BEST LINKS

Two non-power teams in the CFP will never happen again.

Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger breaks down an "unusual situation" most fans missed. Two Group of Five programs—Tulane and James Madison—made the 12-team field this year. Under the MOU signed last spring, that scenario is contractually impossible starting next season.

Here's what changes:

• The SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC champions get automatic berths

• Only the highest-ranked non-power champion earns a spot

• Notre Dame gets an automatic bid if ranked in the top 12

Translation: Duke would have displaced James Madison under next year's rules. And Notre Dame (ranked No. 11) would have bounced Miami from the field.

But the underdogs are cashing in while they can.

Tulane's donor contributions jumped 373% year-over-year from mid-November to mid-December. Local retailer Campus Connection received nearly 3,000 orders for "RMFW" apparel, including one purchased by American Commissioner Tim Pernetti, who plans to wear it on the sideline in Oxford. (Yahoo Sports)

Michigan's president just put the entire athletic department on notice.

Interim President Domenico Grasso pledged to leave "no stone unturned" in the Jenner & Block investigation into former HC Sherrone Moore's conduct, and the athletic department culture writ large.

His message was clear:

• The investigation will uncover "any additional germane and material information"

• Jenner & Block's scope has expanded to evaluate "culture, conduct and procedures throughout our athletics department"

• If evidence warrants termination of any employee, "we will act swiftly, just as we did in the case of Coach Moore"

On the coaching search, Grasso outlined non-negotiables: "We will hire an individual who is of the highest moral character and who will serve as a role model and a respected leader for the entire football program. And who will, with dignity and integrity, be a fierce competitor."

Translation: Don't expect anyone with baggage. (ESPN)

The Orlando Sentinel just called Michigan "the dirtiest program in college football."

Columnist Mike Bianchi doesn't hold back. His argument: the betrayal at Michigan isn't about one coach's "personal implosion." It's institutional. Systemic. Years in the making.

His case against the program:

• Sherrone Moore was a central figure in the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal—sanctioned, suspended, caught deleting texts tied to the cheating operation

• Michigan promoted him to head coach after all of that

• The administration allegedly waved off reports of Moore's inappropriate relationship earlier this season, claiming it "couldn't verify" whether the affair was real

Bianchi's verdict: "No major program in college football has combined competitive success and moral failure quite like Michigan over the past few years. Other schools get caught and clean house. Michigan gets caught and closes ranks."

Strong words heading into the Citrus Bowl. [Orlando Sentinel] via Yahoo Sports.

DEEP DIVE

Matt Campbell left Iowa State for Penn State.

Jimmy Rogers stepped in to replace him.

This week, we're featuring deep dives on both, because the connection is too good to ignore. One coach built Iowa State into a consistent winner over a decade. The other is betting he can keep the momentum going after just one FBS season at Washington State.

Here's what you need to know:

Penn State Fired A 104-Win Coach Because He Couldn't Beat Elite Teams. His Replacement Might Actually Fix That.

James Franklin went 4-21 against Top 10 teams at Penn State.

That's a 16% win rate, with top-10 recruiting classes almost every year. He had the talent. He had the resources. He had 11 years to figure it out. And when it mattered most, his teams collapsed. Ohio State. Michigan. Oregon. The story was always the same.

Matt Campbell's record tells a different story.

At Iowa State, Campbell went 4-6 against Top 10 opponents. That's 40%, with the 68th-ranked roster in the talent composite. He won the same number of elite games in 10 years at Iowa State as Franklin won at Penn State. Except Campbell did it while being outgunned on every front: recruiting, facilities, NIL, geography. He turned a program that went 8-28 before he arrived into an 11-win team that produced Breece Hall, Brock Purdy, and 15 NFL Draft picks.

That's not the same coach Penn State just fired.

That's a coach who maximizes what he has.

Penn State is betting that Campbell's overachievement at Iowa State scales up when he finally has elite resources, $30M in NIL, $17M staff budget, and recruiting territory that includes Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the DMV. It's a reasonable bet. Maybe the only reasonable bet available after a 54-day search disaster.

The question now is simple:

Can Matt Campbell win the games James Franklin couldn't?

[Read the full Deep Dive here]

Why Jimmy Rogers' First Year at Iowa State Will Be About Survival, Not Contention

Iowa State didn't hesitate.

Matt Campbell left for Penn State, and within 72 hours, the Cyclones had their guy. Jimmy Rogers—38 years old, one FBS season under his belt, fresh off a 6-6 campaign at Washington State.

Here's what makes this hire fascinating:

Rogers has won everywhere he's been. He went 27-3 at South Dakota State, won an FCS national championship in 2023, and carries a career .786 winning percentage. The man knows how to build a program.

But there's a catch.

His only FBS experience? A .500 season at a program navigating conference chaos. Now he's inheriting a Big 12 contender with portal attrition looming and a fanbase that just watched a decade of sustained success walk out the door.

The grade? B-minus.

Not because Rogers can't coach. He can. His defensive pedigree is real. His Midwest recruiting ties are valuable. His ability to adjust mid-season showed up at Washington State when early offensive struggles threatened to tank the year.

The concern is runway.

Year 1 will be stabilization: defense-first football, mid-tier results, and a lot of learning. The real test comes in Years 2 and 3, when we find out if Rogers can recruit at the Power Four level and sustain what Campbell built.

The pressure is real. But so is the opportunity.

[Read our deep dive here]

THAT’S A WRAP

That's all for today.

The playoff kicks off Saturday. Tulane heads to Oxford. JMU heads to Eugene. Two underdogs with nothing to lose, and a format that says they'll never both be here again.

Should be fun to watch.

More new hire coaching profiles dropping Tuesday. The carousel isn't slowing down, and neither are we.

If you enjoyed this edition, forward it to someone who lives for coaching carousel chaos. And if you have a tip, a question, or just want to tell me I'm wrong about something—reply directly. I read every response.

Talk soon.

— Mark