The inaugural expansion of the College Football Playoff was promised to be a new era of inclusivity and excitement, but according to three-time National Champion AJ McCarron and the outspoken Coach JB, the reality has been nothing short of a “circus.” In a high-octane episode of The Coach JB Show with Big Smitty, the panel dismantled the current state of the sport, citing coaching “poaching,” lopsided matchups, and a calendar that forces student-athletes to play for “lame duck” leaders. As the dust settles on the first round, the consensus is clear: college football isn’t just changing; it’s becoming a “watered down” version of its former self.
McCarron, who knows a thing or two about winning on the biggest stage, was particularly critical of the coaching carousel that now overlaps with the postseason. With coordinators and head coaches taking new jobs while their current teams are still in the hunt for a title, the integrity of the preparation is compromised. “You already have to question everything when you lose as a kid,” McCarron explained, “but now these kids have to question if their coach is even in… is he one foot in, one foot out?” He argued that the only way to save the players’ focus is to move the recruiting and hiring calendar up completely, rather than allowing the NCAA to maintain what he calls a “shit show.”
The conversation quickly turned to the actual on-field product, which Coach JB and Big Smitty described as a “mockery.” The inclusion of Group of Five (G5) teams like Tulane and James Madison University (JMU) sparked a heated debate. While Coach Summerall of Tulane defended the G5’s right to a seat at the table, Coach JB pointed out that watching a team go 99 yards on a powerhouse like Oregon—only to lose by a massive margin—isn’t “serious” football. McCarron proposed a radical solution: give the G5 their own dedicated playoff system. “Allow them to have a trophy that says National Champion,” McCarron suggested, comparing it to different divisions in high school football. He argued that fans would be more engaged watching two G5 teams battle for a title they can actually win, rather than watching them get “belt to ass” by Power Four giants.
Beyond the G5 debate, McCarron provided a masterclass in quarterback analysis, specifically targeting the performances of Marcel Reed and Carson Beck. He noted that Reed looked “confused” and lacked confidence, a sentiment echoed by Coach JB, who wondered if Texas A&M would soon be looking for a portal replacement. McCarron’s critique of Georgia’s Carson Beck was even more technical, noting that Beck’s tendency to “float” every throw allows defensive backs to make plays that a ball with more “tempo and pace” would prevent. This lack of “anticipation” is why McCarron believes Miami’s defense will give Ohio State a “dog fight” in the coming rounds.
The mood shifted slightly as the group discussed Alabama’s gritty win over Oklahoma. McCarron, who watched the game from a suite alongside Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, credited defensive coordinator Kane Wommack for “putting his ego aside” and listening to his players. When the defense asked to switch to man coverage to challenge John Mateer, Wommack obliged, leading to a game-changing pick-six. Despite the victory, McCarron warned that the “momentum” of the game was nearly derailed by a “Hello Kitty” offensive approach that relied too much on horizontal gadget plays rather than downhill, north-south football.
Perhaps the most controversial take of the night involved the playoff buys. Both McCarron and Coach JB expressed a deep dislike for the three-week layoff gifted to the top four seeds. “I think the teams that get the first-round buy… are at a disadvantage,” Coach JB stated, arguing that the lack of game rhythm makes teams “rusty” rather than rested. They pointed to Oregon’s slow start as proof that the long layoff is a “bad look” for teams trying to maintain championship intensity.
As the episode concluded, the panel lamented the loss of regionality and tradition that once defined the sport. With the expansion to 12 teams—and rumors of 16 or 24 on the horizon—Coach JB warned that college football is becoming “the NIT of football.” For McCarron, the fix is simple but requires the NCAA to prioritize the “betterment of kids” over the “circus” of maximum profit. Until then, fans are left with a system that celebrates participation over parity, and a playoff that many legends feel is losing its soul.
