Andy & Ari On3

“The system is broken” Duke’s Manny Diaz SOUNDS OFF on College Football Playoff & huge conferences

Dec 3, 2025
Manny Diaz, head football coach at Duke University, joins to discuss the broken College Football Playoff system. He argues passionately for Miami's inclusion and insists that the ACC champion deserves a playoff spot based on merit, not luck. Diaz highlights Duke’s mental resilience following tough losses and offers fresh ideas like play-in games to improve fairness in the playoff process. As tensions rise in December, his insights about conference politics and the quest for reform are both revealing and provocative.
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INSIGHT

Mega-Conferences Break On-Field Determination

  • Mega-conferences broke fair on-field determination of champions and playoff access.
  • Manny Diaz argues expanded playoffs or intra-conference play-ins are inevitable fixes to restore competition.
ANECDOTE

Burning Mistakes For A Reset

  • After a bad loss, Manny Diaz had Duke players write mistakes on cards and burn them to move on.
  • He followed that with an impromptu three-point contest to reset energy and focus on the next game.
INSIGHT

Power Four Advantage Is Structural

  • Manny believes Power Four conference status guarantees playoff representation.
  • He reasons week‑in, week‑out competition quality creates an inevitable bias toward those conferences.
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