Notre Dame's Playoff Dreams Shattered as Alabama and Miami Steal Spots
The College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings have brought another dose of disappointment to the Fighting Irish, who saw their chances of a spot in the 12-team bracket slip away. Despite winning every game for nearly three months with an average margin of victory of almost 30 points, Notre Dame dropped from ninth to tenth place and was left out of the playoff entirely.
The news will be met with widespread frustration among fans in South Bend, Indiana, where Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua and coach Marcus Freeman had taken a cautious approach in recent weeks. Rather than trying to impress the selection committee with another league title game victory, they chose to trust their winning streak and avoid excessive lobbying.
However, their efforts were ultimately for naught as Miami (10-2) edged out Notre Dame (10-2) in the final CFP rankings. The Hurricanes took advantage of a head-to-head tiebreaker after beating the Irish 27-24 in Week 1 of the regular season. As a result, Miami will take on Texas A&M in the opening round of the playoff.
Notre Dame's snub has sparked heated debates online, with many calling for fans to boycott their bowl game, cancel their scheduling agreement with the ACC, and reassess future conference slates. Some have even demanded that Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua be fired.
Meanwhile, Alabama became the first three-loss team to make the CFP field, much to the surprise of selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek. He explained that the Crimson Tide's strength of schedule was their primary reason for inclusion, despite their performance in the SEC championship game.
As the CFP rankings continue to shape up, other teams are likely to face similar criticism for their perceived snubs or omissions. BYU, Vanderbilt, and Texas will need to address concerns about their final standings, while Duke's ACC championship title may not be enough to secure a spot in the playoff.
For Notre Dame fans, however, the disappointment is all too familiar after being left out of the playoffs multiple times in recent years. As they look ahead to the upcoming season, one thing is clear: consistency and dominance will be crucial if they hope to break their playoff drought.
The College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings have brought another dose of disappointment to the Fighting Irish, who saw their chances of a spot in the 12-team bracket slip away. Despite winning every game for nearly three months with an average margin of victory of almost 30 points, Notre Dame dropped from ninth to tenth place and was left out of the playoff entirely.
The news will be met with widespread frustration among fans in South Bend, Indiana, where Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua and coach Marcus Freeman had taken a cautious approach in recent weeks. Rather than trying to impress the selection committee with another league title game victory, they chose to trust their winning streak and avoid excessive lobbying.
However, their efforts were ultimately for naught as Miami (10-2) edged out Notre Dame (10-2) in the final CFP rankings. The Hurricanes took advantage of a head-to-head tiebreaker after beating the Irish 27-24 in Week 1 of the regular season. As a result, Miami will take on Texas A&M in the opening round of the playoff.
Notre Dame's snub has sparked heated debates online, with many calling for fans to boycott their bowl game, cancel their scheduling agreement with the ACC, and reassess future conference slates. Some have even demanded that Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua be fired.
Meanwhile, Alabama became the first three-loss team to make the CFP field, much to the surprise of selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek. He explained that the Crimson Tide's strength of schedule was their primary reason for inclusion, despite their performance in the SEC championship game.
As the CFP rankings continue to shape up, other teams are likely to face similar criticism for their perceived snubs or omissions. BYU, Vanderbilt, and Texas will need to address concerns about their final standings, while Duke's ACC championship title may not be enough to secure a spot in the playoff.
For Notre Dame fans, however, the disappointment is all too familiar after being left out of the playoffs multiple times in recent years. As they look ahead to the upcoming season, one thing is clear: consistency and dominance will be crucial if they hope to break their playoff drought.
i feel for those not dame fans, been there too many times and it's just heartbreaking to see them snubbed again 
i think it's crazy that alabama got in with 3 losses though 
they got lucky, plain and simple. maybe next year not dame will have a better shot at making the playoffs 
... it's like they're stuck on repeat with being snubbed from the playoffs every year 
. They win every game, crush their opponents, and still can't seem to get the recognition they deserve. It's not just about them though - this is a system that's supposed to reward the best teams in college football, and right now it feels like it's rigged against the underdog 
.
. It's not like they were facing some top-tier opponents or anything 
. But hey, at least they get to play in a bowl game and try to redeem themselves 
.
. If they can't keep winning and performing under pressure, they're going to be left out of the playoffs again next year 
.
And poor Notre Dame, they were so close to making it in too! 
I feel for the fans, it's like, what even is the point of winning if you're not gonna get into the playoffs?! 
And can we talk about how Miami got in instead? Like, 2 losses and a head-to-head win against Notre Dame? 
. I mean, Notre Dame's 10-2 record is no joke, but clearly the selection committee wasn't convinced. And Alabama? Come on, three losses and they're in the playoff? It's like the system is broken, folks... or at least it needs a serious overhaul 
. I guess consistency is key, huh? We'll see how that plays out for them in the coming years 
They basically played a weak schedule, and their "strength of schedule" is just code for "we didn't play anyone good". And don't even get me started on Miami taking the spot over Notre Dame - what about all those points they gave up to them in Week 1? 
. And Alabama? Come on, three losses? That's crazy talk! 
. And Alabama? Three losses and they still make it? 
or anythin 
and now it's just heartbreak again 
the CFP rankings are just a setup for them to screw over the smaller schools. I mean come on Alabama with 3 losses? That's some next-level whack-a-bologna right there 
. Notre Dame got robbed, plain and simple. They won every game by an average of almost 30 points! You can't ignore that kind of dominance. And what's with the head-to-head tiebreaker for Miami? It's like they made it up on the fly to get some undeserving teams in the playoff. I'm calling foul on this one 
.