I Tell Ya' Herbie

    Wrapping up the first week of the College Football Playoff with I Tell Ya' Herbie.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             None of the first-round games were competitive, which might lead some to think that there aren't twelve teams capable of winning the national title, and they would be correct.

However, sixty-eight teams aren't capable of winning the NCAA basketball tournament either, and that hasn't stopped the tournament from expanding in size or popularity.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            In fact, the next change in the field won't be shrinking the field, it will be increasing it to sixteen and will open the door to a change that would be great for the CFP.

The field would stretch to sixteen with the first and second rounds played at home with rotating bowl games hosting the semi-finals and the championship.

Moving the first two rounds to home sites would spice up the games and give teams an advantage in having better regular seasons.

It also would be easier for fans to travel to fewer games on the road as most of the home teams would be favored.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             The biggest chuckle that I received from Bill Belichick's hiring at North Carolina (besides the joke of Belichick going to UNC because he was looking for an older woman, the coach is dating a young lady in her mid-twenties) came from the rumor mill after the Tar Heels fired Mack Brown and were rumored to be looking for a younger coach.

Belichick is one year younger than Brown.

I think UNC hiring Belichick would have been a massive coup before NIL began but Belichick's rings won't have the effect on high school players looking for the NIL number that it would have in the past.

Plus, Belichick is making a huge mistake in bringing Michael Lombardi as the general manager in charge of personnel for recruiting both high schoolers and transfer candidates.

Long-time readers may remember my opinion of Lombardi from his failed tenure with the Cleveland Browns.

I don't think Belichick will be a total failure and I wouldn't be surprised to see him take North Carolina (depending on the length of his stay) to the CFP but I don't see them as a true title contender.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             I know the first-round games weren't close and I wonder how close the quarter-finals will be.

Arizona State finished the season red hot but drawing Texas might be more than they can handle and while I think Boise State could surprise Penn State, the Broncos will be underdogs as well.

Boise State did take Oregon to the wire on the road, so I could see Boise State surprising the oddsmakers but they will have to play with few mistakes to do it.,

Ohio State will be motivated to beat Oregon and talent-wise are capable of doing so but their inconsistency makes them dicey to count on.

Notre Dame is being touted as perhaps dropping Georgia but they seem one-dimensional to me and that might play right into the Bulldogs hands.

I think chalk will play predominately again in this round but I think at least one, if not two underdogs will win this week.