The Big Ten’s latest playoff idea would push the College Football Playoff toward as many as 28 teams, with seven automatic bids each for the Big Ten and SEC and additional bids for other leagues. The proposal even hints at unranked teams entering the mix, a move critics say would devalue the regular season and undermine credibility. Tony Petitti’s offseason appetite for bold formats has drawn sharp scrutiny, including past attempts at a 16-team plan. The SEC and ACC coaches currently favor a more measured expansion, with discussions centered on a 5+11 model and a continued reliance on at-large bids. Even if a compromise emerges, alignment among major conferences remains elusive, leaving the current 12-team format as a reference point. The debate spotlights not just postseason structure, but which teams and programs benefit most when the playoff field grows—and how much momentum a top program should lose to a broader invitation.

The COVID-era super senior class is nearing the finish line, and Deuce Hogan epitomizes the era’s final wave. After a multi-stop college run that began at Iowa, included a two-year stint at Kentucky under pro-style coaches, a season with New Mexico State in 2024, and a recent move to Nicholls, Hogan is set to start at Nicholls for a sixth season. Nicholls State, an FCS program in Louisiana with seven playoff appearances, opens the year with a Week Zero home date against Incarnate Word, broadcast by ESPN2 at noon. Hogan’s arrival signals a veteran quarterback at the helm for a Colonels squad aiming to lean on experience as it navigates a schedule that blends FCS play and a hopeful postseason push. The hire of first-year head coach Tommy Rybacki adds a fresh game plan as Nicholls tries to maximize Hogan’s seasoned decision-making and leadership.

Hogan’s trajectory — Iowa to Kentucky to New Mexico State and now Nicholls — highlights a broader trend in college football: seniors with extra years can redefine an offense in the FCS, especially when paired with a coach eager to deploy a pro-style attack. His journey also underscores the visibility of Week Zero games as early testing grounds for veteran quarterbacks trying to prove they still have ammunition at a new level. For fantasy-minded followers, Hogan’s Week Zero opportunity is a key early-season anchor to monitor, with the potential for steady if not explosive production should health cooperate and Nicholls’ game plan leverage his breadth of experience.

Brandon Scherff has quietly closed a ten-year NFL career, retiring at 33 after earning more than $111 million. A 2015 top-5 pick by Washington, he shifted from right tackle to guard and became one of the league’s premier interior blockers, earning five Pro Bowls and a first-team All-Pro honor in 2020. He finished his career with the Jaguars, starting every game across three seasons after leaving Washington in 2022. The retirement came with little fanfare, publicly confirmed via his alma mater Iowa’s site as part of a Hall of Fame profile. The piece also notes Scherff’s run of durability and the guard-value debate that Jay Gruden once highlighted, framing a career built on consistency and longevity. His story ends with a dream-come-true sentiment about life after football and time with his family.

Michelle Obama balances a unique view of the Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese rivalry with a call for perspective in a social-media era. The feud, once a college spark, now reverberates through the WNBA and beyond, shaping how fans and fantasy players gauge opportunity, workload, and growth for Clark, Reese, and their supporting casts. The conversation underscores how online voices—both praise and hate—can influence a player’s mindset and development, stressing resilience as a key fantasy factor in evaluating minutes, usage, and long-term upside.

As the dynamic unfolds, the Fever and Sky—young, ascending franchises in a high-profile league—could see how the Clark-Reese narrative shifts defensive schemes, rotations, and backcourt usage. The Lakers-Celtics comparison from the 80s reminds fans that rivalries have always driven engagement, but the new era demands smarter interpretation of media hype, rotatons, and coaching decisions. For fantasy managers, the takeaway is clear: monitor how media narratives interact with on-court roles, especially for rising stars and those surrounding them, to capture value without chasing noise.

Arch Manning headlines a laser-focused 2025 quarterback crop, blending dynastic hype with a Texas program built to maximize ceiling. With elite coaching, weapons, and a prepared support system, Manning looks poised to deliver immediate fantasy impact if he wins the job early and avoids the freshman learning curve. The piece maps a wave of high-profile transfers and breakout recruits across top programs, signaling a season where247-level upside meets real-world risk as coaches navigate new offenses and depth charts.

Across the landscape, UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava, Miami’s Carson Beck, Michigan’s Bryce Underwood, and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia anchor a year of quarterback movement that reshapes fantasy value. Transfers and NIL dynamics collide with scheme-fit progress, creating opportunities for multiple signal-callers to emerge as weekly starters or high-upside playmakers. The narrative highlights several new starters at Alabama, Ohio State, and Notre Dame, underscoring the volatility and upside of early-season fantasy projections.

In this 2025 cycle, dual threats and pocket-passers share the stage—from Dylan Raiola’s Nebraska spark to Sam Leavitt’s ASU efficiency, and Gio Lopez’s North Carolina improvisation. The mix promises surge-capable offenses and the chance for breakthrough seasons. For fantasy managers, the emphasis is on early job security, system fit, and the ability to translate big-play capability into consistent point-scoring through the schedule’s inevitable early tests.