The College Football Playoff is headed toward another major makeover, and this one would be the biggest yet. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the playoff is expected to grow to 24 teams beginning with the 2027 season, doubling the current field and pushing the sport even deeper into expansion mode.
If it happens, the move will trigger the same split reaction every postseason shakeup seems to bring. More teams means more access, and that part is hard to argue with.
But it also means more of the kind of uneven playoff games college football has already seen in the 12-team era. Last season, only one of the eight games played between the first round and the quarterfinals was decided by a single digit - Texas’ 39-31 double-overtime win over Arizona State.
The playoff’s formal start came in 2014, when only four teams made the cut. That first selection immediately stirred debate, with Ohio State earning a spot over Baylor and TCU.
The controversy never really went away from there, whether it was those early snubs or the undefeated 2023 Florida State team being left out more recently. Still, the four-team setup lasted for 10 full seasons.
Michigan was part of that old format three times, and each time the Wolverines came in seeded No. 1 or No. 2. Their last run under the four-team model ended with a national championship over Washington.
The jump to 12 teams in 2024 changed the access picture right away, especially for schools outside the Power Four. In the first two seasons of the new setup, three Group of Five teams reached the playoff. That matched triple the total from the entire 10-year four-team era.
For Michigan, the effect of going from 12 to 24 teams is not as dramatic as it would be for programs on the edge of the current field in another league setup. Still, the numbers show the Wolverines would have had more postseason chances in recent years. From 2014 through 2025, Michigan finished outside the old qualification line but inside the top 24 on Selection Day five times.
Add those missed opportunities to the three playoff berths Michigan already earned, and the Wolverines would have banked eight total playoff appearances since 2014.
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Michigan Teammate Fires Back As Andrew Sprague Rumors Keep Growing
Andrew Spragues absence has become one of the quieter but more persistent storylines around Michigan football since the Oklahoma game, with the offensive tackle sidelined by an unspecified health issue. As the questions have lingered, teammate Jake Guarnera stepped forward publicly to push back on the social media speculation, making clear that Sprague remains with the team and is still contributing even while he has not been on the field.
The comments add some needed clarity, especially after coach Kyle Whittingham said Spragues situation is health-related and that doctors are working on it. For Michigan, the key issue now is less about the online noise and more about patience, since Sprague is not expected back immediately and the Wolverines will have to keep navigating his absence while the recovery process plays out. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Has A Quiet Weapon While The Offense Searches For Answers
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Browns value has been hard to miss for special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs and for teammates who have watched him turn field position into an advantage. His work ethic has drawn praise as Michigan searches for answers on offense, and his consistency has given the Wolverines another way to control games while the bigger issues get sorted out. It is the kind of under-the-radar production that does not usually headline a Saturday, but it has mattered plenty to a team still trying to find its best version. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Hits A Dangerous Pressure Point Against Penn State
Michigan and Penn State are heading into their Week 7 meeting in the 2026 college football season with both programs trying to steady themselves in Big Ten play. It has not been the kind of stretch either side envisioned under new leadership, with Michigan adjusting to Kyle Whittingham and Penn State working through the early days of Matt Campbells tenure after consecutive conference losses.
For Michigan, the pressure point is hard to miss: the offense still needs to find more consistency, even as Bryce Underwood gives the Wolverines a possible running threat to lean on. Penn State, meanwhile, needs splash plays to change the feel of its own offense, and special teams could end up carrying more weight than usual in a matchup where both teams are searching for any edge that can stop the slide. [Read more 🡒]