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Next Year's New Chapter In Football, The Last Of The Meaningful Opt-Outs, & The Pac-12's Mic Drop

We all get to witness the final show.

Written by NFL QB Consultant Jordan Palmer & The QB Summit Team

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In today’s Cover 3:

  • This time next year we’ll be witnessing a new chapter in football

  • How the term “meaningful bowl game opt-outs” might just become a relic of the past

  • We’re all watching the Pac-12’s mic drop…

  • 🔥 The Weekly Poll 🔥 

Kyusung Gong/AP

This Time Next Year: A New Chapter in Football

As the chill of late December whispers through the NFL stadiums, with playoff dreams hanging on every down, every touchdown, and every heart-stopping moment, we can't help but look ahead.

This time next year, the landscape of college football will be echoing with the roars of evenly matched titans clashing on the gridiron in a newly expanded playoff.

The Matchups We've Been Waiting For

Imagine it: six college football games where the underdogs have their day, where a twelve seed has a shot at glory against a one seed, where a two seed doesn’t sit comfortably on laurels but stands alert on the battleground.

We're talking about true Cinderella stories in the making.

For those teams who've felt the sting of 'almost', who've been edged out by an early season upset or a twist of fate—an injury, a bad call, a moment of misfortune—next year promises redemption. No longer will the 'what ifs' linger; instead, the field will open wide for the fifth through twelfth-ranked teams to prove their mettle.

The Undisputed Champion

This time next year, the debates will be settled on the field. The college football national champion will emerge undisputed, having navigated the trials of a 12-team playoff. The storylines, the legacies, the sheer force of will—we'll witness it all.

And as if that's not enough, this will all unfold atop the thrilling backdrop of the NFL playoffs. A path to the Super Bowl, etched in the frost of winter, leading us into the crescendo of football fandom.

Anticipation Builds

The anticipation is electric, the excitement palpable. Can you feel it? The countdown has already begun. This time next year, we're not just crowning champions; we're ushering in a new era of football—one where every play is a chance for glory, every game a step towards immortality.

For the QB Summit community, it's a reminder to stay hungry, stay humble, and always be ready. Because this time next year, the game we love will be writing history, and we'll all be a part of it.

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The Last of the Meaningful Opt-Outs

As the sun sets on the era of the four-team College Football Playoff, we're on the brink of a new dawn—the twelve-team playoff. This shift heralds the end of an era, one where the term 'meaningful bowl game opt-outs' might just become a relic of the past.

A New Playoff Paradigm

It's become the norm: top-tier athletes, poised for the pro leagues, stepping back from bowl games that don't tip the scales of their future. But as we pivot to a twelve-team playoff, this well-trodden path may see less travel.

With the expansion to twelve teams, we're talking about 100 players from each squad, all with the playoff dream alive. The stakes have risen, and with them, the expectations of commitment. For any player eyeing the draft, the playoff is now a stage too grand to pass up.

No matter the playoff size—four or twelve—opting out when your team's in the hunt isn't just a decision; it's a statement. It invites scrutiny, questions of competitive fire, and the desire to triumph. And honestly, it should. The ethos of the game calls for nothing less.

Agents and Advice

Most agents, those guiding lights for aspiring pros, would likely counsel against stepping away from a playoff run. The visibility, the intensity, the chance to shine on one of college football's grandest stages—it's irreplaceable.

Next year's playoff expansion isn't just a numbers game; it's a cultural shift. With more teams in the mix, the chances to compete at the highest level of college ball multiply. The players, regardless of their destined NFL stardom, will face a new reality: the bowl game opt-out might no longer be an option on the table.

The Future of Football

So, what does this mean for the game? It means more players all in, fighting for every down, every score, every victory. It means the spirit of college football, that raw, unbridled passion for the game, will burn even brighter.

It's a reminder that in football, as in life, when the game evolves, we rise to meet it—full-hearted, undaunted, and always ready to play.

Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Pac-12 Mic Drop

SoCal born and bred, with the USC Trojans' fight song echoing through my childhood, I've watched the landscape of college ball shift like the sands of Venice Beach.

Post my brother's tenure at USC, the Pac-10 morphed into the Pac-12, and now, in a twist worthy of Hollywood, we're witnessing the end of an era in college football.

This offseason, the college football world spun on its axis—realignment hit the Pac-12 hard. The storied conference, which saw USC and UCLA bolt for the Big Ten and Utah stride over to the Big 12, is dissolving like the coastal fog.

The Huskies Take the Spotlight

Yet, in true dramatic fashion, the Pac-12 isn't bowing out quietly. The Washington Huskies have commandeered the endgame, placing the conference on the national stage with a national title game appearance—something no crystal ball predicted for the Pac-12 in this playoff era.

The quarterbacks who've etched their names into the turf, the rushers who've danced past goal lines, the receivers who've leapt into our memories—they've all donned the Pac-12 badge with pride. The conference's narrative isn't ending with a fade-out but with a resounding crescendo.

Underdogs Turned Headliners

Amidst the preseason guesses that saw Oregon or USC, maybe even Colorado, as the Pac-12's front-runners, it's the Huskies, with their electrifying play and a defense as formidable as the Cascades, who've stolen the show.

Spearheaded by a coaching squad fresh-faced and hungry, Washington's poised for not just a title shot but a run at history.

A Mic Drop Moment

As the Pac-12 conference readies for its last play, having the Huskies in the national title game is the mic drop it deserves. This isn't just about the Heismans or the highlight reels; it's about the spirit of competition that's fueled this coast for decades.

To the QBs who've launched from our fields to the players who've defined our Saturdays—your legacies are intact. As the Huskies line up against Michigan, they're not just playing for a trophy; they're etching the final lines of the Pac-12's story.

This is a moment to savor—a chapter of football history we're all a part of. And as we stand on the precipice of a new era, let's take this final bow with the grace of a quarterback escaping the pocket: eyes forward, hearts full, ready for the next play.

🔥 THE WEEKLY POLL 🔥

We’re introducing something new: A simple question for you to give us YOUR thoughts on a trending question in football this week!

Who Wins The National Championship?

The Washington Huskies take on the Michigan Wolverines on January 8th for The College Football National Championship and an undefeated season on the line. Who's your pick?

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