With the regular season wrapped up and the postseason decided, I wanted to get us caught up on the greater landscape of the game. We’ll look at the playoff selections made and headline making hires. We have a lot to cover so let’s dive in!

The Playoff

We’ll lead with the hot button issue right now as the selection committee made waves. The final four team playoff was maybe the most dramatic decision of the era, one that will likely lead to some of the best games we have had. Let’s go team by team and talk about the case they had to be here.

The number one team in the ranking is the Michigan Wolverines. Controversy has marred their third consecutive BIG 10 crown, as the investigation into the cheating scandal continues. Jim Harbaugh was suspended for the final three regular season games and to their credit, they won them all under OC Cherrone Moore’s guidance. That three game stretch featured their two marquee wins, the first at Penn State and again at home against Ohio State. While their off the field antics should have kept them out of this field to begin with, I’d argue their resume is the weakest of the group.

While they could only play the games in front of them, the BIG 10 is simply put- a joke of a conference. They played nobody in their non-conference schedule (again) and frankly nobody in conference. If you’re going to put them in, I think they are seeded incorrectly as our next team should be number one. But karma has something in store for them in the opening round.

The number two team in the final ranking is the Washington Huskies who went 13-0 against a gauntlet of a schedule. They had several ranked wins, including two against one of the best rosters in the land in Oregon. We kept doubting this team all year long but they kept finding a way. They are an explosive group, led by gun slinging lefty Michael Penix Jr. Penix is another player who has been in college for just about a decade, but he has made the most of it. Head coach Calen Da Boer has worked with the lanky lefty since their time at Indiana- and it’s quite a partnership. In two years together in the great northwest they are an astounding 24-2. If there is a name to watch out for in their first round matchup, it’s Penix favorite target, wideout Rome Odunze. The junior from Las Vegas posted a brilliant year, with 81 catches for 1,428 yards and 13 touchdowns. Their offense goes as this tandem goes, and they should be able to get going in round one. If they have a big game, they could send the now defunct PAC 12 out in style.

Washington’s opponent in The Big Easy on New Year’s Day is a program that is finally “BACK.” The Texas Longhorns ended an almost 15 year hiatus from the national stage with their best team in a long time. Led by a character right out of Friday Night Lights in QB Quinn Ewers, the horns can light it up. Big time wideouts Xavier Worthy and AD Mitchell win outside the numbers consistently and make some jaw dropping plays each week. Perhaps my favorite member of this offense is big tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders who impacts them in the pass and run game, while built like a refrigerator. Though the Longhorns lost star running back Jonathan Brooks for the year, it hasn’t slowed their solid running game down. They’re even better on defense these days as they have won in the trenches a lot this year against top teams, including Alabama.

That game at Alabama is in part why they’re in the playoff field. This year’s tilt in Tuscaloosa was the second of a home and home series the Horns scheduled with the Tide out of conference. Not only did they win the game, but they did so impressively, closing out a two touchdown W on the road. Expect a shootout between them and the Huskies in the Superdome. This one will be tough to pick but my early lean is Texas.

Now we begin the controversial portion of the recap. The number four team in this year’s bracket is the somewhat surprising SEC champion Alabama Crimson Tide. This is not your typical Bama team of 10 years ago though. This group doesn’t have one dynamic game breaking star as they have in the past, but rather they are a collective unit led by their all time great head coach. Simply put, this in my opinion has been Nick Saban’s finest coaching job. This team found ways to win and improved as the year went on.

At the center of that improvement has been an offense that looked like a mess early on. Quarterback Jalen Milroe won the job in the offseason, lost it in season, only to win it back and run with it the rest of the way. His strong dual threat game produced some blow out wins as well as a few miracles along the way. He was works in tandem with breakout receivers Isiah Bond and Jermaine Burton. If there is a standout defender on this year’s team it’s corner Kool-Aid McKinstry. While doubling as captain of the “all name team,” McKinstry will fly around and make plays on a regular basis. My early lean is to the Tide to get it done in the Rose Bowl against Michigan.

Now it’s time to discuss the team that is the victim Alabama’s controversial selection. Florida State was left out of the playoff despite an undefeated season that culminated in an ACC title. Let’s get this part out of the way, I feel absolutely awful for the Seminoles. Seeing them have their heart broken was flat out depressing, especially as someone who admired their work all year long.

Jordan Travis was the main strike held against this team by the committee. While harsh, the selection committee feels responsible for fielding a quality entertainment product, something they usually fail at anyway, so they clearly felt the Noles playing with a backup QB was a wise choice. While the injury played its part, their strength of schedule, or lack there of, was the other drawback. While they could only play the teams in front of them, their ACC schedule was soft and even their non-conference win over LSU diminished in quality.

In stark contrast, Alabama played the fifth toughest schedule in the nation this year. You may scoff at the SEC but it has been the best conference for a while. Even the bottom feeders down south are good enough to beat a lot of the other teams in the game. You can’t discount the work Alabama did this year, nor how much they improved. They have arguably the best win in the nation against Georgia, and beat LSU, a common opponent between them and FSU. Yes the Noles were undefeated but not all undefeateds are equal to other teams. Take my Fighting Irish as an example, who didn’t matchup despite their undefeated marks.

In the end this was a difficult decision for the committee and it was impossible for them to please everyone. This final iteration of the four team playoff will be remembered for a long time, hopefully for more than just the selection drama. Ideally, the future 12 team selection process is a little less confusing and controversial.

Around the Country

There have been a lot of big developments around the country already. Big name programs have hired new coaches while marquee talents have hit the portal. Here’s a few of the standouts so far.

Coaching Changes

New Leader of the Aggie Cult: I use the term “cult” affectionately, as A&M fans are among the most passionate in the land. They are now hoping their new leader can put some wins behind that legendary passion. Mike Elko arrives in College Station familiar with his surroundings, having been the DC there previously. His brief yet impressive run at Duke saw him build one of the nation’s worst programs into a solid outfit. The Aggies now need him to apply his disciplined approach to a program that was in disarray under Jimbo Fisher. While he will lose a lot to the portal, he will gain a lot too. Incoming recruits should provide quality too. If Elko can turn them into a physical unit like he had at Duke, the SEC should be on notice. He’d be wise to lock down starting QB Connor Weigmen who showed lots of promise before getting hurt this past year. Unlike his stint in Durham where he coached “inferior” players, he’ll get big time recruits, it’s on him to develop them- and fast. Oil money isn’t known for its patience in “Aggieland.”

Sparty’s New General: Similar to A&M, Michigan State went for the business like hire. Jonathan Smith comes in after an excellent run at his Alma Mater Oregon State, where he turned his Beavers into a physical nightmare to play. His offensive imagination and blend of physical play in the trenches aligns well with the BIG 10. But he’ll have work to do off the field as he and AD Alan Haller try put the pieces back together in East Lansing, after the mess Mel Tucker left behind. This feels like a home run hire in the making. Smith’s personality and history of coaching a “little brother” aligns well with Sparty trying to go after the big dogs in conference. Keep an eye on transfer QB Aiden Chiles, who followed Smith from Oregon State. He could instantly inject life into a State offense that wasn’t very inspiring the last few years, Kenneth Walker aside. He was given Mark Dantonio’s seal of approval, now he has to live up to it.

Lebby Lands in StarkVegas: If A&M and Sparty tried to settle things down with their hires, Mississippi State went the other way. The Bulldogs went back to their offensive roots with the hire of Oklahoma OC Jeff Lebby. The Sooners lit up this past year with Lebby calling the plays and he also has experience in conference at Ole Miss. He arrived in “StarkVegas” to a wild reception and his big personality showed. This job is one of the toughest in the nation, as the dogs are flanked by big programs in the SEC. They operate with less resources than most but Dan Mullen and the late Mike Leetch made it work there. Last year’s “interim staff” left a mess behind and the roster will be a blank slate, so Lebby will get the chance to build the team and program his way. He seems like a fun guy, so I’ll be rooting for him and wish him luck- he’ll need it.

From the Big Easy to The Space City: File this one under weirdest hire of the offseason. Tulane head coach Willie Fritz, who had it made in Nola, after unparalleled success at the program picked up and left for Houston. Dana Holgerson never achieved the heights the Cougars dreamed of with him at the helm, and now they go to the mild mannered 60-year old Fritz to right the ship. Houston has major upside due to its financial strength provided by booster base that is led by mogul Tillman Fertita. If Fritz can settle things down and use the resources correctly, H-Town could be a buzzing place for portal players and recruits alike.

Diaz heads for Durham: A late breaking addition to this piece in the newest Coach of the Duke Blue Devils, Manny Diaz. This will be Diaz’ second go around as a head coach after running his Alma Mater, Miami. He’s coming off a strong stint as Penn State’s defensive coordinator, something that has always been his strength. He’ll have his work cut out for him replacing Mike Elko, but he is familiar with the ACC and his physical defensive approach should align well with the program.

Bobby’s Back: This may be a coordinator hire but it just couldn’t be ignored. After a miserable season, Arkansas is keeping Sam Pittman as head coach, who has decided to try and save himself with the hire of OC Bobby Petrino. Petrino of course coached the Hogs once before, and had some excellent teams over the years. Unfortunately, his first stint in Fayetville ended in disgrace following his extra-marital affair and motorcycle accident. After a long rehab tour, where he continued to call one hell of an offense, we’ve come full circle. Bobby’s back running a Razorback offense that needs a lot of work. What’s fascinating is Pittman may have just signed his own death warrant, as Petrino is a tailor made interim coach if they struggle.

In the Portal

Blue Devil Finds Religion?: Duke quarterback Riley Leonard is one of the headliners of this portal class. He’s a dual threat talent with a lot of suitors. While many point to Texas A&M with his former head coach Mike Elko in charge, it seems all signs are pointing to him signing up with Notre Dame. He’s making his official visit to the South Bend campus this week and it sounds like he’ll bring a host of ACC players with him.

Leaving the Zoo: A quarterback name that is flying a little more under the radar is former “Wazoo” signal caller Cam Ward. The dual threat righty put up some insane numbers this past year and is highly sought after. While no one team has emerged as a favorite for Ward, his suitors are the cream of the crop. Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and USC are the teams after his services. He feels like a dream fit for Mike Norvell’s Noles offense as FSU will look to repeat as ACC champs. Keep an eye on the Buckeyes as well as Ryan Day desperately needs a big time QB.

Joining the Harvest?: Speaking of the Buckeyes, Former Ohio State QB Kyle McCord has hit the portal as it seems Ryan Day found this year’s scapegoat. McCord performed well this year, and is a true pocket passer. While he was a bit erratic, that was undoubtedly tied to his lack of experience. With a full year under his belt he is attracting attention from teams all over the nation. Most notably, Nebraska is looking to bring him to Lincoln. While it may not sound attractive on the surface, Matt Rhule feels like he has the Huskers on the night path for once. A solid QB like McCord could pay huge dividends.

Mr. Bluetarsky: For those who didn’t get my dated Animal House reference, I am referring to QB Dillon Gabriel transferring to play a seventh year of college ball. The former UCF and Oklahoma lefty has had a stellar collegiate career so far. He can beat you with hiss legs and his arm could help lead a team to big things next year. By all accounts Oregon is very interested in him so we may be close to a third destination for Gabriel.

DJ U on the Move: The enigma that is DJ Uiagalelei was finally solved a bit this past year in Corvallis. Number five put together a strong year out west and will be looking to lead a high end team. The big righty isn’t a great runner so he’ll have to beat you by pushing the ball down the field. He’s rumored to be looking closely at joining Oregon and Florida State, two offenses he’d fit well in next year.

Everybody Wants the Juice: Our first non-QB on this list is former Gamecocks wideout “Juice” Wells. Wells had a career full of explosive plays at South Carolina but, unfortunately for him the team wasn’t good enough around him. Wells is looking to take his dynamic talent elsewhere this summer and has no shortage of contenders for him. At this time the favorites to land him are Texas and Georgia, and he’d be very dangerous at both.

Big Walt leaves Aggie Land: One day we’ll need a 30 for 30 film on A&M’s previous recruiting classes. Following the “best class of all time’s” arrival on campus, things went immediately south. The chaos in Aggieland swept up everyone and has made things tough on everyone. A large contingent of players have left the program and former number one prospect Walt Nolen highlights the group. He’s a dynamic pass rushing talent with elite traits. So far his top choices are reportedly Tennesee and Michigan. Expect other top end programs to fall in line behind them as they won’t want to miss out on the chance to add his elite talent.

Share your thoughts on the playoff and offseason with me on Twitter @YNWA9623 and in the comments below. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner of your screen and entering your email address. I’ll be back with more content soon!