The Dan Patrick Show — Hour 2: Expansion of CFP Is Coming, Ross Dellenger

Date: August 18, 2025
Host: Dan Patrick & The Danettes (Seton, Paulie, Todd, Marvin)
Guest: Ross Dellenger (Yahoo Sports)

Episode Overview

In this lively hour, Dan Patrick and the Danettes return from vacation, swapping stories and discussing the latest hot topics in sports. The main focus is the future of college football, specifically the NCAA's recent penalties against Michigan, and the possibility of College Football Playoff (CFP) expansion to 24-28 teams, featuring an insightful interview with Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger. The hour also covers preseason NFL reactions, poll questions, and best/worst sports moments from the weekend, all with the show’s trademark humor and candid banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dan’s Vacation Stories & Boating Mishaps

• Dan shares stories from vacation, highlighting fishing successes and mishaps piloting a pontoon boat (e.g., running out of gas, hitting a rock, calling his marina friend Zach for help).
  • “Now, here’s the problem. I do have a pontoon boat… We ran out of gas in the middle of the lake, and I have to call my friend Zach.” (04:43)
• The Danettes roast Dan about his “captain’s hat,” confidence as a boat operator, and failures on the water.
  • “Were you a very confident captain of this pontoon boat, or were you more unsure…?” (Seton, 06:30)

2. Poll Questions & Sports Debates

• Hour 2 Poll: Is it appropriate to start comparing golfer Scottie Scheffler to Tiger Woods?
  • 60% say “too soon.”
  • “Scotty is just, you know, here it is. This is what I do. There’s a chip, there's a putt. That’s a good drive. Thank you. Drive home safely.” (Dan, 10:50)
• Personality vs. Performance: Discussion on whether star athletes (e.g., Scheffler) need a more engaging persona to achieve “icon” status.
• Other Polls: Who is more dominant in their sport – Shohei (baseball) or Scheffler (golf)? And, do you recline your seat on airplanes? (Dan: “Halfway.” Paulie: “Full if nobody’s behind me.”)

3. Best & Worst of the Weekend

Listeners and Danettes share their top and bottom sports moments:

• Orioles rookie pitcher Brandon Young nearly throws a perfect game.
• Chargers WR Quentin Johnston suffers a scary preseason injury.
• Little League World Series highlights with MLB stars mingling with kids.
• Preseason NFL hype: Rams’ Stetson Bennett airs it out, Pats fans fret, Bears trounce Bills.

4. Hot Sports Takes:

Preseason Blues or Hype?

• Are preseason results meaningful? For underachieving teams (e.g., Bears, Broncos), positive results bring hope—veteran teams (e.g., Bills) shrug them off.
• “If you underachieve last year… I want you ready to go week one. I don’t want you using week one/two of the regular season to ease in.” (Dan, 50:03)

Interview Segment: Ross Dellenger on Michigan’s Penalties & CFP Expansion

NCAA Punishment of Michigan

• Financial over Postseason Penalties: Michigan fined $30M+ instead of facing postseason bans or vacated wins.
  • “They're starting to move away from vacated wins... Because it penalizes sort of innocent players... So they’re just substituting these financial penalties.” (Ross Dellenger, 24:28)
• Perspective:
  • Michigan fans: too harsh.
  • Rest of college football: not harsh enough.
  • Harbaugh’s three-game suspension during the regular season lessened later penalties.
• On Jim Harbaugh:
  • “I can’t imagine Jim Harbaugh acknowledging in any way that... Michigan cheated... They claim [sign-stealing] gave them no advantage.” (Ross, 28:04)
  • If Harbaugh were still at Michigan, penalties would likely have been “a lot more severe.” (29:50)

College Football Playoff (CFP) Expansion

• Big Ten proposal: CFP expanded to 24 or 28 teams; half the bids to Big Ten & SEC; ACC/Big 12, group-of-five, and at-large fill out the field.
• Is expansion imminent?
  • “This is so preliminary… back-of-the-napkin stuff.” (Ross, 31:43)
  • Expansion to 16 is inevitable, but 24/28 unlikely for 2026.
  • Deadline for next format: December 1, but expect status quo for 2026.
• Dan’s Perspective:
  • All major sports leagues moving toward expansion and realignment for more money.
  • “It may not make sense, but… follow the money.” (Dan, 37:05)
  • There will be a professional model, with inevitable separation between "haves and have-nots" in college athletics.

Notable Quotes

• On CFP Expansion Speculation:

  • “This is so preliminary… when I heard about it Thursday, I decided I wouldn’t write about it because it was so preliminary.” (Ross Dellenger, 31:43)

• On Changing Penalty Structures:

  • “They're starting to move away from the vacated wins… they’re just substituting these financial penalties for the postseason ban.” (Ross Dellenger, 24:28)

• On Scheffler vs. Tiger Woods:

  • “Scheffler doesn’t do anything that you don’t feel like you… can’t do. Tiger, it felt like you can’t do those things.” (Dan, 11:50)

• On preseason reactions:

  • “You’re going to add more credence to it if you’re a Bears fan as opposed to if you’re a Buffalo Bills fan.” (Dan, 48:23)

Memorable Moments & Humor

• Dan’s embarrassing boating emergencies, rescued twice by friend Zach.
• The Danettes’ debate over reclining airplane seats—Seton: “Sometimes I’m like, forget it, I’m just knocking this thing back. Don’t care.” (14:40)
• Dan’s “dad moment” when his daughter brings home a boyfriend – “If you're trying to go, ‘Hello Mr. and Mrs. Patrick, I really like your house…’ No, you can save that.” (51:51)
• Multiple references to “catch and release” fishing, no trophies for Dan.

Important Timestamps

• 02:35 — Dan’s vacation & fishing/boating stories
• 10:32 — Poll question: Is Scheffler the next Tiger Woods?
• 23:44 — Ross Dellenger joins—Discussion on Michigan’s penalties
• 26:47 — Why immediate Harbaugh suspension changed the NCAA’s penalty calculus
• 29:50 — Hypothetical on harsher Harbaugh punishment
• 31:43 — Deep dive on CFP expansion and “back-of-the-napkin” nature
• 37:05 — Dan on money driving expansion, college football trends
• 38:07 — Best and worst of the weekend (listener/Danette segment)
• 50:03 — NFL preseason results: hype or ignore?
• 51:10 — Dan’s “dad moment” with daughter’s boyfriend

Tone and Style

True to form, the episode is conversational, witty, and topical, blending insider sports knowledge with everyday banter. Dan and the Danettes poke fun at themselves and each other, offer nuanced takes on sports news, and give their audience both laughs and insights.

For listeners who missed the episode:
This hour delivers the perfect mix of humor, sharp college football analysis, relatable summer stories, and the inside scoop on sports policy changes direct from a leading reporter. Even without having listened, you’ll understand the state of college football’s future and laugh along with Dan’s vacation woes and the crew’s classic banter.