CFP breaks silence on choosing Miami, Alabama over Notre Dame for the playoffs

The final brackets for the upcoming College Football Playoffs have been revealed, and to the surprise of many, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were left out of the main field. Instead, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Miami Hurricanes earned the privilege of competing for a spot in the National Championship Game.

Regarding the situation, insider Pete Thamel revealed on his X account that CFP Chair Hunter Yurachek explained the reasons behind the committee’s decision to leave Marcus Freeman’s team out of this decisive stage.

“Once we moved Miami ahead of BYU, we had that side-by-side comparison (with ND) that everyone had been hungering for,” Yurachek said. “The one metric we had to fall back on was the head-to-head.” He also added that Miami and Notre Dame’s resumes “almost equal.”

Alabama makes the cut despite final-game loss

Despite a tough defeat against Georgia in their final outing, Alabama successfully earned an at-large bid and secured a spot in the newly expanded CFP field. The committee’s decision highlighted the value of its entire season resume, which included multiple impressive victories over ranked opponents and overall strength of schedule.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

While the loss cost the Crimson Tide a first-round bye, their body of work was deemed strong enough to land them an opening-round matchup against Oklahoma, affirming their inclusion as one of the nation’s 12 best teams.

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Hurricanes clinch a spot in the Top 12

The Miami Hurricanes cemented their return to national prominence by earning a coveted spot in the CFP, effectively dispatching rivals of the caliber of Notre Dame and BYU for inclusion.

Carson Beck #11 of the Miami Hurricanes.

Their impressive run through a rigorous schedule, capped by key victories, demonstrated their undeniable quality and justified their ranking in the CFP final rankings. It all started with a season opening win over Notre Dame, which ultimately gave Miami the upper hand in the committee’s decision.

By securing a bid, the Hurricanes showcased a stronger overall resume than both Notre Dame and BYU, proving they were one of the 12 most deserving teams in the country and setting up an exciting first-round showdown with Texas A&M.