Sentiment over the decision to expand the 12-team College Football Playoff to 24 programs has been mixed, with many not in favor of it.
Penn State head coach Matt Campbell is — assuming it’s done the right way.
“Yes, a tournament is the right way to find the champion,” he said during his weekly press conference yesterday. “I still think there’s so much work to do of how do we actually get this exactly right.”
The new format, which will have five automatic qualifiers — the champions of the Power Four leagues and the best-ranked team in the Group of Six conferences — will also find 19 other teams chosen by a panel. It’s that last part that borders on the subjective and the piece that college football needs to have criteria to perfect.
Here’s a refresher on what’s proposed in the new expansion, and
More on what Penn State thinks about it.
And since we’re on a college kick, check out the uphill battle that awaits a really good St. Joseph’s field hockey program, which will play No. 1 seed Northwestern tomorrow. Here’s how they got there.
Expect some showers across the region today, with temperatures in the high 50s.
— Kerith Gabriel, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.
❓Do you think less is more when it comes to the College Football Playoff? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.
In the aftermath of the NFL trade deadline, Jason and Travis Kelce’s latest episode of their popular podcast New Heights was pretty insightful. They touched on the winners and losers of the deadline, and where the Eagles fit in all of it.
The duo was joined by former Eagles tackle Beau Allen and actor John C. Reilly as guests. Also, did you know Kelce threw a New Heights tailgate at Stateside Live! on Sunday? Jason talks about how that went down as well, and we recapped it all in this Cliffs Notes version of the pod.
What we’re …
🤔 Wondering: What more does Villanova hoops coach Kevin Willard want from the Wildcats following their blowout win against La Salle on Tuesday?
🦅 Learning: Now that the NFL trade deadline has wrapped, insight into the Eagles’ thought process.
⚽ Sharing: The U.S. under-17 national soccer team has pulled out of the under-17 World Cup in Qatar due to security concerns.
🏈 Watching: What onus should Eagles leadership take for all the schematic changes made on the field this season?
🏀 Reading: What national media pundits are saying about the Sixers heading into tonight’s game against the Raptors.
You’re waking up to Matvei Michkov still rostered with the Philadelphia Flyers. That is despite what an ESPN report suggested earlier this week, alluding to Michkov being open to trade talks given a rough start to the season and what the report described as “internal turmoil.”
However, the allegations were the last thing Michkov wanted to clear up yesterday before last night’s game against Edmonton, saying that he needed “concentration on [last night’s] game, and that’s all.”
That concentration amounted to a 3-2 overtime loss for the Flyers, who also had a fair deal to say about the rumors.
Here’s a recap and analysis of last night’s game,
What Michkov and others are saying about the report, and
What’s Flyers general manager Danny Brière’s role in all of this speculation?
Next: The Flyers head to Columbus for a game against the Blue Jackets on Saturday (7 p.m., NBCSP).
Soccer fans are in the midst of the final FIFA international window of 2026, which means that for club teams like the Union, the team is without several players who have been key to the club’s success and their berth into the upcoming MLS playoffs.
It’s that last part that is the issue. Perennially, this match date falls when teams are preparing for the MLS postseason. And while it’ll be the last year of the snafu, with the league moving to a traditional match calendar, coaches like Union interim boss Ryan Richter could have as little as just three days to prepare with his full squad before the team’s first-round match against New England next Saturday (2 p.m., Apple TV).
So what’s a coach to do? Richter tells us ahead of this “second season” the Union are set to embark on.
On this date
Nov. 12, 1990: The date of the Eagles’ infamous “Body Bag Game,” in which former Birds head coach Buddy vowed that his team would beat Washington so badly, “they’ll have to be carted off in body bags.” He wasn’t wrong, as eight players left due to injury as the Eagles cruised to a 28-14 win.
“As good as the Celtics were, and as bad as the Sixers were, the divide was hardly an aberration. This was the seventh time in 12 games that an opponent finished a game with a higher effective field goal percentage than the Sixers. They’ve done an admirable job of making up for it, including in hard-fought victories over the Cavaliers and the Pistons. But it’s an awfully tough way to make a living over the long haul.” — Inquirer columnist David Murphy’s latest looks at how much the Sixers beat themselves in Tuesday’s loss to the Celtics.
Next: The Sixers host the Raptors tonight at Xfinity Mobile Arena (7 p.m., NBCSP).
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
BUDO NETIK
Which NFL general manager reached out and had his coach explain why the trade for Eagles edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie fell through? Think you know? Take a guess and click here to see if you’re correct.
What you’re saying about the Sixers
We asked: Are you worried about the Sixers after Tuesday’s dud?
I don’t know what to think of the Celtics total and complete wipeout of our star-studded Sixers. Just a bad night, or an indication that this group of stars is not yet ready to be truly recognized as a world-class team? — Everett S.
There are no concerns. If anything, that just renewed this rivalry. It won’t be the last time we’ll see the Celtics this season. I think now, there’s legit bad blood, which usually makes for great basketball. Remember those old Bulls-Pistons matchups back in the day? The NBA could use some of that, and I have no issue with it being the Sixers and the Celtics. Until then, keep clapping ya hands, everybody. — Jack L.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Lexie Linderman, Jackie Spiegel, David Murphy, Mia Messina, Kerith Gabriel, Ryan Novozinsky, Marcus Hayes, Mike Livingston, Jeff McLane and Jonathan Tannenwald.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
That’s your Thursday. I’ll be back tomorrow to close out your week. Hopefully, it’ll be talking about a Sixers rebound against the Raptors. — Kerith
