We may look up to our favorite sports heroes as gods: powerful, athletic, and able to do no wrong. Yet their fate is in the hands of decision makers who are far from perfect.

Nowhere is this truer than in the storied world of college football. One team rises while another falls, not always in proportion to the players’ talent-or where their college is located. A place like Tuscaloosa, Alabama, can rise to prominence while Houston falls behind. A tactical mistake can haunt a team for decades, while a chance occurrence, even one that looks like a setback, can provide a surprising boost.

What If? incisively yet irreverently examines the history of college football’s big decisions, from the Airplane Conference to Chicago’s Big Ten departure, sharing many stories and pointing out the merits and drawbacks of pivotal decisions along the way.