CFP Committee Completely Disrespected Miami and Indiana—Here’s Why

Miami and Indiana fall

Miami, previously No. 1, fell six spots after losing on the road to No. 11 Notre Dame. The Hurricanes were also without star wide receiver Malachi Toney. Indiana, the reigning national champion, dropped from No. 4 to No. 9 despite not playing. Both teams have one loss, each against a highly regarded opponent. Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti criticized the committee’s approach this week.

Different standards for losses

Georgia rose to No. 1 despite losing to unranked Auburn, which has a 5-4 record. The article argues that this loss should not be treated as better than Miami’s defeat to a top-15 Notre Dame team.

Alabama, at No. 3, is the highest-ranked two-loss team in the CFP era. The article says Alabama belongs in playoff consideration but questions its placement, while Texas remains No. 6 after consecutive losses to unranked Oklahoma and Florida.

Tennessee’s climb, UCLA’s case

Tennessee moved to No. 8 after beating Kentucky, correcting what the article describes as an initial underranking. But the rise came at the expense of a team that did not lose that weekend, a shift the article says is more understandable during conference championship week than in the regular season.

The article also questions why undefeated UCLA, which has a ranked win over Oregon, is below Alabama. It notes Alabama lost by 16 points to Tennessee, while Georgia lost to Auburn.

Schedule strength remains relevant

The article acknowledges a case against Miami and Indiana: their schedules may be soft, and each lost to the only strong team it had played. That could make their strength of schedule look less favorable.

It argues, however, that schedule concerns should be applied consistently across teams. The discussion could change if Miami or Indiana loses in Week 11; the article ends before completing that point.