this massive bracket doesn’t feel as far-fetched as it once did. Buckle up as we dive into this football-filled alternate reality.
To create this monstrous bracket, we’ve taken inspiration from the NCAA basketball tournament, blending tradition with chaos. Automatic bids were handed out to every Division I conference champion, meaning even a 5-7 Oregon State team makes the cut for going 1-0 in conference play (don’t worry, Beavers fans, we’re not judging). The at-large bids were determined by a mix of polls and computer ratings—think a nostalgia trip back to the BCS era, but with a modern twist. We combined the final Associated Press (AP) poll, the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) polls, and computer ratings from Massey and Sagarin to seed and rank all 68 teams. The result? Ohio State, the overall No. 1 seed, got the most favorable geography, and the rest of the bracket followed in “snake order” to keep things as balanced (or unbalanced) as possible.
In the first region, the matchups are as intriguing as they are unpredictable. The best first-round game features Harvard taking on “America’s Team,” which, depending on your loyalties, could be any number of programs, but let’s assume it’s the Crimson vs. the Crimson Tide (sorry, we couldn’t resist). Further down the bracket, a potential clash between Tennessee’s high-powered offense (ranked 9th in offensive snaps) and Iowa’s methodical, slow-burn attack (132nd in offensive snaps) would be a fascinating study in contrasts. As for upsets, keep an eye on 12-seed Oklahoma, which could give SEC stalwart South Carolina a run for its money despite being a 4-point underdog. Meanwhile, Ohio State is such a massive favorite over Drake that the Buckeyes aren’t even on Upset Watch—though we’re pretending FCS teams are every bit as competitive as their FBS counterparts in this alternate reality.
The second region is just as wild, with K-State and Memphis, two teams often hailed as underrated gems, facing off in what could be a must-watch first-round game. If you want to sound like a college football insider, just casually drop that this matchup is a can’t-miss. Later in the bracket, Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss could face off against an FCS powerhouse with a reputation for beating FBS teams—talk about a revenge narrative. And don’t sleep on 13-seed Arkansas, which could give Iowa State all it can handle in another potential upset.
Of course, this bracket isn’t just about football; it’s also about the drama and storytelling that comes with March Madness. Imagine the debates over seeding, the complaints about snubs, and the requisite hand-wringing over conference representation. Speaking of which, the first four teams left out of the bracket—Rutgers, Boston College, UCLA, and Montana—could spark their own set of discussions. Was Montana’s exclusion a glaring oversight, or was it a fair decision? You decide.
But this newsletter isn’t all fun and games—it’s also your weekly dose of real college football news. Matt Baker broke down USF’s $340 million stadium bet, a high-stakes gamble to bring relevance to a program that has never won a conference title. Meanwhile, Stewart Mandel and Ralph Russo explored a growing trend in college athletics: NIL buyouts, where schools are trying to hold onto their players by threatening them with hefty sums if they leave. And if you’re into spring football, Colorado might just be the team to pioneer a new era of inter-school scrimmages—a modern twist on a classic tradition.
Before we wrap up, let’s give a shoutout to the Pac-12 and Mountain West, which are reportedly nearing a legal resolution that could reshape the college football landscape. And if you’re into bracketology, The Athletic has you covered with everything from recruiting angles to women’s basketball hypotheticals. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the rest of our Football Madness bracket, featuring matchups like LSU vs. Nebraska, Army vs. Navy, and Alabama vs. Vanderbilt—because what’s March without a few rivalry games?
Until next Saturday, enjoy the chaos of this imaginary 68-team CFP bracket and the real-life drama of college football. If you have thoughts, questions, or just want to yell about your team’s snub, hit us up at untilsaturday@theathletic.com. And if you haven’t already, sign up for this newsletter—it’s the perfect way to stay in the loop on all things college football. Let’s go!
