CFP Committee Snubs Miami, Elevates Notre Dame Despite Head-to-Head Loss
ORLANDO, FL – December 6, 2025 – The College Football Playoff committee sparked immediate controversy today by selecting Notre Dame for a playoff berth over Miami, despite the Hurricanes‘ 27-24 victory over the Irish earlier this season. the decision has ignited debate over the weight given to head-to-head results and the criteria used to evaluate team resumes.
The selection marks the first time in the CFP era a team with a head-to-head loss to a qualified opponent has been ranked higher.Both programs finished the regular season with identical 10-2 records, but the committee opted for Notre Dame, raising questions about the consistency of its evaluation process. ”Putting Miami behind Notre Dame is the committee’s first head scratcher. Not a good look, or precedent. Not when the two have the same record (10-2) and a head-to-head result: Miami, 27-24,” wrote Tom D’angelo of the Palm Beach Post.
The debate centers on how to weigh Miami’s two losses to unranked teams – Louisville and SMU – against Notre Dame’s lack of victories against top-15 opponents and a schedule widely considered to be easier. While Miami closed the season strong, winning its last four games by an average score of 38-10, those earlier defeats clearly impacted the committee’s assessment.
Despite Miami’s strong performance in advanced metrics – ESPN ranks them No.7 in FPI and No. 6 in Game Control – their strength of resume ranks 14th among potential playoff teams, trailing Notre Dame, BYU, Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Texas. miami also sits at 44th in strength of schedule, behind Notre Dame (42) but significantly lower than other two-loss teams like vanderbilt (22), Oklahoma (12), Alabama (11), and Texas (8).
Notre Dame, however, did not secure a win against any team ranked in the top 15, and benefitted from a schedule that included last-place teams from three of the Power Four conferences.
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal emphasized the importance of the head-to-head result, stating, “You get to settle it on the field, where head-to-head is always the No. 1 criteria.” The committee’s decision suggests a different interpretation.
The final CFP playoff bracket will be officially released at noon ET on Sunday,December 7.
