The first two years of the College Football Playoff's 12-team era painted a clear picture of today's NIL realities. That is, while programs can still compete at the highest level with modest budgets, the most surefire path to a prominent seed and national championship contention is to invest an extreme load of money into a star-studded roster. Some of the biggest spenders from the 2025 offseason find themselves, to no surprise, at the top of this year's bracket.

Overachievers prove every year that money is not always everything. They require a special blend of coaching acumen and talented players who, in many cases, earn paychecks at wealthier programs at season's end. Doing more with less can result in a CFP berth, but time and time again, the playoff process separates the haves from

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