Arizona's Brent Brennan endorses College Football Playoff expanding to 24 teams

The CFP is expected to expand from its current 12-team format to 24 teams in 2027, according to multiple reports. 

The new format will include 19 at-large bids, four Power 4 champions determined by the league and the highest-ranked Group of 6 team.

The New Year's Six bowls (Fiesta, Rose, Sugar, Peach, Orange and Cotton) are expected to remain hosts of the quarterfinals and semifinals games, with the national championship scheduled in January. 

If the proposed format was in effect last year, Arizona would've been one of the at-large bids at No. 18. The 18th-ranked Wildcats would've had a first-round game against No. 15 Utah in Salt Lake City. The Big 12 would've had five teams in the 24-team CFP last year: Texas Tech (champion), BYU, Utah, Arizona and Houston. TTU was the only team to get into the CFP last year. 

When Brennan was asked about the College Football Playoff expanding on Monday, he responded, "I think it's awesome. Access."

Brennan noted the NCAA Tournament expanding from 68 to 76 teams and adding more play-in games for college basketball's premier postseason event, starting in 2027. 

"To me, that's the best example of a postseason high-level competition tournament that we have in college sports," Brennan said. "I think it's outstanding. The more people that have a chance to be involved in it, the better.

"I've heard a lot of detractors on what it means for the regular season. To me, it doesn't change anything with the regular season. Everything is still just as important in the regular season. Now more people have an opportunity to get to the postseason in that way than ever before. I think it's fantastic. I really do." 

Cyclones 'execute an extremely high level'

Brennan has been a first-year head coach before. Twice. So he can relate to the hurdles Iowa State head coach Jimmy Rogers has to overcome in his first year at the helm.

"The first year is always a little bit complicated," Brennan said. "You're learning the place, they're learning you and there's lots of transition. That's complicated. To me, what they've done is impressive and that shows up when you watch film." 

The first season at Arizona was much different for Brennan than his first season at San Jose State. Not only was the UA a Power 4 school, but Brennan came to the Wildcats at the start of the NIL and revenue-sharing era. 

"They're not even comparable in that way," Brennan said of his first two seasons at Arizona and San Jose State. "It's apples to oranges in that way." 

Rogers replaced former longtime head coach Matt Campbell, who coached the Cyclones for 10 seasons before taking over Penn State this season. Campbell went 72-55 and is the winningest coach in Iowa State history. 

Rogers, who is a Chandler native and former standout linebacker at Hamilton High School, succeeded Campbell after stints at South Dakota State and Washington State. The Cyclones lost 55 players to the transfer portal and gained nearly 50 in return this past cycle. Rogers "has done a fantastic job" considering the amount of turnover ISU has faced in the last year, Brennan said. 

"First of all, I think he's doing a hell of a job," Brennan said. "He and that staff are doing a hell of a job considering the timing of it and what they had to put together with the amount of people that left with the previous coaching staff, all that stuff." 

Iowa State (3-3) has wins over Southeast Missouri State, Bowling Green and West Virginia, with losses to No. 21 Iowa, No. 15 Utah and No. 8 BYU.  

Iowa State is fifth in the Big 12 in passing defense, allowing 198.5 passing yards per game. ISU is ninth in the Big 12 in total defense. The Cyclones lead the Big 12 in fumbles recovered (six) this season. 

Even though Iowa State is second-to-last in the Big 12 in total offense, the Cyclones have one of the top running backs in the conference in Aiden Flora, who is third in the Big 12 with 680 rushing yards and six touchdowns. The Adel, Iowa native "is a throwback dude, man," Brennan said.

In Iowa State's 45-42 win over West Virginia earlier this month, Flora had 22 carries for 212 yards and three touchdowns and threw for a pair of touchdowns; he accounted for five touchdowns in the shootout win over WVU. 

"He does it all," Brennan said of Flora. "He runs for touchdowns, he throws them, he catches them. He's just a total stud and it's really fun to watch him play. I think their quarterback (Jaylen Raynor) is outstanding and athletic and can make all of the throws he needs to make. The (offensive line), they're big and physical up front. ... This team executes at an extremely high level." 

Kickoff time, TV info for Texas Tech game on Halloween announced

The 25th-ranked Wildcats' matchup with No. 8 Texas Tech at Galaxy Stadium in Lubbock on Saturday, Oct. 31 (Halloween), is slated for 9 a.m. on either ABC or ESPN.

The network for the Arizona-Texas Tech game will be determined after this upcoming Saturday. 

The eighth-ranked Red Raiders are on track to be the highest-ranked opponent on Arizona's schedule. Arizona hosts No. 10 Utah on Nov. 14. 

The Arizona-Texas Tech contest will be a homecoming for Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Doege, who quarterbacked Texas Tech from 2009-12. Doege, who played for head coaches Mike Leach and Tommy Tuberville at Texas Tech, won the 2012 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas and was named MVP of the bowl game. Doege has the fifth-most passing yards in Texas Tech history. 

The Wildcats are 5-27-2 all-time against Texas Tech. The last time the Wildcats played in Lubbock was in 1989. Arizona's only win over TTU in Lubbock was in 1935. The Wildcats lost to Texas Tech, 28-22, in their first matchup as Big 12 opponents in Tucson in 2024. 

No. 25 Arizona hosts Iowa State for homecoming Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2. 

Extra points

— Brennan, on the Wildcats entering the Associated Press Top 25: “In this program, we work really hard on focusing what we can control. We don’t control any of that. All we can control is handling what we’re doing right now. … What are we doing with today? How are we attacking the work today and practice tomorrow? For us, it’s a one-day-at-a-time deal. I get it, it’s awesome and they should be proud. But nothing means less than the score at halftime and right now we’re at halftime of the season.”

— UA announced a "tarps off mini plan" for the final four home games against Iowa State, TCU, Utah and Arizona State at Casino Del Sol Stadium. A $100 purchase includes a ticket to the game and a $50 voucher for a 30-minute recovery session at Arizona Inn.

— Brennan continued to push for fans to attend Arizona's upcoming home game. Said Brennan: "A huge focus for this week is how do we sell out 'The Sol?' Let's pack that thing. ... The incredible impact a rabid, fanatical, crazy home crowd can have on the outcome of the game is unbelievable. I'm excited to see that environment on Saturday late afternoon at Casino Del Sol Stadium." 

— The ESPN2 broadcasters for the Arizona-Iowa State game are Lowell Galindo (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst) and Dawn Davenport (sideline).