The bad luck of the Irish.
Unless there was a game between Miami and Notre Dame played Saturday that no one saw, the College Football Playoff committee’s decision to flip those teams this week is the ultimate head-scratcher.
Sure, Miami beat Notre Dame head-to-head in September, but why did it take until this week (when both teams were off) for Miami to jump Notre Dame in the rankings?
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love Getty Images
The only logical conclusion is that the committee didn’t want to completely shut out the ACC. So, when Duke beat Virginia in the ACC Championship game and the Sun Belt (James Madison) stole the ACC’s automatic bid, the committee backtracked to get Miami in over Notre Dame – and Notre Dame would’ve been in over Miami had Virginia held on to beat Duke.
The college football world was going to be outraged no matter which of the three bubble teams – Alabama, Notre Dame and Miami – was left out of the at-large field.
No one said it better than Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua.
“Any rankings or show prior to this last one is an absolute joke and a waste of time,” he told Yahoo Sports.
Here are other reactions to the Irish being the odd team out, including the sentiment that the Irish need to join a conference to avoid this happening in the future.
Former Notre Dame quarterback and Fox analyst Brady Quinn: “There wasn’t any logic waiting to move UM ahead of ND if Conf championship game outcomes are inconsequential. If Head to head was a factor, you had it all year. This isn’t a serious committee. It’s a made for TV event. Expand and get rid of the committee. BCS was a better formula. For ND, you now know 11-1 is the worst you can do to secure a spot in this current playoff format.”
Former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Chase Daniel: “Miami should’ve been in over a 3 loss Alabama team …. No question.”
Former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky: “Notre Dame should have been in over Alabama”
CBS Sports national college football writer Shehan Jeyarajas: “The committee flipping Notre Dame and Miami without anything changing between those two teams last week is one of the greatest shams in the history of the playoff. What a total joke. I think that Miami should have been over Notre Dame, but then they should have been last week.”
NBC Sports college football insider Nicole Auerbach: “So, BYU was penalized for getting blown out in its conference championship game (dropped one spot). Which allowed Miami to move up and get compared directly to Notre Dame. But Alabama was not penalized for getting blown out in its conference championship game.”
The opening games of the 2025 College Football Playoff:
Round 1
No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma on Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. ET
No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M on Dec. 20 at 12 p.m. ET
No. 11 Tulane at No 6 Ole Miss on Dec. 20 at 3:30 p.m. ET
No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon on Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Quarterfinals
No. 10 Miami/No. 7 Texas A&M vs No. 2 Ohio State at Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET
No. 12 James Madison/No. 5 Oregon vs No. 4 Texas Tech on Jan. 1 at 12 p.m. ET
No. 9 Alabama/No. 8 Oklahoma vs No. 1 Indiana on Jan. 1 at 4 p.m. ET
No. 11 Tulane/No. 6 Ole Miss vs No. 3 Georgia on Jan. 1 at 8 p.m. ET
College Football Report: “Notre Dame gets left out of the CFP… The Irish won 10 straight, were ranked ahead of Miami for weeks, and their only losses were Week 1 to No. 10 Miami and Week 2 to No. 7 Texas A&M by a combined four points. Ridiculous decision. One of the best teams in the country.”
Former NFL quarterback Matt Flynn: “YESSSSSSSSS!!!!! GREAT JOB BY THE COMMITTEE TO KEEP NOTRE DAME OUT. JOIN A CONFERENCE.”
Former NFL quarterback and former ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III: “The way the College Football season shaped up, the CFP Committee had an opportunity to do the most right thing with the smallest backlash. Alabama and BYU getting blown out in their conference championship games opened the door to put both Notre Dame and Miami in. Instead they dropped the ball and punished BYU for losing, didn’t punish Alabama for losing and then flipped Notre Dame and Miami despite neither of them playing a game. None of it makes sense. They did the thing that would give them the most backlash just to have 5 SEC teams in the playoff. That makes everyone question the integrity of the process and rightfully so.”
Skip Bayless: “It is ridiculous that JMU and Tulane are in the College Football Playoffs … and Notre Dame and Texas and Vanderbilt are not. This shouldn’t be about ‘everybody gets a chance.’ This should be about THE BEST 12 TEAMS IN AMERICA. Come on.“
ESPN reporter Holly Rowe: “BYU Only 2 losses to top 4 seed Deserved more. Notre Dame, Texas…not in? So annoyed.”
Former NFL quarterback and CBS Sports analyst Danny Kanell: “Miami deserved to be in….glad they get the chance. But now Notre Dame got screwed. They should have been in over Alabama.”
CBS Sports reporter Tom Fornelli: “A simple question for everybody yelling that Notre Dame should join a conference and it won’t get ‘screwed’ or whatever. BYU joined a conference. Did that save it?”
Former Ohio State running back Beanie Wells: ”Notre dame got Screwed smh. Shame on the committee.”