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The Plan No Real Human Wanted: It's official; beginning in 2015, and continuing on for twelve interminable years, we will have a "playoff" in Division I FBS. Everything you might possibly need to know in terms of factual matters is covered at SBNation's StoryStream on the subject.
With the exception of Virginia Tech president Charles Steger (who's either lying or deluded), everyone is pretty much of the opinion that either the playoff has destroyed everything sacred and holy about college football by merely existing, or that four teams isn't enough. It's a valid schism, as the one thing that's absolutely clear is that the four-team model is going to further the gap between the haves and the have-nots, especially with a selection committee determining the four teams. Eight would have been a better plan, and would have made access for the have-nots much more likely and reasonable.
The irony, of course, is that the powers-that-be understand this perfectly, and are utterly aware that an eight-team field is inevitable down the road. They simply didn't want to take that step, for reasons which drift from the rationally conservative to the cynically self-serving. Ultimately, this is all about keeping the skeevy and corrupt bowl system with all its graft and lobbying from collapsing. My only truly cogent observation on the matter, in the end, is simply this: a 32-team playoff in no way devalues the regular season in D-II or D-III; the big teams routinely play major non-conference games. A 20-team playoff hasn't devalued the regular season in D-I FCS, whose big teams routinely play FBS teams in non-conference rather than cupcaking it. So how could an 8-team playoff possibly devalue the regular season in D-I FBS?
Stiff Upper Lip: Idaho coach Robb Akey insists that the best thing for Idaho is to remain in FBS as an independent rather than dropping back down to FCS. He raises an interesting point in that the landscape is never truly settled, and that Idaho will want to be available as an already-upgraded option in the future.
I Guess It's Really NOT An Annual Thing: Michigan and Notre Dame are not playing in 2018 or 2019, which could be a harbinger of things. We'll have to wait and see if they renew the series after the brief break. Michigan IS playing Utah in 2014. And Appalachian State. I expect entertainment.
She Ran Callin'...: Wildfires are descending on Colorado Springs, as seen in this chilling photo. All scheduled athletic events at the US Air Force Academy have been cancelled indefinitely, which at first might strike you (as it did me) as pretty serious insofar as they don't have any scheduled until the end of August. However, there are summer sports camps being held at the Academy, and that's what's being immediately referred to.
Calipari v Martin: Troll-off on Twitter. I give Calipari the first-round win, based on proper grammar and initial evil trolling. Martin gets a point for sincerity.
Diablerie: Ain't none today. Go forth and be productive.