The 2025–2026 college football season has been full of surprises and controversies as teams approach bowl games and the national championship. As anticipation and excitement builds, fans across the country, including many New Hyde Park students, continue to look forward to viewing competitive games between college teams.
“College football is the reason I wake up early every Saturday. The feeling and atmosphere is some of the greatest in the entire world for a sporting event. It has comeback wins, upsets, and star plays,” freshman Joshua Varghese said.
Though new and only in its second year, the new 12-team College Football Playoff format is already causing controversy. According to the NCAA, the current system gives a first-round bye to the four highest-ranked schools. The remaining schools will be seeded 5-12 based on final rankings. On December 6, 2025, Duke won the ACC with an 8–5 record, allowing two smaller conference schools, Tulane and James Madison, automatic bids. Being that two smaller conference schools made it to playoffs instead of major programs like Texas, Vanderbilt and Notre Dame, many fans have started to express displeasure.
“It is ridiculous that a team in the Sun Belt division is making the playoffs over a team like Texas, who has actually played real competition this year,” sophomore Jake Liu said.
Championship weekend was also filled with thrillers and matchups that reshaped the playoff picture. During the final week of the season, fans watched number 1 Indiana beat number 2 Ohio State in a defensive battle that ultimately ended with a score of 13 to 10. This marked Indiana’s first Big Ten Title since 1967 and their first win against Ohio State since 1988. Duke also shocked number 16 Virginia in overtime, winning its first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title since 1962 with a score of 27 to 20.
The current rankings, according to ESPN, show Indiana leading with a record of 13–0, undefeated and guided by senior and 2025 Heisman Award winner Fernando Mendoza. Ohio State, Georgia and Texas Tech follow in second, third and fourth respectively with a 12–1 record. With 11 wins and 1 loss, Oregon, Ole Miss and Texas A&M place in fifth, sixth and seventh respectively.
“I believe the only real contenders in the playoffs are Georgia and Ohio State. If any team is going to beat one of these top contenders in the finals, it’s going to be the Oregon Ducks,” English teacher Mr. Ferrara said.
