Miami Win Lifts Notre Dame as College Football Playoff Committee Almost Gets It Right, but Bye Path Remains Uncertain

Notre Dame makes a major jump

Notre Dame entered the rankings at No. 11 the previous week. After beating Miami, the Fighting Irish rose six places to No. 5. The teams ranked above Notre Dame are Georgia, Utah, Alabama and UCLA. Miami fell from No. 1 to No. 7 after the loss.

Six teams fall behind

Notre Dame moved past Kentucky, BYU, Indiana, Miami, Texas and Ole Miss. Four of those teams had lost, while Texas won at Missouri but has two losses. The writer also argued that Texas lacks a win as impressive as Notre Dame’s victory over Miami. Indiana, meanwhile, was finally penalized for a schedule the writer described as lacking a strong win.

Alabama remains a concern

Alabama is ranked No. 3 despite having two losses, a placement the writer questioned but said was not surprising. The writer suggested the committee may be incompetent in its evaluation of Alabama, rather than following direction from ESPN or the SEC.

The writer said Alabama’s best win so far may be over Kentucky, which could finish without beating a ranked team. If Alabama loses once more in the SEC championship game against Georgia, the writer wondered whether it could still avoid falling in the rankings.

More ranked wins could help

Notre Dame has played two teams currently in the top 25: BYU on the road and Miami at home. The writer hopes SMU beats one-loss Wake Forest in Dallas and enters the rankings before visiting Notre Dame next week.

The Fighting Irish also need Wisconsin to win its remaining three games: at Maryland, at Purdue and against Minnesota. Those results could give Notre Dame another ranked win by season’s end.

The race remains unsettled

Notre Dame appears to have a strong chance of avoiding a first-round game, but a bye is not assured. The writer said outcomes involving Utah and UCLA, along with Alabama’s remaining games, could affect that possibility.

The writer said they did not watch the rankings show live and would not get excited until the rankings are final at the end of the regular season. The article points to last year’s finish as the reason for that caution.