Notre Dame football being left out of the College Football Playoff caused a meltdown. Possible transfer portal QB's like Sam Leavitt )ASU), Dylan Raiola (Nebraska Football), Lanorris Sellers (USC football) are about to get massive NIL money drama and a $500 million Utah Utes private equity bombshell all collide with George Wrighster. From the latest CFP rankings to Notre Dame football melting down over Miami Hurricanes football and Alabama football getting the last playoff spots, this episode dives into how the CFP committee really thinks, and why schedule roulette and conference bias are breaking the system. George breaks down why Notre Dame football only has itself to blame for missing the 12-team field, how Miami’s résumé and head-to-head win stacked up, and why Alabama and Georgia bulldogs always seem to land on their feet in the SEC-driven CFP world.
Then it’s the new age of business: the Utah Utes’ groundbreaking private equity deal with Otro Capital, how a $500M war chest changes Utah’s Big 12 and CFP ceiling, and why this “Utah Brands & Entertainment” model might be the future of college athletics. George connects that move to the transfer portal and NIL reality—Troy Aikman publicly tapping out of NIL after writing a big check, Dante Moore and Bryce Underwood navigating coaching changes and QB rooms, and why donors are demanding real structure instead of handshake deals. If you care about the portal, NIL, realignment, Utah’s arms race, and whether the CFP should expand to 16 teams with cross-conference matchups between the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12, this live breakdown is your blueprint for where college football is headed.
Chapters:
00:00 – Week with no games, but CFP chaos, portal and NIL on fire
00:54 – Transfer portal open: under-the-radar names your team should chase
01:42 – QB carousel: Sam Levitt, Nico Iamaleava, Dylan Raiola and “ring culture”
04:53 – Staff moves to keep QBs: South Carolina, Oregon football, Michigan and Bryce Underwood
06:21 – “Time for pay”: transfer portal, draft decisions and money choices
07:18 – Notre Dame football loses its mind over CFP; why Miami hurricanes football got the nod
11:00 – How the committee led Notre Dame on, then flipped them late
13:43 – Story time: ring-box fakeout and how it mirrors ND’s CFP expectations
17:23 – History lesson: TCU 2014, Florida State 2023 and late-season bait-and-switch
19:33 – ACC politicking for Miami, “friends with benefits” Notre Dame and conference loyalty
21:21 – Utah Utes’ private equity move explained: Utah Brands & Entertainment
29:37 – Why boosters vs private equity is really “Saturday emotion vs Monday spreadsheets”
31:16 – How Utah football model could spread and why Texas Tech is already close
33:15 – Troy Aikman’s NIL frustration and what it says about the old booster model
35:38 – Why NIL needs real contracts, buyouts and structure like the NFL
40:26 – Building a 16-team CFP: auto bids, at-larges and schedule roulette fixes
42:27 – Cross-conference games (SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12) as a tiebreaker for extra bids
44:19 – Conference title weekend mini-playoffs and why networks will love it
45:08 – Final CFP bracket thoughts, media lobbying and why this show stays honest
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