ZWF: The crowning moment of a cataclysmic college football season
ZWF #100: Sunday, January 7, 2024
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, a preview of the College Football Playoff National Championship, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top headlines you need to know about from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts Podcast! Episode 128 features a recap of some of the most memorable moments from the podcast in 2023. Download the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, January 7, 2024:
Michigan vs Washington for the National Championship
The 2023-2024 college football season will go down as one of, if not the, most consequential in the over 150 years of the sport.
Even before the season began, the wheels of conference realignment were turning at full speed. A total of 12 teams in the so-called Power Five conferences announced that the upcoming season would be the last in their respective leagues. Oklahoma and Texas had already booked their tickets to the SEC, while UCLA and USC’s intentions to join the Big Ten Conference were well known. Then, Oregon and Washington joined the Los Angeles schools, while Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah subsequently set their sights on the Big 12 Conference. And not to be left out, California and Stanford, along with AAC member SMU, decided the ACC was the best fit for them.
The result? The Pac-12 Conference, a league whose origins date back to the Pacific Coast Conference’s founding in 1915, is all but extinct. (Oregon State and Washington State remain in the conference and are reportedly set to use Pac-12 branding next year. The two have signed a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West Conference for the next two seasons.) And on the flip side, the Big Ten and SEC will be expanding to 18 team super-conferences, while the East Coast-based ACC added schools from Texas and California in an attempt to keep up.
The shift towards fewer but larger power conferences all but shows that a new era has dawned on college sports. In this new era, probably unlike the last one, football has proven king. It makes schools and conferences by far the best money, has the highest television ratings, and brings the most people to come watch in person.
However, unlike previous eras of college sports, the focus on football and the riches it can provide has directly hindered the other sports that universities sponsor. How does it benefit the student-athlete, which the NCAA strives to bring a “world-class… experience,” when a volleyball player has to travel from State College, Pennsylvania to Eugene, Oregon on a Tuesday for a game and be back for class the next day? Or when a baseball player attending school in Syracuse, New York has to play a three-game series during the week in Berkeley, California? And these are not the one-off non-conference game, these will soon be considered conference matchups.
But I digress… to move to the college football season. This season brought some of the most excitement, drama, and intrigue in the College Football Playoff era. You had a two-time reigning National Champion in Georgia, seeking to become the first team since before World War II to win three straight National Championships, who were looking to finally end the dynasty of Nick Saban at Alabama in the SEC. You had two Pac-12 teams in Oregon and Washington with Heisman-contending quarterbacks that were looking to give the conference its first CFP title in its likely last year of existence. You had Texas finally on the doorstep of being “back.” You had Michigan and Ohio State once again on track for a head-on collision at the end of the season to determine which Big Ten team would make the Playoff. And you had Florida State, once a perennial championship contender who just two years ago had gone 5-7, on their way to an undefeated campaign in the ACC.
As the final weeks of the regular season came and went, the realization set in that the Selection Committee for the Playoff would have to make a tough, and potentially controversial, decision for the first time. Coming into the season, it had been decided that this season, the 10th of the CFP, would be the last to feature a four-team Playoff. In 2024, the Playoff will expand to 12 teams and feature five or six auto-bids for conference champions. However, it was still four teams for the current season.
Would the Committee leave out an undefeated Power Five conference champion, Florida State, in favor of two one-loss conference champions? Would the Committee punish one-loss Georgia, whose sole loss on the season was the Alabama in the SEC Championship? Would Alabama get in the Playoff after losing at home to Texas earlier in the season but later winning the SEC? Would Texas make the Playoff after falling to Oklahoma but still clinching a Big 12 title?
In the end, the Committee chose Alabama and Texas over Georgia, and most notably, Florida State, for a multitude of reasons. And for a multitude of reasons, that decision was incorrect, even in a sport as judgemental as college football.
Yet, it was another reminder that the new era of college sports has arrived. One in which two Power Five conferences in the Big Ten and SEC have attempted to separate themselves from the rest as the new top tier of collegiate athletics. While being a member of the ACC, Big 12, or Pac-12 once meant that all the resources needed to contend for a National Championship were widely available, many fans and even coaches and administrators now believe that that idea may soon be dormant.
Despite the sport shifting away from prioritizing the basic principles that drove it to become an American phenomenon, the argument could be made that college football is currently at the height of its popularity. For the ultra-competitive CFP Semifinal games, millions of viewers tuned in to watch on New Year’s Day. The Michigan-Alabama Rose Bowl Semifinal averaged 27.2 million viewers, the highest viewership for a college football game since the 2018 National Championship and a number that only the NFL will likely surpass in this calendar year. The SEC Championship between Alabama and Georgia reached an average of over 17.5 million people, and Michigan’s annual date with Ohio State brought in over 19 million viewers.
There may only be one thing that is more popular in America than college football right now, which would be the professional version of the sport, the NFL. It’s safe to say that as long as football remains the most popular sport in this country, college football will be just fine. But as the sport continues to shift away from its roots, there will always be underlying questions of when fans decide to turn away.
Back to the gridiron, and we’ve now made it to 2024 and the college football season’s crowning moment. On Monday night at NRG Stadium in Houston, the University of Michigan’s football team will play against the University of Washington’s football team, with the winner receiving the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy. It will be the first CFP title in program history for whichever team finishes on top, becoming just the sixth school to be able to claim a College Football Playoff National Championship. And you bet that millions and millions will be watching.
As if this season hadn’t produced enough storylines, Michigan has been on the front pages for the wrong reasons. Head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended for the team’s final three games of the regular season due to a scandal related to a sign-stealing scheme within the program. The architect of that scheme, analyst Connor Stallions, was fired and an investigation led to the suspension of Harbaugh. Despite this, and the fact that Harbaugh had also been suspended for the first three games of the season due to another matter, Michigan has not lost a game this season. The last time Michigan hadn’t lost a game in a season was in 1997, the last time the school won a National Championship (shared with Nebraska.)
Washington stayed out of the negative spotlight and shined on the field in the second season of head coach Kalen DeBoer’s reign. In DeBoer’s two seasons, the Huskies have lost just twice, and have not dropped a game this season. Washington’s 21 straight victories are a program record, and just like Michigan, are appearing in a National Championship game for the first time since the event was first introduced back in the BCS era (1998.)
In a season that produced arguments over whether an undefeated conference champion deserved to make the four-team Playoff, it’s fitting that the two undefeated conference champions who were selected are the ones who match up in the title game.
Time for Zander’s pick: In a game that will surely provide the toughest test yet for the 10th-best offense (Washington) and the top-ranked defense (Michigan) in the country, it’ll be the Wolverines’ all-around excellence that carries them to the promised land. Michigan wins 35-21.
The accomplishments of both Michigan and Washington should not be discounted and should be celebrated in full as we look back on the 2023-2024 college football season. However, it would be ignorant to ignore the consequences this season has brought when dissecting its totality. While we’ve certainly witnessed some excellent football these last few months, what took place off the field will undoubtedly be what this college football season is remembered for.
For more information on this week’s top story, here’s an article from ESPN - CFP National Championship first look: Michigan vs. Washington - (Apple News link)
What Zander’s been reading
For almost 30 years, ‘College GameDay’ has been the preeminent pregame show in college football, with stars Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit at the forefront. GQ profiled the show’s two most well-known personalities to showcase how strong their relationship is on and off the set.
Check out this week’s featured article at GQ - “If You're Cynical About That, You're Watching the Wrong Show”: How Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit Forged the Sweetest Bromance in Sports - (Apple News link)
Rapid-fire Facts
These are top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Supreme Court: The Supreme Court announced on Friday that it will take up the Colorado case concerning former President Donald Trump’s presence on the state’s primary ballot. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled last month to bar Trump from the ballot, citing the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment. Arguments in the case will be heard on February 8, less than a month before Colorado’s primary election is held on March 5. Also on Friday, the Supreme Court announced that it will allow an Idaho abortion ban to stay in place while legal challenges go through the courts.
December Jobs Report: The U.S. economy added 216,000 jobs in December, according to the monthly jobs report. The increase exceeded expectations of 170,000 new jobs and November’s revised total of 173,000. The unemployment rate held steady at 3.7%, keeping the unemployment rate under 4.0% since January 2022, the longest streak of the national unemployment rate residing below 4.0% since the Vietnam War. Additionally, wages rose 0.4% month-to-month and 4.1% from December 2022, both of which were also above expectations. In total, the economy added 2.7 million jobs in 2023, down from 4.8 million in 2022.
Harvard President: Harvard President Claudine Gay announced her resignation on Tuesday. Gay, who had only been in the job since July 1, came under fire after her comments during a Congressional hearing on December 5. Gay drew criticism after she failed to give a definite “yes” or “no” answer when asked whether calling for genocide would violate Harvard’s code of conduct. Gay had also faced allegations of plagiarism in her academic work. University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill also resigned after the December Congressional hearing. Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth also testified at the hearing but has not resigned.
Wayne LaPierre: National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre resigned as head of the gun rights group on Friday. LaPierre had led the organization since 1991. LaPierre’s resignation, which the NRA says was due to health reasons, comes as a civil corruption trial is set to begin on Monday. The case pits the NRA against the state of New York, which alleges that LaPierre, the NRA, and three other leaders of the organization violated nonprofit laws and misused NRA funds.
Plane Incidents: Two major incidents regarding airplanes made headlines last week. On Friday, an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California returned to Portland just six minutes into the flight after a piece of the aircraft’s body was lost in midair. The incident, which produced no serious injuries, forced the FAA to order U.S. airlines to ground some Boeing 737 Max 9 jets until they were inspected. Earlier in the week, a Japan Airlines flight collided with a Japanese Coast Guard plane on the runway of Haneda Airport near Tokyo. While everyone on board the Japan Airlines plane survived, five members of the Coast Guard died in the incident.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top headlines from the sports world in the Sporting Club:
NFL Week 18: Today is the final day of the regular season in the NFL, with Playoff spots and seeding on the line. In the 1:00 pm ET window, the Vikings play the Lions, the Titans host the Jaguars, the Falcons take on the Saints, and the Buccaneers face the Panthers. At 4:25 pm ET, the Bears face the Packers, the Seahawks battle the Cardinals, and the 49ers host the Rams. At 8:20 pm ET, the Bills play the Dolphins, with the Bills facing a potential win-and-in the Playoffs scenario. On Saturday, the Steelers took down the Ravens 17-10, who were resting multiple starters, and the Texans beat the Colts on the road 23-19 to make the Playoffs.
NFL Playoff Picture: As of Sunday morning, 10 Playoff spots have been clinched in the NFL, with two spots remaining unfilled in each conference. In the AFC, the Browns, Chiefs, Dolphins, Ravens, and Texans are all in the Playoffs win or lose. As of now, the Bills and Steelers are in the postseason with the Jaguars the only other team with a shot. However, if the Jaguars win against the Titans, they’re in the Playoffs. The Steelers need the Bills or Jaguars to lose to make the Playoffs. The Bills are also in the postseason with a win against the Dolphins. In the NFC, the 49ers, Cowboys, Eagles, Lions, and Rams have all clinched postseason berths. The Buccaneers will be in if they beat the Panthers, which would send the Falcons home, who need to beat the Saints and have the Buccaneers win. The Packers are in with a win against the Bears. The Seahawks are in with a win against the Cardinals and a Packers loss. The Saints are in with a win against the Falcons and would win the division if the Buccaneers lose, but would get a Wild Card spot if the Packers and Seahawks lose while the Buccaneers win. Finally, the Vikings would be in the Playoffs if they win and the Packers, Seahawks, and either Saints or Buccaneers lose.
College Football Bowls: Bowl season in college football has concluded as the National Championship is the lone game of the season remaining. To close out bowl season, three non-Playoff games were played on Monday. In the day’s lone New Year’s Six bowl game, #8 Oregon had a field day in the Fiesta Bowl, beating up #23 Liberty 45-6. In the ReliaQuest Bowl, #13 LSU had to come back in the second half to beat Wisconsin 35-31, while #21 Tennessee held #17 Iowa scoreless on their way to a 35-0 rout in the Citrus Bowl.
Soccer Transfer Window: The winter transfer window in European soccer opened on Monday, allowing clubs the chance to refresh their rosters for the second half of the season. So far, the largest deal has been RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner moving to Tottenham on loan. Additionally, Manchester United have agreed to send Jadon Sancho to his former club Borussia Dortmund on loan. The transfer window will close at 6:00 pm ET on Thursday, February 1, and is expected to include news on the future of Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.
NCAA Media Rights: The NCAA and ESPN reached a deal on Thursday to continue airing most NCAA championship events on ESPN networks. The eight-year, $920 million deal will allow ESPN to air 40 NCAA championships a year, including the Division I championships for women’s basketball, baseball, and softball. The deal does not include rights to the College Football Playoff, which ESPN owns through 2025, and the Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament held by CBS Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery through 2032.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment! That includes the next episode of the Zander’s Facts Podcast, which comes out this Wednesday!
That’s a wrap on the 100th edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. Here’s to 100 more! The facts in print return next Sunday, January 14, 2024.
