Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, one of the front-runners for the Heisman Trophy, called for President Trump to expand the College Football Playoff (CFP) by executive order. “@realDonaldTrump MAKE THE EXECUTIVE ORDER PLEASE,” Pavia wrote, responding to a post supporting a 16-team format. @realDonaldTrump MAKE THE EXECUTIVE ORDER PLEASE https://t.co/R37y5YofAo — Diego Pavia (@diegopavia02) December 3, 2025 Pavia’s statement follows the release of the latest playoff rankings, which narrowly leaves the Commodores on the outside. Vanderbilt is ranked 14th, which gives them little chance to make the 12-team playoff after conference championship weekend. USA TODAY has more: The post that Pavia was referencing suggested a 16-team model in which the SEC and Big Ten would receive four guaranteed berths while the ACC and Big 12 would each get two, with the four remaining spots going to at-large teams decided by a computer ranking system. The Commodores’ 45-24 victory against Tennessee improved them to 10-2, the most wins in a season in program history. They’re part of a crowded playoff picture, though, one that has them on the outside looking in, with little room for advancement. Of the nine teams directly ahead of Vanderbilt in the playoff rankings, seven of them have completed their regular seasons and won’t be competing in a conference championship game, meaning there’s little, if any, chance that the Commodores could move ahead of them. NEW: Vandy QB Diego Pavia is calling for President Donald Trump to sign an executive order to expand the College Football Playoff to 16 teams “@realDonaldTrump MAKE THE EXECUTIVE ORDER PLEASE”https://t.co/6SdIweB3W0 pic.twitter.com/elisKvx931 — On3 (@On3sports) December 3, 2025 On3 shared further: Alas, Pavia’s sarcastic rallying cry echoed a headline-making comment from the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday. During an appearance on CNN, Rubio joked that Trump “would have to take over the College Football Playoff committee” if 10–2 Miami, his alma mater, is left out of the 12-team field. The Hurricanes, just like Vanderbilt, are stuck in a crowded logjam of two-loss contenders as Championship Weekend arrives. Both Miami and Notre Dame sit at 10–2, and their résumés have fueled national debate. Notre Dame overcame an 0–2 start to win 10 straight, including a victory over USC and a tight loss to Texas A&M. Miami owns the head-to-head win over the Irish, a 27–24 thriller, but their slip-ups to Louisville and SMU kept them out of the ACC title game. Ironically, Vanderbilt’s gripe mirrors Miami’s. Both teams have a double-digit win total, Top-25 résumé and still very little traction with the committee. Watch Rubio’s comments: NEW: Marco Rubio jokes that Donald Trump will have to take over the CFP committee if Miami is left out: “I'm a Florida Gator. But if the University of Miami gets screwed out of the College Football Playoffs, after going 10-2 and beating Notre Dame, the whole thing should be… pic.twitter.com/b2Ffb8umez — On3 (@On3sports) December 2, 2025 The CFP bracket will be released on Sunday, December 7th.