CFP Committee Explains Why Miami and Alabama Made the Cut, Notre Dame Was Left Out
The College Football Playoff selection committee made it clear that conference championships are still a significant factor in determining which teams make the coveted playoff spots. In the most recent snub, Notre Dame was left out of the final four, while Miami and Alabama secured their spots.
According to Hunter Yurachek, a member of the CFP committee, Miami's rise to the top was largely due to BYU's disappointing performance in the Big 12 championship game against Texas Tech. The Cougars suffered a second loss in a similar fashion, which pushed them down the rankings and allowed Miami to jump ahead.
The committee then pitted Notre Dame and Miami head-to-head, as they did in August when the Hurricanes edged the Fighting Irish 27-24. With BYU no longer ahead of Miami in the rankings, the selection committee made the call thatMiami was the better team at this stage of the season.
In contrast to Miami, Alabama was not punished for its performance in the SEC championship game against Georgia, despite being outclassed 28-7. The Crimson Tide's body of work, including a notable win over Georgia early in the season, were given more weight by the committee.
"We evaluated all of those conference championship games," Yurachek said, "and felt like in the end, regardless of Alabama's performance yesterday, their body of work in those first 12 games where they had probably the best win...arguably this season."
Ultimately, one conference championship game stood out as more significant than others. In this case, Miami's victory over Virginia was deemed more impressive than Notre Dame's loss to Clemson.
The CFP committee's decision highlights that, despite the increasing importance of conference championships, there is still room for debate and nuance in evaluating teams at different stages of the season.
The College Football Playoff selection committee made it clear that conference championships are still a significant factor in determining which teams make the coveted playoff spots. In the most recent snub, Notre Dame was left out of the final four, while Miami and Alabama secured their spots.
According to Hunter Yurachek, a member of the CFP committee, Miami's rise to the top was largely due to BYU's disappointing performance in the Big 12 championship game against Texas Tech. The Cougars suffered a second loss in a similar fashion, which pushed them down the rankings and allowed Miami to jump ahead.
The committee then pitted Notre Dame and Miami head-to-head, as they did in August when the Hurricanes edged the Fighting Irish 27-24. With BYU no longer ahead of Miami in the rankings, the selection committee made the call thatMiami was the better team at this stage of the season.
In contrast to Miami, Alabama was not punished for its performance in the SEC championship game against Georgia, despite being outclassed 28-7. The Crimson Tide's body of work, including a notable win over Georgia early in the season, were given more weight by the committee.
"We evaluated all of those conference championship games," Yurachek said, "and felt like in the end, regardless of Alabama's performance yesterday, their body of work in those first 12 games where they had probably the best win...arguably this season."
Ultimately, one conference championship game stood out as more significant than others. In this case, Miami's victory over Virginia was deemed more impressive than Notre Dame's loss to Clemson.
The CFP committee's decision highlights that, despite the increasing importance of conference championships, there is still room for debate and nuance in evaluating teams at different stages of the season.
. It just goes to show how much weight the committee puts on conference championships. I mean, if a team from the Big 12 can drop down the rankings after one loss, what does that say about the competition in their league? 
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so I'm reading this and I'm like, what's up with Notre Dame getting snubbed? did they not have enough wins under their belt...or should I say, under their helmet? 
just kidding! seriously though, it's crazy how conference championships can make or break a team's playoff hopes. like, Miami got screwed over by BYU and then got bailed out because Notre Dame lost to Clemson 
. and Alabama gets a free pass for losing big time in the SEC championship? that's just not fair...or should I say, that's just not fair to those who actually won their championships 
!
...I mean, I get it, conference champs are a big deal, but like, how can they just ignore Notre Dame's entire season? 
and omg, BYU getting dethroned by Texas Tech because of Miami... that's some crazy stuff! 
I'm not entirely buying it when they say BYU's performance was a major factor in Miami jumping ahead...if their own team couldn't even take down the Cougars, how can that be an excuse? 
I mean, what's the difference between beating Virginia and losing to Clemson in conference play anyway? It just feels like more of the same old politics at play here... 
but they're not the only factor 
like if you got beat by 21 points in your last game, but had a huge win earlier in the season, that's gonna count for more 
should conferences get more weight or should it be about who's winning in the games 
. but u gotta give it to notdre dame, they put up some crazy stats against clemson 
. Meanwhile, Alabama gets a free pass for getting destroyed in the SEC championship game 
I know some ppl are salty that Notre Dame got snubbed tho... 
! And can we talk about Alabama? 
They had some major wins and they're definitely due for a spot in the playoff. I'm loving this season so far! 
. It's the ups and downs, the twists and turns, that make us stronger. Not every journey ends with a championship trophy 
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. BYU's performance was pretty bad in the Big 12 championship game and still managed to bump Miami down... meanwhile Alabama just straight up got destroyed by Georgia and no one even bats an eye 
? And what's with Notre Dame not being able to get that one win against Clemson when they had such a great season overall? It just feels like Miami's team was put together in the right way at the right time 
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. Like, I get it, Miami and Alabama are beast, but come on, Fighting Irish deserve a spot too 
The committee's all about trying to justify their decisions with conference championships and whatnot, but at the end of the day, it's still just speculation 
. Anyway, I'm just gonna keep on cheering for my own team, and hope that they make it in next year 
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. The CFP committee might not have everyone's opinion on lock, but they're doing their best to create an exciting playoff field 
. Bring it on! 
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