Advent, Idolatry, the Coaching Carousel, and the College Football Playoffs Seen From Heaven

Well, the College Football Playoff tournament for NCAA Division I FBS football is now set, with the first round on December 19th-20th. It will all culminate in the National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on January 19, 2026. Certainly there has been a good deal of drama this year, but isn’t that always the case at the end of the season? Maybe not “always” but certainly it seems to be the case in recent history.

I just wonder, what does Jesus think about all this?

Not in the trivial, “Jesus chooses sides in the Egg Bowl” way that some fans joke about.
Not in the blasphemous way that imagines Christ micromanaging play calls or recruiting rankings.
But in the serious, Advent-shaped sense of what matters most in the Kingdom of God.

1. Jesus probably isn’t surprised.

We’re shocked when coaches bolt.
We’re stunned when fans rage.
We’re devastated when boosters panic.
We’re confused when players scatter.

Jesus is not shocked.
Not because He doesn’t care—He cares deeply for people.
But because He knows the human heart.

He diagnosed this long before NIL:
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

If our treasure is in football,
then football will break our hearts every time.

2. Jesus probably grieves how quickly we forget Him.

Not because we love football—football isn’t the problem.
It’s the reordering of affections, the way we give ultimate devotion to temporary things.

Jesus probably grieves because:

• We rage more about a coach leaving than about injustice.
• We talk more passionately about recruiting than about discipleship.
• We organize our lives around a team’s schedule more than the Lord’s Day.

He likely thinks:
“How quickly My people forget the things that make for peace.”

Advent is the season of remembering.
And yet we forget faster than we refresh Twitter.

3. Jesus probably loves the players more than the fans love the team.

Jesus sees the young men caught in the machinery of NIL, coaching changes, and public scrutiny.
He sees the invisible burdens they carry.
He sees their anxiety, their exhaustion, their uncertainty.

And He says,
“Come to Me, all who are weary.” (Matthew 11:28)

He does not see athletes.
He sees sons.

He does not see assets.
He sees image-bearers.

He does not see potential earnings.
He sees beloved humanity.

4. Jesus probably chuckles at our attempts to baptize football loyalty.

You know the kind:

“We prayed he’d stay.”
“We prayed he’d leave.”
“We prayed for a better coach.”
“We prayed for a better season.”

“It was a tough game, but I give God all the glory for our victory.”

He probably smiles gently and thinks:
“My kingdom is not of this world.
Certainly not of the SEC.”

Not dismissively,
but in a way that invites us to ask:
What are we actually praying for?

5. Jesus likely wonders why we trust coaches more than Him.

We trust coaches to build a program.
We trust boosters to secure talent.
We trust the system to reward loyalty.
We trust our emotions to guide our reactions.

Then we wonder why we constantly feel unstable.

Jesus is the only leader who makes this promise:
“I will be with you always.”

No transfer portal.
No buyout clause.
No contract negotiations.
Just covenant faithfulness.

Advent is the season where Jesus stands at the center of chaos and quietly says:
“Return to Me.
I am not going anywhere.”

Conclusion: What Jesus Thinks Is the Same Every Year

And so the Carousel keeps turning as players and coaches jump off and on, boosters lament the dollars spent that didn’t produce the desired results, and fans rage and cry in their beverage of choice. Pondering on it all I think if we asked Jesus what He thinks about the whole disloyal system of college football, I suspect His answer would be profoundly simple:

“Love Me.
Love one another.
Do justice.
Walk humbly.
And stop handing your hope to things that will not love you back.”

Because in the end:

• Football is fun,
• Football is exciting,
• Football unites communities,

but football cannot save us.

Advent tells us what Jesus thinks most of all:
“I am Emmanuel.
I am with you.
Your hope is safe with Me.”

No coaching search can change that.
No NIL deal can overshadow that.
No transfer portal can dilute that.

Christ is still coming.
Christ is still faithful.
Christ is still the One who stays.

Be blessed today my friends, and remember God loves you and so do I — Opa

Images generated with ChatGPT.