Welcome to Glass Slipper! I forgot that Chet Holmgren was participating in these Finals; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

**NOTICE: Glass Slipper will arrive on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday next week.

Only 64 days until college football returns to our screens. We’re close. In my opinion, there are 32 teams with a realistic chance of making the playoff. Now feels like a good time to sort them into tiers. Here we go.

Tier 6: Puncher’s Chance

32. UNLV

31. Boise State

30. Utah

29. Duke

28. Baylor

27. Nebraska

26. Auburn

UNLV quietly won 11 games a season ago, then went out and hired a man with 13 years of SEC head-coaching experience. Dan Mullen’s track record is uneven, but I really like the fit in Vegas. Boise State deserves a mention, even though life without Ashton Jeanty will be difficult. I’ve seen Kyle Whittingham turn an average roster into a contender far too many times to leave his program off the list.

Duke dropped a bag for Darian Mensah, who is going to become a household name sooner or later. Quite frankly, it’s favorable schedules that allow the Blue Devils - along with Baylor and Nebraska - to cling onto some CFP hopes. If Jackson Arnold taps into those tantalizing gifts, Auburn has a chance to surprise some folks.

Tier 5: In Need of Some Luck

25. Navy

24. Ole Miss

23. Louisville

22. SMU

21. Oklahoma

20. Miami (FL)

19. Texas A&M

I think Navy is the top Group of Five squad in America. Hilliard Darby’s own Blake Horvath is back after tallying 30 touchdowns in his first season as a starter, and I could absolutely see him engineering an 11-1 campaign in Annapolis. At this rate, Austin Simmons will get his doctorate by the end of the summer. We know he’s going to post gaudy numbers in Lane Kiffin’s infamous Veer and Shoot scheme, but what happens at the end of big contests? It’s five ranked opponents in a 50-day span for Ole Miss; does Simmons guide his Rebels to victories, or crumble like his predecessor?

Somebody has to play Clemson in the ACC championship game, so Louisville, SMU, and Miami all sneak into the discussion. John Mateer and Marcel Reed are among the most entertaining dudes in our sport. Both of them possess the potential to steal some Heisman votes.

Tier 4: A Big 12 Bundle Pack

18. BYU

17. Iowa State

16. Texas Tech

15. Kansas State

14. Arizona State

Five good quarterbacks, five solid head coaches, five underappreciated programs. The Big 12 is going to be a jumbled mess again, with the conference title game slots still up for grabs in the waning moments of the regular season. I’ll give the reigning champion the nod for now, but I won’t throw a fit over any order.

Tier 3: Don’t Sleep

13. South Carolina

12. Illinois

11. Florida

We’ve reached the 13 programs that are actually capable of winning the national title. Dylan Stewart is one of the five best true sophomores in the country. Even without a real plan on most of his pass-rushing snaps, the flashes were flat-out stunning. Between Dylan and LaNorris Sellers, there won’t be too many squads that are more fun to watch on a week-to-week basis.

Illinois folks are buzzing with anticipation, and for good reason. Almost every important contributor is returning from a 10-3 crew, and an incredibly forgiving slate is ahead. You’re either thrilled that we get to watch a full year of DJ Lagway, or you’re not a college football fan. The kid won all six contests that he started and finished healthy in 2024, and aced every conceivable eye test. Florida allowed over 20 points just once after Week 4; this is a really good team, riding a freight train of momentum.

Tier 2: How Good is Our Quarterback?

10. Michigan

9. Oregon

8. Georgia

7. Alabama

Unfortunately, I don’t think this is too high for Michigan at all. In its last four games - a stretch that included a trio of top-11 opponents - that defense surrendered exactly four touchdowns. Bryce Underwood is the No. 1 overall recruit in the cycle; as long as he’s 20 percent better than Davis Warren, the Wolverines are going to be a problem.

There are only seven guys with better Heisman odds than Dante Moore, and I don’t really see it at all. Sorry. Especially with the heartbreaking Evan Stewart injury, I actually worry that my former UCLA schoolmate is going to be a weak link for an Oregon group that is elite otherwise. Alabama’s total roster is a touch above Georgia to me, but I don’t love either quarterback situation.

Tier 1: The Main Characters

6. LSU

5. Ohio State

4. Notre Dame

3. Clemson

2. Penn State

1. Texas

Here are the big dogs. LSU tiptoes into this realm because it boasts a top-five signal-caller, a much-improved defense, and an awesome transfer portal class. The two squads that battled for the crown in January might experience some growing pains after losing a wealth of talent; Ohio State’s offensive line concerns me, as does Notre Dame’s front seven.

No excuses for Dabo Swinney. It’s Year 3 of the Cade Klubnik and Garrett Riley partnership, and there are NFL players at each level of the defense. Over half a decade has elapsed since Clemson last won a playoff game, and the Tigers have yet another favorable path to the dance.

Texas and Penn State lost their respective semifinals in gut-wrenching fashion. The Nittany Lions are still trying to kick those struggles on big stages, and they may never have a better opportunity. A barrage of draft-eligible dudes chose to stay in Happy Valley, and there isn’t a fan base more desperate for a ring. It’s the Longhorns at the top of the pile, though. Ryan Wingo gets another offseason of work. So does Colin Simmons, who is a future top-five pick. Anthony Hill Jr., Michael Taaffe, and Malik Muhammad are awesome, as well. Most importantly, we’re swapping out Quinn Ewers for a kid that I believe is far superior in every way. Barring some shocking development, Texas will be in the thick of the title chase from wire to wire.

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