In a dramatic, last-ditch effort to salvage their national title dreams, a star American college football player has appealed directly to former President Donald Trump for political intervention. With just one week until the final College Football Playoff (CFP) field is decided, Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia took to social media to beg Trump to expand the postseason format.
A Presidential Plea for Playoff Inclusion
The final weekend of the regular season sees conference championship games decide the fates of the nation's top teams. However, with only two teams from each league participating, several strong programmes are left on the outside looking in. One of those is the Vanderbilt Commodores, who boast a stellar 10-2 record but are ranked 14th in the latest CFP standings and will not play in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championship.
This exclusion prompted quarterback Diego Pavia, a Heisman Trophy hopeful, to make a public plea on X (formerly Twitter). He directly addressed Trump, writing '@realDonaldTrump MAKE THE EXECUTIVE ORDER PLEASE'. Pavia's request is for an executive order to expand the CFP field from 12 teams to 16 in 2025, a move that could potentially include his Commodores this season.
Vanderbilt's Historic Season on the Brink
The frustration stems from what has been a landmark year for Vanderbilt football. The Commodores are coming off the greatest season in school history, having defeated four ranked SEC opponents: No. 11 South Carolina, No. 10 LSU, No. 15 Missouri, and rivals No. 19 Tennessee. Their only two losses came against Alabama, who are in the SEC title game, and Texas.
"I think it's a lot of politics at the top with what's going on," Pavia said during an appearance on SportsCenter. He argued the strength of Vanderbilt's schedule and their record should be enough for inclusion, noting "There's no other 10-2 SEC team left out." Reports suggest the team explored every avenue, including the possibility of playing an extra 'exempt' 13th game to prove their worth to the committee.
A Complex and Crowded Playoff Picture
Vanderbilt is not alone in its precarious position. Several other teams face similar anxiety ahead of the final selections. The No. 12 Miami Hurricanes (10-2) are also absent from their conference championship due to a tiebreaker. No. 13 Texas (9-3) looks set to miss out, while No. 11 BYU can secure an automatic bid by winning the Big XII Championship.
The situation is further complicated by this weekend's championship games. An Alabama loss in the SEC Championship would see them fall to 10-3, potentially becoming the first three-loss team to make the CFP at the expense of two-loss teams like Vanderbilt. Meanwhile, the ACC Championship poses a unique dilemma: if unranked Duke (7-5) wins, the committee may opt to include two champions from the 'Group of Five' conferences instead, such as No. 25 James Madison or the winner between No. 20 Tulane and No. 24 North Texas.
For Vanderbilt and Pavia, the path is narrow. They need Alabama and BYU to lose, and for the committee to suddenly value their resume over Miami's. Even then, the potential inclusion of 'Group of Five' champions could still shut them out, leaving their historic season—and their quarterback's presidential appeal—as a remarkable footnote in a chaotic playoff race.
