Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia details how he would alter College Football Playoff format

Vanderbilt quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Diego Pavia led the Commodores to their best seasons in program history this year. Vanderbilt finished the regular season with a 10-2 record, marking its first 10-win season ever. However, it wasn’t good enough to get the program into the College Football Playoff for the first time.

The ‘Dores landed at No. 14 in the final College Football Playoff Rankings, behind No. 13 Texas, No. 12 BYU, and No. 11 Notre Dame. If it were up to Pavia, play-in games would have been conducted to ensure that these four programs also had a crack at making a run in the College Football Playoff.

“I would move it to a 16 (team Playoff) and then put play in (games),” Pavia said on Friday morning’s edition of ‘First Take‘. “So you’d have those four teams on the bubble and you’d do play-in (games), like how the NBA does it. I would do something around those lines to make sure you’re getting the best teams in the College Football Playoff. That’s what the people want to see. They don’t want to see these teams get beat by 25-30 points.

“No, they want to see those close games come down to the last drive of the game. I think it’s better for the NFL to see ‘Is this guy clutch in clutch moments?’ Or ‘Can he play at this level?’ And I think eventually we’re going to move to a spot where that does it for them.”

Diego Pavia claimed that Vandy’s history was used against them in College Football Playoff selection process

Diego Pavia is Vanderbilt‘s first-ever quarterback to be named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. Prior to Thursday’s selection show, no Vanderbilt quarterback had even finished within the Top 10 of Heisman Trophy voting. Pavia is more than well-deserving of the award, as he passed for a program 3,192 yards this season. He was responsible for 36 touchdowns and is no doubt one of, if not the best, players in program history.

Prior to the College Football Playoff Selection Show, Pavia claimed that his Vanderbilt program wasn’t getting the respect it deserved due to the logo on its helmet. From 2014-2023, the Commodores compiled a horrific 36-83 record across nine seasons. From Pavia’s perspective, the committee had not yet wiped that stigma away from the program.

“For sure,” Pavia responded when asked if Vanderbilt’s history hurt their case. “I feel like that’s the biggest thing why we’re being punished. If we had another logo, we’re in the College Football Playoff, no question. And I think if you put everyone’s resume on a piece of paper and slid it out to the teams on the bubble, they’re choosing ours every single time.”

Alas, the ‘Dores were left out of the 12-team field and will instead clash against No. 21 Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl. With a win, the program would cement its first 11-win season ever.