Gameday

Roster flexibility creating more national parity

National View

Waxing philosophical, a wise individual who was enduring a negative experience concluded that life is like a rearview mirror.

Focusing on things that are fading into the past serves little purpose.

Taking in the panoramic view through the proverbial windshield of life is the best option for maximizing opportunities.

Applying the analogy to college football, the transfer portal, the persistent job jumping of head coaches, and distribution of wealth to the workforce (a.k.a. the student-athletes) should be considered manifestations of enlightened thought.

Annual roster overhaul is making it possible for once-perennial doormats like Indiana to make the transformation to national champion.

Just like the wildcard in Major League Baseball has expanded the field of postseason contenders, the free agent-like movement of players in college football has introduced a greater number of teams into the College Football Playoff conversation.

Naturally, the expansion of the CFP has made it possible for more teams to remain in contention for one of the 12 spots through conference championship weekend.

However, roster composition is the carburetor that ignites the drive to a playoff run.

Prior to the implementation of new eligibility rules and the resolution of various lawsuits, no change at the head coaching position ever could have triggered the type of roster overhaul that is commonplace today.

Why attempt to build a championship team through cumbersome recruiting channels when a supersonic alternative like the transfer portal is available?

Of the teams ranked in the top 12 of the preseason Associated Press rankings, only three -- Oregon, Georgia and Oklahoma -- are not positioned comparably in an assessment of 2026 transfers by 247 Sports.

An argument can also be made that the transfer portal is a means for the rich to get richer.

Six of the top 12 teams in the 247 Sports transfer rankings -- Ohio State, Indiana, Miami, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Texas Tech -- were selected for the CFP last season.

Notably, there isn't a Group of Six member to be found anywhere in the top 25 transfer rankings.

For the curious, Penn State is ranked at No. 4.

Former Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, among others, learned the hard way that job security is dependent on letting go of the old ways of doing things.

The adapters, meanwhile, accelerate to the future with a clear view and firm embrace of the new reality.

Clear for takeoff

Drone operators hovering their craft over Falcon Stadium during the Duquesne-Air Force game last Saturday had little to worry about.

The two teams combined for 29 pass attempts -- only seven by the Falcons -- in a 34-0 demonstration of ground control by Air Force.

The Falcons consumed nearly 41 minutes of clock by rushing 71 times for 431 yards (6.1 avg.).

Show me the money

The firing of UCLA Athletic Director Martin Jarmond proved that, on balance, financial stability outweighs NCAA hardware.

Jarmond's six years at the Westwood campus produced nine NCAA championships in six sports over six academic years, but they were no match for consecutive yearly deficits that totaled $241 million, despite the move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten in 2024.

Confidence in Jarmond's management of UCLA Athletics ran so low a year ago that a group of donors contacted the Los Angeles Times to air their grievances.

Money woes part two

In the "Calimony" bowl, UCLA defeated former Pac-12 foe Cal, 45-24, last Saturday.

The creative moniker refers to a University of California Board of Regents 2024 decision that requires UCLA to transfer $10 million annually to Cal-Berkeley's athletic department for three years. The payments compensate Cal for the negative financial impact of UCLA's move to the Big Ten.

Disappointing sequels

Greg Schiano's first run as head football coach at Rutgers was a big hit.

The achievements included an 11-2 high-water mark and five bowl wins over an 11-season span.

The sequel has been a flop.

The stunning loss to UMass in the home opener portends another disappointing season for Rutgers, which is now 31-42 since Schiano's return in 2020.

In years past, two other high-profile head coaches booked return engagements and met with fates similar to Schiano's.

At USC, John Robinson led the Trojans to a national championship in 1978 and three Rose Bowl wins before departing for the NFL. In the final two seasons of his five-year return to Troy, USC finished with 3-5 and 4-4 marks in Pac-10 play.

At Stanford, Bill Walsh's second go-round ended with back-to-back seven-loss seasons.

Notable

■ Tulsa has defeated Oklahoma State in back-to-back games for the first time since 1952 when the Golden Hurricane completed a three-game winning streak against the Cowboys.

■ James Franklin's reputation for running up the score on weak opponents remains intact after Virginia Tech trounced VMI, 73-3.

■ In a 59-14 win over Miami (OH), Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel tossed a school record-tying seven touchdown passes to seven different receivers.

■ All 16 SEC teams won their openers. The Big Ten was 16-2. The reconstituted Pac-12 stands at 2-6.

■ With a 20-game active winning streak in season openers, Air Force ranks third behind Ohio State (26) and Alabama (25).

■ Including last season, Notre Dame has won 11 consecutive regular season games by 10 or more points. The program standard is 12 straight under head coach Knute Rockne in 1921-22.

■ Tennessee is honoring the life of Dolly Parton with a commemorative butterfly helmet sticker this season.

Quotable

"I didn't expect their offense to be that dysfunctional. Our (scout) team scored more than they did against us." -- Less-than diplomatic LSU head coach Lane Kiffin after a 51-10 drubbing of Clemson

"I heard we hate Wyoming, so I decided to hate Wyoming, too." -- Colorado State LB Oumar Diomande, a transfer from Connecticut, after intercepting a pass and totaling 11 tackles in a 35-13 win over school rival Wyoming

"Sick to my stomach is the way I explain my feelings about that game." -- Michigan defensive end Dom Nichols despite his team's 13-12 victory over Western Michigan on a game-ending Hail Mary pass

"We had to control what we could control, but we were all 'Dogs at the end of the day. It was about the man in the mirror and doing your 1/11 part and doing what you can do." -- Linebacker Zyion Brown of FCS The Citadel reflecting on a 43-41 triple-overtime upset of Charlotte

"When you're playing a good competitive game, you keep it close into the fourth quarter. We were unable to do that." -- Rhode Island head coach Jim Fleming after the Rams, down by 10 points at halftime, were shut out in the second half of a 38-14 loss to Temple

"I mean, you have no idea how many times I was shaken by a lineman and told that we got this, and I never doubted it." -- Colorado head coach Deion Sanders on the confidence on his sideline as the Buffaloes defeated Georgia Tech, 14-13, on a 20-yard touchdown pass with 42 seconds remaining in the game

Jim Caltagirone, a former member of Penn State's sports information department, comments on the national scene for Gameday. He can be reached at jimclion4ever@gmail.com