Dillingham says CFP expansion 'benefits every team in the county'
· Yahoo Sports
One of Arizona State's biggest football games in the last three decades was the 2024 Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It propelled the Sun Devils into the Peach Bowl, which served as a quarterfinal for the College Football Playoffs.
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The long-rumored College Football Playoff format expansion from 12 to 24 teams became official on Nov. 9 after the CFP's management committee approved it unanimously.
After this season, there will be no more Big 12 Championship Game. That, as well as the title games in the other major conferences, will be eliminated to make room for the extra playoff games, which will begin with the 2027 season.
The regular-season champion from each power conference — SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC — will earn an automatic berth in the College Football Playoff.
One playoff spot will go to the highest-ranked Group of 6 team, while the other 19 berths will come via at-large bids. The top eight seeds get a first-round bye. The first two rounds of the playoff — a total of 16 games — will be played on the campus of the higher seed.
ASU coach Kenny Dillingham echoed the same sentiments as many of his peers.
"It's a new age in college football; it's changing all the time," Dillingham said. "It benefits every team in the country that wants to get into the tournament. Now if you're a team that's always top 10, you're probably saying, `Dang. That's two more games I gotta play.' If you're not one of those top 10 teams that are predominantly in, you got a greater chance of getting in the tournament now. You never know what happens from there. So I definitely think it opens the door for more teams, including ourselves, to get in the tournament, which is the most common-sense response right now."
Dillingham said the parity in college football now will likely make for a compelling playoff. NIL and the transfer portal make it easier for teams to go from also-rans to contenders. ASU is a prime example of that: it went from 3-9 in 2023 to Big 12 champion in a year the Sun Devils were predicted to finish last in the 16-team conference.
"There are phenomenal three-loss teams," Dillingham said. "The more parity you get, it shifts because people are so used to going undefeated or losing one game, and that shift in parity is so unique to the college game where you're so used to certain hierarchies, and you're so used to certain dominance.
"Now that there is more parity, there is more volatility because more teams are responding to failure, responding to situations. More fan bases, everyone is responding to this new era, and it's really hard to figure it out."
The expansion appears to benefit the Big 12, which has battled perception as to how many teams are worthy of playoff spots. Last season, Texas Tech got the lone bid out of the Big 12, with BYU barely missing.
Commissioner Brett Yormark favors the expansion. His statement released on Nov. 9 read: “The Big 12 has consistently advocated for greater access to the College Football Playoff, and a 24-team format delivers more opportunities for programs to compete for a national championship. The 24-team format will also provide meaningful postseason experiences for universities, teams, student-athletes and fans."
Fette honored
Jake Fette was named as Big 12 Freshman of the Week for his showing in ASU's 20-10 win over Colorado at Mountain America Stadium.
Fette completed 13 of his 19 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown alongside 26 yards on the ground. The El Paso native also caught a touchdown in Arizona State’s 20-10 victory over Colorado. Fette became the first Sun Devil quarterback since Jake Plummer in 1996 to throw and catch a touchdown in the same game.
ASU also garnered a team honor as it claimed "Defensive Line" of the week. The Sun Devils limited Colorado to just 64 rushing yards on 34 carries. There were eight tackles for a loss, including four sacks, three by junior defensive end Albert Smith III.
Bimage done for season
Junior cornerback Rodney Bimage will be out for the season with a lower-leg injury sustained in the first half of the Nov. 7 game. Dillingham said after the game that he thought the injury was season-ending and confirmed on Nov. 9.
He is the fourth starter out for the season. He joins tight end Khamari Anderson, safety Lyrik Rawls, and defensive lineman My'Keil Gardner.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Dillingham says CFP expansion 'benefits every team in the county'