An Outkick/Fox Sports opinion piece argues that, despite a difficult offseason marked by playoff expansion debates, coaching poaching such as Lane Kiffin's move from the NFL ranks to LSU, and ongoing controversy over the transfer portal and NIL payments, college football remains more compelling than the NFL as the new season begins. The author's central case is that college games carry greater weekly stakes because far fewer teams can realistically reach the postseason, making every early result more consequential than in the NFL.

The piece notes that 14 of the NFL's 32 teams (44%) make the playoffs, compared with just 12 of roughly 68 major-conference college teams (about 16%), one of which is reserved for a Group of Six side. It cites examples such as Notre Dame missing the 2025 College Football Playoff after two early losses, and mediocre NFL sides like the 9-7-1 Green Bay Packers and 8-9 Carolina Panthers still qualifying for the postseason. The article also argues that college football produces more chaos and unpredictable upsets, since rankings are subjective rather than based purely on standings, whereas the NFL has leaned on rule changes such as revamped kickoffs and more generous K-ball rules to boost scoring and offset increasingly dominant defences.