The New York Knicks will live to fight another day.

Facing their first closeout game of this postseason, New York responded with energy and intensity that did not wane in any quarter — something that had plagued the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks also became the first team to hold the Indiana Pacers to fewer than 100 points in any game this postseason in Thursday’s 111-94 victory.

The Pacers will now get their chance to close out New York at home, at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, on Saturday for Game 6.

From the start of the game, when he scored the first six Knicks points, All-Star guard Jalen Brunson carried New York with 32 points on a hyper-efficient 12-of-18 shooting night that also saw him flush 4-of-7 of his attempts from beyond the arc. Center Karl-Anthony Towns, who nursed a left knee contusion heading into the game, also chipped in 24 points and 13 rebounds.

More impressive was New York’s defensive effort, as the Knicks swarmed Indiana’s backcourt, rotating with tenacity, deflecting passes and creating turnovers. The Pacers gave the ball away 19 times.

All-Star Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was coming off of a historic 32-point, 15-assist, 12- rebound triple-double, finished with just 8 points on 2-of-7 shooting. In fact, Aaron Nesmith (8 attempts), Andrew Nembhard (8), Obi Toppin (10) and Benedict Mathurin (10) all attempted more shots than Haliburton did.

Mathurin, who played just 24:42 off the bench, led all Pacers with 23 points

The Oklahoma City Thunder awaits the winner of the series in the NBA Finals. The Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday.

USA TODAY Sports provided full coverage of Thursday night’s Game 5. Scroll below for highlights and a full recap of the game.

Game 5 highlights: Knicks vs. Pacers

See full highlight from New York’s win over Indiana Thursday night:

Final: Knicks 111, Pacers 94

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks kept their NBA postseason alive with a 111-94 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Pacers still lead the series 3-2 and will host the Knicks for Game 6 back in Indiana. 

Brunson finished with 32 points, five rebounds and five assists. Karl-Anthony Towns produced a double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds.

It was a fairly quiet night for Tyrese Haliburton, who scored just eight points on 2-for-7 shooting from the field for the Pacers. 

Pascal Siakam had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists while Bennedict Mathurin came off the bench and finished with 23 points and nine rebounds.

The Oklahoma City Thunder awaits the winner of the series in the NBA Finals. The Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday.

3Q: Knicks 90, Pacers 73

After a scoreless second quarter, Jalen Brunson got back to the business of getting to the hoop, scoring 10 of New York’s first 12 points of the third as part of a run to push their lead to 20.

Karl Anthony Towns (19 points, 10 rebounds) sat the last six minutes of the quarter after picking up his fourth foul and the Pacers used an 12-2 run and used the strategy of fouling Knicks center Mitchell Robinson to stop the clock, while trying to cut into the lead, but Brunson scored six points in less than a minute, capped off by a four-point play with 2:56 left as he scored 16 in the quarter.

The Pacers, who are shooting 38%, are led by Bennedict Mathurin, who has 17 points off the bench. Obi Toppin added 11 and Pascal Siakam has 11 points and five rebounds and is the only Indiana starter in double figures. Tyrese Haliburton has been a non-factor so far, scoring six points in his 26 minutes of action. 

Halftime: Knicks 56, Pacers 45

The urgency for the New York Knicks is palpable.

After struggling to stack positive quarters throughout the Eastern Conference finals, the Knicks maintained their intensity in the second period, extending their lead to 11 points.

The Knicks rode a 14-2 run in the middle of the quarter, as All-Stars Jalen Brunson (14 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (17) carried New York. But the most obvious positive for the Knicks has been the way they have protected the ball, turning it over just 6 times. New York has also kept its defensive intensity and has attacked the rim, earning a 32-14 edge in points in the paint.

The Pacers have struggled from the floor, though the starting unit, in particular, has had a rough go. The first five combined to score just 22 points in the first half, with All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton having a difficult time generating his shot. Haliburton did not make a single field goal, missing his 3 shot attempts.

He scored just 4 points in the half, while shooting guard Aaron Nesmith was held scoreless.

The Pacers are shooting 37.5% from the floor, compared the New York’s clip of 51.1%.

1Q: Knicks 27, Pacers 23

With their backs against the wall and facing elimination, the Knicks came out firing with Jalen Brunson scoring the team’s first six points as New York shot out to an early 10-point lead. Brunson finished the quarter with 14 points, hitting two 3-pointers as part of an 11-1 run, and Karl-Anthony Towns continued his aggressive play on both ends of the floor with five points and three rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton, who had a triple-double in Game 4, scored two points. Indiana shot 37% in the quarter.

Jalen Brunson stats

Knicks star Jalen Brunson had 32 points, five assists and five rebounds with 6:04 left in Game 5 against the Pacers. He shot 12-of-18 from the field and 4-for-7 from the 3-point line.

New York Knicks starting lineup

Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, Mitchell Robinson, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges will start for the Knicks in Game 5 against the Pacers tonight.

Indiana Pacers starting lineup

Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner will start for the Pacers in Game 5 against the Knicks tonight.

What time is Pacers vs. Knicks?

The New York Knicks will host the Indiana Pacers for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

USA Today Staff predictions:

• Scooby Axson: Pacers 115, Knicks 109
• Cydney Henderson: Knicks 108, Pacers 102
• Lorenzo Reyes: Pacers 116, Knicks 110
• Heather Tucker: Knicks 97, Pacers 94
• James H. Williams: Knicks 102, Pacers 101
• Jeff Zillgitt: Knicks 111, Pacers 105

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks predictions: Expert picks for Game 5

ESPN: Pacers have the edge

According to ESPN Analytics, Indiana has a 54% chance of winning Game 5 against the New York Knicks (46%).

 SportsBettingDime: Knicks 117.1, Pacers 115.5

The site formula predicts that New York will beat Indiana.

Sportsbook Wire: Pacers 121, Knicks 116

Ryan Dodson writes: ‘I like the Pacers here because I don’t think there’s any way they can lose both games at home after the momentum they stole in New York.’

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Game 5 odds

The New York Knicks are favored to beat the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, according to BetMGM (odds as of Thursday, May 29):

• Spread: Knicks (-4.5)
• Moneyline: Knicks (-185); Pacers (+150)
• Over/under: 222.5

How to watch Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks

• Time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
• Location: Madison Square Garden (New York)
• TV: TNT, truTV
• Stream: Sling TV, Fubo, Max

Watch Pacers vs. Knicks Game 5 on Fubo

Aaron Nesmith injury update

Aaron Nesmith will be available for Game 5 tonight, according to Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. Nesmith has been dealing with a right ankle sprain.

What channel is the NBA game tonight? How to watch NBA playoffs

The Pacers take on the Knicks at 8 p.m. ET with coverage on TNT, truTV and streaming on Max.

Where is Pacers-Knicks Game 5?

• The Knicks will host the Pacers from Madison Square Garden in New York City for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Karl-Anthony Towns injury update

Karl-Anthony Towns is going to play in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, according to Knicks. Towns went through his regular pre-game routine minutes before tipoff and did not appear to be in any obvious discomfort. The Knicks announced shortly before tipoff that Towns would be in the starting lineup along with Jalen Brunson, Mitchell Robinson, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. — Lorenzo Reyes

NBA championship odds 

BetMGM odds forNBA Finals winner as of Wednesday, May 28: 

• 1. Oklahoma City Thunder (-750) 
• 2. Indiana Pacers (+650) 
• 3. New York Knicks (+2800) 

Oklahoma City Thunder reach NBA Finals

Four victories. That’s what the Oklahoma City Thunder need to win the franchise’s first championship since 1979 when they were the Seattle SuperSonics.

The Thunder reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 Wednesday in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.

More from Thunder’s Western Conference Finals win.

When are the 2025 NBA Finals? Schedule

*-if necessary

• Game 1, June 5: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
• Game 2, June 8: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET | ABC
• Game 3, June 11: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
• Game 4, June 13: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
• Game 5, June 16: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC*
• Game 6, June 19: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC*
• Game 7, June 22: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET | ABC*

Pacers vs. Knicks remaining schedule: Eastern Conference Finals

• Game 1: Pacers 138, Knicks 135 
• Game 2: Pacers 114, Knicks 109 
• Game 3: Knicks 106, Pacers 100 
• Game 4, May 27: Pacers 130, Knicks 121
• Game 5, May 29: Pacers at Knicks | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m. 
• Game 6, May 31: Knicks at Pacers | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m.* 
• Game 7, June 2: Pacers at Knicks | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m.*  

NBA’s new era of parity

If the impending NBA Finals matchup of the league’s 23^rd and 27^th-ranked media markets is supposed to spell doom for the league, it is a doom the NBA’s owners intentionally brought on themselves. 

While two glitz-free Midwestern cities in the Finals might not have the celebrity pull the NBA has largely enjoyed through its historically successful franchises, it was an inevitable outcome once the league designed a collective bargaining agreement that dismantled its traditional cycle of superteams and dynasties. 

Welcome to the new NBA, where championship windows are smaller, the life cycle of a roster is shorter and the number of teams that can win a title in any given year is beyond anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes. — Dan Wolken

Knicks vs Pacers rivalry 

The Knicks and Pacers played six memorable playoff series against one another over an eight-season span, including two consecutive matchups in the Eastern Conference finals in 1999 and 2000. The anticipation for this latest matchup has also triggered nostalgia for those classic battles between Reggie Miller and Patrick Ewing, and how the Knicks and Pacers turned into an NBA playoffs rivalry. Here are some of the best (or infamous) moments from Knicks vs. Pacers playoff series, courtesy of Mark Giannotto.

Why is Spike Lee a Knicks fan? 

The New York Knicks’ historic postseason journey this year has not only reignited the passion of veteran Knicks fans but also attracted a new wave of supporters, uniting them in a shared sense of pride and excitement. 

Among the most enthusiastic supporters is Spike Lee, a longtime leader of the Knicks fan base. 

The film director is often seen in Knicks gear, sporting the standout orange and blue in some fashion, and he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a superfan in October 2024. 

Why is Timothee Chalamet a Knicks fan? 

This rare and exciting moment has ignited enthusiasm for New York Knicks fans everywhere, including Academy Award-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet. 

Chalamet often joins the jubilant Madison Square Garden crowd alongside Spike Lee, a prominent figure on the Knicks’ sidelines. Chalamet’s fervent support for the Knicks, as reported by the New York Times, began during his high school days at LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, when he was a budding actor striving to carve his niche. 

Who is Mariska Hargitay? 

Fans tuning in to a New York Knicks game have at some point probably seen actress Mariska Hargitay in the crowd at Madison Square Garden. 

The star of the long-running NBC show ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ is a frequent presence along the sideline at MSG, with Knicks star Jalen Brunson calling the actress ‘my favorite person ever.’ What better co-sign could a fan ask for? 

Here’s what to know about Knicks superfan Mariska Hargitay.

2025 All-NBA team 

Oklahoma City Thunder guard and league Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were unanimous selections from a panel of 100 global reporters and broadcasters who cover the NBA voted on the squad. View the complete list.

NBA champions by year

Winners over the last 20 years. For a full list of champions, visit NBA.com.

• 2023-24 — Boston Celtics 
• 2022-23 — Denver Nuggets
• 2021-22 — Golden State Warriors
• 2020-21 — Milwaukee Bucks 
• 2019-20 — Los Angeles Lakers 
• 2018-19 — Toronto Raptors 
• 2017-18 — Golden State Warriors 
• 2016-17 — Golden State Warriors 
• 2015-16 — Cleveland Cavaliers 
• 2014-15 — Golden State Warriors 
• 2013-14 — San Antonio Spurs 
• 2012-13 — Miami Heat 
• 2011-12 — Miami Heat 
• 2010-11 — Dallas Mavericks 
• 2009-10 — Los Angeles Lakers 
• 2008-09 — Los Angeles Lakers 
• 2007-08 — Boston Celtics
• 2006-07 — San Antonio Spurs 
• 2005-06 — Miami Heat 
• 2004-05 — San Antonio Spurs 

Oklahoma softball’s path for a fifth consecutive Women’s College World Series national championship looked to include the elimination bracket.

Ella Parker then changed that.

Down to the last out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Parker connected a 0-1 fastball from Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens and sailed it over the centerfield wall at Devon Park in Oklahoma City to give the Sooners a 4-3 win over the Volunteers in the opening round of the WCWS on Thursday.

‘Going into it, I knew our fourth man was in fire. This team has done so much. We just battled and battled and battled. Just knowing that our fourth man was with us, I’m so emotional,’ Parker told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after her walk-off home run.

‘I was just doing whatever to stay loose and pass the bat to my next teammate,’ Parker told Rowe on what she saw on Pickens’ pitch. ‘Nothing else, just keeping it simple.’

The Volunteers got to Sooners ace Sam Landry early in the top of the first inning with back-to-back hits to put runners on second and third with no outs. Tennessee plated its first run in the inning on a passed ball that got away from OU catcher Isabela Emerling, which allowed Gabby Leach to score from third.

Tennessee extended its lead to 2-0 in the first when former Sooner Sophia Nugent brought in Taylor Pannell on a sacrifice fly. The Vols’ 2-0 lead was short-lived, as Oklahoma quickly responded in the home half of the inning with a solo home run to right by Parker.

Aggressiveness in the third inning helped extend Tennessee’s lead to 3-1, when Ella Dodge scored from second on a misplayed ball in left field by Oklahoma left fielder Kasidi Pickering.

The Volunteers had an opportunity to break the game open in the top of the seventh inning when Nugent came up to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. However, Nugent would ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the rally.

Then in the bottom of the seventh, Pickens, who holds the NCAA softball record for the fastest pitch at 79.4 mph, the Sooners began their rally with Ailana Agbayani working a four-pitch walk. Agbayani was then brought around to third on a single up the middle from Pickering that got under the glove of Dodge at second base.

Parker’s heroics in the seventh inning staved off numerous pieces of history for Oklahoma, most notably becoming the first defending national champion to lose its opening round game since 2018, which happened to also be the Sooners.

Oklahoma will now take on No. 6 Texas on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET in the ‘winners’ bracket’ of the WCWS in what will be a rematch of last year’s WCWS championship series. The Longhorns shut out No. 3 Florida by a score of 3-0 in the opening game of the 2025 WCWS on Thursday..

(This story was updated with new information)

Don’t call it a comeback! Three-time Stanley Cup winner Jonathan Toews, 37, has not played in the NHL since 2023, but he’s reportedly interested in returning to the league as soon as the 2025-26 season.

Just two months after Toews had told The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus that he was not done with hockey, it appears his return may be sooner than expected. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Toews informed his agent, Pat Brisson, that he’s ‘100% committed’ to returning to the NHL.

LeBrun also says that Brisson informed him that he will be taking calls from NHL teams regarding Toews’ future before the start of the NHL free agency period on July 1. Toews has also reportedly been working out for several months now in an effort to fuel his return.

When did Toews last play?

Toews’ last game came on April 13, 2023 against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Blackhawks lost 5-4 in overtime, but Toews did tally a goal in the contest.

During his final season, Toews put up 15 goals and 16 assists across 53 games. Toews missed significant time that season, failing to participate in any Blackhawks’ games in February or March 2023, due to a long COVID-related illness.

Why did Toews step away originally?

Following the 2023 season, Toews announced on Instagram that he would be taking an indefinite break from professional hockey due to health concerns. Toews had struggled with COVID for most of his career post-2020. He missed the entirety of the shortened 2020-21 campaign due to the illness, and issues sustained through 2023. Toews also revealed he’d received a diagnosis of CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) at the tail end of the 2021 season.

Jonathan Toews career accomplishments

• Three-time Stanley Cup champion (2010, 2013, 2015)
• Conn Smythe Trophy recipient (2010)
• Selke Trophy recipient (2013)
• Mark Messier Leadership Award recipient (2015)
• 6x All-Star (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017)
• 372 career goals
• 511 career assists
• 2x Olympic gold medalist (2010, 2014)
• Named to NHL’s 100 greatest players list for league’s 100th anniversary

The Dallas Stars got off to a bad start while being eliminated Thursday night by the Edmonton Oilers.

A careless penalty. A power-play goal in which Corey Perry was left alone in front. Another defensive breakdown on the Oilers’ second goal by Mattias Janmark at 7:09.

Stars coach Peter DeBoer called a timeout, then did something shocking: He pulled star goaltender Jake Oettinger and inserted backup Casey DeSmith.

DeBoer explained his reasoning afterward, saying he didn’t fully blame Oettinger for the goals but at the same time, he cited the ‘reality’ of the situation.

‘If you go back to last year’s playoffs, he’s lost six of seven games to Edmonton and we gave up two goals on two shots in an elimination game,’ DeBoer said. ‘It was partly to spark our team and wake them up and partly knowing that status quo had not been working. That’s a pretty big sample size.’

DeSmith gave up a quick goal to Jeff Skinner and though the Stars pulled close on a couple of occasions. they fell 6-3.

‘We didn’t roll over,’ DeBoer said.

Oettinger was one of three U.S. goalies at the 4 Nations Face-Off who could also be the netminders for the 2026 Olympics. Top goalie Connor Hellebuyck had some tough games on the road for the Winnipeg Jets in the playoffs. Oettinger had a 3.93 goals-against average and .853 save percentage in the conference final. Boston’s Jeremy Swayman missed the playoffs but helped the USA win a rare gold medal at the world championships.

The Stars have now lost three consecutive trips to the Western Conference final.

‘Our group needs to go – you know, coaches, players – and reflect in the summer on what we can do when we get to this point against the best teams,’ DeBoer said.

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MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. – The man with the tan came with a plan.

Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin, his skin so bronzed he looked as if he just came off the sunny beach here, entered his session with reporters on Tuesday ready to pitch his idea for a 16-team College Football Playoff.

Kiffin’s playoff plan looks like this:

Sixteen teams. Four rounds. No automatic bids. Every team must earn at-large selection. The selection process would involve analytics, combined with a human element.

This wasn’t my first time hearing Kiffin’s idea. He ran this plan past me when we spoke in March. At the time, I didn’t love Kiffin’s idea. I detect no irreparable flaw with the current 12-team playoff. I didn’t hate his idea, though. And I’m starting to like it more.

In the months since Kiffin first floated his idea, the possibility a 16-team playoff beginning as soon as 2026 has gained steam across conferences. While the future format continues to be debated, it’s clear that expansion is likely coming, in some shape and form. I’m beginning to relinquish my grip on the 12-team playoff and accept the reality of a 16-team future.

As I listened to SEC muckety-mucks debate the merits of the leading 16-team ideas at the conference’s spring meetings here this week, it struck me that maybe Kiffin’s proposal remains the best 16-team proposal.

Kiffin’s idea certainly trumps the 4+4+2+2+1 model the Big Ten favors. That rigged math equation would preassign four auto-bids to the Big Ten, plus four more to the SEC, two to the Big 12, two to the ACC, one to the top remaining conference champion, and then leave three at-large bids. This crock of a plan would reward preseason conference prestige as much as in-season results. No thanks. Someone, please shove this Big Ten brainchild into the woodchipper, and scatter the ashes on the surface of the sun.

Kiffin’s plan more closely resembles the 5+11 model that the Big 12 publicly supports. The ACC also reportedly favors a 5+11 system, and some SEC coaches took a shine to the idea this week, even while SEC athletic directors collectively seem more interested in the auto-bid plan favored by the Big Ten.

In the 5+11 model, the top five conference champions would secure bids, leaving 11 at-large bids.

That model would produce brackets that likely would resemble Kiffin’s plan, but the Ole Miss coach prefers no auto-bids. So, let’s play out his idea with a look in the rearview mirror.

Here’s how the bracket would have looked in Kiffin’s model last season, using the final CFP rankings as the guide for determining the 16 qualifiers.

No. 16 Clemson at No. 1 Oregon

Critics of a 16-team playoff say there aren’t 16 teams deserving of playoff and that too many first-round games would be duds. But, here we have the Big Ten champion against the ACC champion. Dan Lanning vs. Dabo Swinney. This would have been appointment viewing, not a dud.

No. 15 South Carolina at No. 2 Georgia

SEC expansion and the elimination of divisions took the Georgia-South Carolina rivalry off the schedule in 2024. Could a red-hot Gamecocks team have upset a Georgia squad starting Gunnar Stockton? It’s plausible.

No. 14 Ole Miss at No. 3 Texas

Conferences are so big now that teams don’t play half the other teams in their own league. Here we have another matchup of two SEC teams that didn’t play in the regular season. The Jekyll-and-Hyde Rebels whipped Georgia but lost to Kentucky. If the good version of Ole Miss showed its face, this game could have been a doozy.

No. 13 Miami at No. 4 Penn State

Are you liking these matchups yet? How about this one, pitting Cam Ward against Penn State’s stout defense. In the playoff that actually happened, Penn State waltzed to the semifinals by beating SMU and Boise State. This billing with Miami would have been a better matchup.

No. 12 Arizona State at No. 5 Notre Dame

In the playoff, the Sun Devils gave Texas all it could handle in an overtime loss in the playoff quarterfinals. In this revised bracket, Cam Skattebo would have tested the strength of Notre Dame’s defense. Chalk this up as another game I would’ve enjoyed seeing.

No. 11 Alabama at No. 6 Ohio State

Holy, moly. What a dream matchup of two college football monsters. Ohio State proved throughout the postseason it was the nation’s best team. If Alabama couldn’t score a touchdown against Oklahoma, I don’t see how it could have solved Ohio State’s defense. The game probably wouldn’t have lived up to the hype.

No. 10 SMU at No. 7 Tennessee

The Vols looked pitiful in a playoff loss at Ohio State, but this draw at Neyland Stadium probably would have produced a much different fate. The committee flubbed by awarding SMU a playoff spot. Ten-win Brigham Young, which beat SMU during the regular season, possessed better credentials, but I digress. Alas, we’ll live with the committee’s choice and figure SMU-Tennessee at least wouldn’t have been any worse than what we saw in the playoff with SMU-Penn State or Tennessee-Ohio State.

No. 9 Boise State at No. 8 Indiana

I detect upset potential. Indiana built its playoff case by consistently beating bad or mediocre teams. That’s not nothing, but Boise State showed in a 37-34 loss at Oregon in September it’s up for a challenge. This matchup featuring Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty would have pitted an O.G. Cinderella, Boise State, against the 2024 slipper-wearing Hoosiers.

No perfect College Football Playoff plan

The Kiffin plan and the 5+11 model would have produced the same qualifiers last season. In the 5+11 construct, auto bids would have gone to Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, Arizona State and Clemson.

Once I assigned teams to Kiffin’s idea and saw the matchups, I liked his plan more. I daresay these first-round matchups, on the whole, would have been better in quality than those served up in last season’s 12-team playoff.

“There’s still flaws in every system,” Kiffin said, “but the best system should be 16, and it should be the 16 best” teams.

“Get rid of automatics, and figure out a system to get the best 16 teams in.”

Doesn’t sound half bad.

The man with the tan cooked up a worthy plan.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.