Speaking at media day Saturday in advance of the national title game, Pete Bevacqua, in his first year guiding the Notre Dame athletic department, called the premiere of the 12-team playoff “a wonderful success, but look at who you’re talking to.”

With just one game to go to close out the 2024-25 college football season, we’ve seen enough to call it: The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff has been an undeniable success. There are minor issues that need to be addressed or tweaked,