Chip Patterson

1 week ago | cbssports.com | Chip Patterson

Some of the best stories from every college football season come from coaches and programs that take a significant step forward in the win column after a disappointing campaign the previous year. In the transfer portal era, the idea that a new coach -- or even a returning one with improved resources -- can quickly reverse course is no longer an unreasonable expectation. What might be unreasonable is expecting an Arizona State or Indiana story every season.

1 week ago | cbssports.com | Chip Patterson |David Cobb

This time last year, Arizona State and Vanderbilt were routinely being picked to finish at or near the bottom of their respective conferences. It was understandable given Vanderbilt went 2-10 and Arizona State finished 3-9 the year prior. There was nothing obvious to indicate that significant improvement was on the horizon, yet it came anyway. The Commodores rose up to reach a bowl for the first time since 2018 and pulled off one of the SEC's all-time great upsets by taking down then-No. 1 Alabama.

1 week ago | cbssports.com | Chip Patterson |Cody Nagel

Although Iowa State fell short in the Big 12 Championship Game for the second time in five years, coach Matt Campbell still guided the Cyclones to a historic milestone in 2024 with the program's first-ever double-digit win season. After several key contributors departed from that team, Iowa State faces a critical challenge -- reloading for another run at the Big 12 title and College Football Playoff.

1 week ago | cbssports.com | Chip Patterson

As we wrap up the month of June and prepare for the true beginning of college football's preseason in July, now is the time to put in the work and get ahead of the masses when it comes to our expectations for the upcoming season. Soon there will be magazines to consume and media days will take over the conversation with quotes, stories and more from the coaches and players in advance of fall camp.

1 week ago | cbssports.com | Chip Patterson |Tom Fornelli

Change is coming to the College Football Playoff. We don't know what the format will look like in 2026 after the Big Ten and SEC gain control over it, but we know it won't look like the version we saw in 2024. That format didn't even last a year, as the powers that be saw the flaws in it and -- rightfully -- made the correct change in going to straight seeds. It was a refreshing breath of fresh air to see swift and productive change. It's also not something I'm counting on becoming the norm.