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The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/poppatop on 2025-08-11 16:35:09+00:00.
In the wake of the AP poll, I was pondering the largest matchups of week 1 and it occurred to me that I was far more excited for #9 LSU- #4 Clemson and #6 ND - #10 Miami (obviously on this one given my fandom) than #1 Texas- #3 OSU.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s an incredible matchup and as a college football fan I’m thrilled to see it. But it just gives me Ohio State-Oregon vibes from last year - incredible football, but ultimately inconsequential in the playoff race. It’s likely to be a better game, but unlikely to be more important than the other 2, as the loser between these uber-talented teams would likely have to lose 2+ more games throughout the season - which strikes me as unlikely.
Meanwhile, the losers of LSU-Clemson and ND-Miami will be on life support. 3 of these are not in a conference where they can afford to lose 3 games, and poll stagnation will not be as forgiving to any of these programs given their starting rankings.
So, I’ll pose the question - are top 10 matchups now more important than top 5 matchups?
As a rant/aside/disclaimer - I hate that the playoffs have become the sole focus of college football, and anything outside seen as a “failure”. I hate the 12 team playoff, and I hate what it’s done to the regular season and bowl games. But there’s no denying that my mindset as a fan has shifted as a result, and this is where the question arose.