The Misfortune of the Irish
Unless, of course, no one caught Saturday’s game between Miami and Notre Dame, the College Football Playoff committee’s choice to swap these teams in the rankings is quite significant this week. It’s kind of puzzling, really.
Yes, Miami had already beaten Notre Dame earlier this season. So, why now? Why did it take this long for the committee to put Notre Dame above Miami, especially when both teams were on a break?
It seems the committee had a peculiar motive—perhaps they didn’t want to completely overlook the ACC. When Duke overcame Virginia in the ACC Championship Game, it blocked James Madison from claiming the ACC’s automatic bid. This shift made the committee change their tune on ranking Miami over Notre Dame. If Virginia had managed to beat Duke, Notre Dame would’ve likely been ranked higher.
People are pretty upset about this. If any of the three teams, Alabama, Notre Dame, or Miami, were edged out of the at-large spots, it would certainly spark outrage.
Notre Dame’s athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, captured the sentiment well: “Any rankings or shows before this last one are a complete joke and a waste of time,” he shared with Yahoo Sports.
Others echoed these thoughts, suggesting that maybe Notre Dame should join a conference to avoid situations like this in the future.
Brady Quinn, a former Notre Dame quarterback and Fox analyst: “If the conference championship game outcome didn’t matter, then ranking Miami ahead of Notre Dame made no sense. If head-to-head results were considered, it should’ve been clear all season long. This committee isn’t serious; it feels more like a TV event. We need a BCS-style system again.”
Chase Daniel, former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst: “Miami should’ve been paired with an Alabama team that lost three or more games. No doubt about it.”
Dan Orlovsky, another former NFL quarterback: “Notre Dame deserved to be ranked higher than Alabama.”
Shehan Jeyarjah, CBS Sports National College Football Writer: “The committee flipping Notre Dame and Miami last week without any changes was one of the biggest surprises in playoff history. It doesn’t make sense.”
Nicole Auerbach, NBC Sports College Football Insider: “So, BYU got penalized for losing their conference title (dropped one spot), which bumped Miami up, while Alabama didn’t face any penalties for their loss.”
2025 College Football Playoff Opening Day:
Round 1
- Dec. 19, 8 p.m. ET, No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 8 Oklahoma
- Dec. 20, 12:00 p.m. ET, No. 10 Miami vs. No. 7 Texas A&M
- Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m. ET, No. 11 Tulane vs. No. 6 Ole Miss
- No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon, Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Quarterfinals
- No. 10 Miami/No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Ohio State, Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET
- No. 12 James Madison/No. 5 Oregon State vs. No. 4 Texas Tech, Jan. 1, 12:00 p.m. ET
- No. 9 Alabama/No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Indiana, Jan. 1 at 4 p.m. ET
- No. 11 Tulane/No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia, Jan. 1, 8 p.m. ET
College Football Report: “Notre Dame is out of the CFP… They’ve had a solid season and were previously ranked above Miami, only losing close games. It’s a baffling decision.”
Matt Flynn, former NFL quarterback: “Great job by the committee to stop Notre Dame. Really?”
Robert Griffin III, former NFL quarterback: “Given the way the season’s gone, the committee had a chance to do the right thing with minimal backlash. Clear disparities in treatment between teams are evident.”
Skip Bayless: “It’s absurd that James Madison and Tulane are in the playoffs while Notre Dame and others are out. This should focus on the best teams, not just participation.”
Holly Row, ESPN reporter: “BYU deserved better. It’s very frustrating they’re not in, but teams like Notre Dame and Texas aren’t either.”
Danny Cannell, CBS Sports Analyst: “Miami deserves a spot. Glad they got in, but Notre Dame should’ve too.”
Tom Fornelli, CBS sports reporter: “To those pushing that Notre Dame should be in a conference, isn’t BYU’s situation similar? Should that be a determining factor?”
Beanie Wells, former Ohio State running back: “Notre Dame didn’t perform. It’s disappointing for the committee.”
