Dan Orlovsky stirred the pot this week on ESPN’s Get Up, sharing a firm stance that’s sure to spark debate across college football circles: he doesn’t believe Group of Five teams belong in the College Football Playoff.
With James Madison and Tulane both punching their tickets to this year’s expanded playoff, Orlovsky didn’t hold back. “Okay, no, they should not be in,” he said.
“I don't need Any Given Sunday in the playoff as well.” His point?
That the magic of Cinderella stories belongs in the regular season-not on the sport’s biggest postseason stage.
Orlovsky argued that the talent gap between Group of Five (G5) and Power Four programs has only widened in recent years. He pointed to how NIL and the transfer portal have reshaped the landscape, with top-tier players from smaller schools often jumping to the Big Ten or SEC once they prove themselves.
A decade ago, those same players might have stayed put, giving G5 programs a stronger chance to build something special. But now?
“Those kids don’t play for those programs anymore,” he said.
It's a fair observation-NIL and the portal have absolutely transformed roster construction-but the idea that G5 teams no longer belong in the playoff picture misses a key part of what makes college football so compelling: the chance.
James Madison didn’t back into the playoff. They went 12-1.
They earned their way in. Tulane just won their conference title.
These aren’t charity invites-they’re the result of winning football games. And even if these teams don’t go on a deep run, even if they get blown out in the first round, the opportunity to compete matters.
That’s the spirit of college football. That’s the same energy we celebrate every March when a 12-seed from a mid-major knocks off a blue blood in the NCAA Tournament.
And let’s not pretend blowouts are exclusive to the Group of Five. Last season, SMU-now in the ACC-got rolled 38-10 in the opening round.
Indiana, a Power Four program, trailed 20-3 after three quarters in their playoff appearance. Lopsided games happen, regardless of conference affiliation.
The playoff isn’t just about crowning a champion-it’s about giving teams a shot to prove they belong. That’s what James Madison and Tulane have earned. Not because of who they play, but because of how they’ve played.
As for Notre Dame? They’ve had-and continue to have-every opportunity to make their path easier by joining a conference.
They’ve chosen to remain independent, and with that comes the risk of missing out. They didn’t win the games they needed to.
That’s not on the system. That’s on them.
Orlovsky, of course, knows a thing or two about college football. The former UConn standout threw for over 10,000 yards and 84 touchdowns during his time in Storrs, leading the Big East in passing as a senior. He spent seven seasons in the NFL and now brings that experience to the analyst’s chair as one of ESPN’s go-to voices on the game.
But even the most experienced voices can miss the mark.
Because at its core, college football is about more than just the bluebloods. It’s about the belief that, on any given Saturday-or now, any given playoff round-a team like James Madison or Tulane can line up and compete.
Maybe they don’t win it all. But they’ve earned the right to try.