Tim Brando joins Dan Dakich to discuss Indiana coach Curt Cignetti’s comments about “bias” in the College Football Playoff

Tuesday brought plenty of political news, but college football fans had another reason to pay attention: the first rankings for the 2026 College Football Playoff were released, and the selections quickly stirred controversy.

Notre Dame dropped in the rankings, some head-to-head results seemed to carry little weight, and complaints about favoritism toward the SEC were soon circulating.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti joined in, criticizing what he saw as special treatment for Southeastern teams and suggesting they receive plenty of favorable coverage from ESPN.

Longtime college football broadcaster Tim Brando pushed back on part of Cignetti’s argument during an appearance with Dan Dakich. Brando, who grew up in Louisiana and has worked for several networks, said broadcasters generally aren’t deliberately trying to favor one conference.

Still, he suggested that working closely with a league can shape how commentators talk about it. When broadcasters spend much of their time covering the SEC, he said, they can end up viewing the sport through that conference’s perspective.

Brando said the Big 12 and ACC have more reason to feel overlooked than the Big Ten. Both conferences have deals with ESPN, he argued, yet still don’t always get the attention they deserve. He also described the Big 12 as more competitive than the Big Ten, while stopping short of saying it is the stronger conference overall.

He rejected the idea that ESPN has instructed its personalities to promote the SEC, or any other league. Bias can creep in without anyone planning it, he said, especially in a deeply divided climate where viewers are quick to suspect favoritism.