The College Football Playoff rankings entering Week 14 have injected fresh debate into the race for at-large positioning, especially around how the committee values early-season results versus the full resume built months later.
Miami (9-2) entered the rankings cycle at No. 18 in the initial release three weeks ago, rapidly climbing six places into a No. 12 slot. That surge placed the Hurricanes close enough to Notre Dame (9-2) in the standings for their Week 1 victory over the Irish to finally be included in direct comparison discussions, also referred to as the CFP’s “comparison pool.”
CFP Committee Chair Hunter Yurachek confirmed that Miami and Notre Dame were evaluated side by side this week, but not in isolation. Instead, both teams were reviewed in a broader cohort that also included Alabama and BYU.
“In comparison to Notre Dame and Miami. They were compared this week, but they're compared in the same pod with Alabama and a one-loss BYU,” said Yurachek during an ESPN interview. “The committee still feels that Notre Dame is a complete team, has been consistent throughout the season, and deserves to be ranked where they are at number nine, ahead of Alabama, a really good two-loss team with some great wins, and then a one-loss BYU team, and then Miami falls in accordingly.”
His statement reinforced a consistent committee pattern this year — head-to-head results open the door to comparison, but they don’t guarantee the upper hand.
Despite Miami earning a 27-24 home win over Notre Dame on Aug. 31, the committee has not placed the Hurricanes higher than the Irish. Even in total yardage, where Miami held a 339-314 advantage, the game narrative complicated Miami’s case.
While the committee has generally leaned on film evaluation and perception of roster balance, Yurachek did acknowledge Miami quarterback Carson Beck’s recent return to form as a major factor in the Hurricanes’ rise.
“The committee has seen some really good consistent play from Miami.” CFP chair added. “Over the past three weeks, you talked about Carson Beck over the last three games has completed over 80% of his passes, 800 yards in total passing, eight touchdowns, no interceptions. He looks like the Carson Beck in that five-game winning streak they had to start the season….They're the biggest movers so far over the past four weeks.”
Those numbers supported Miami’s jump, but again, whether Miami’s resume, including the head-to-head win, newly ranked overtime loss to SMU (No. 21), and defeats to Louisville and Louisville’s back-and-forth swing, ultimately holds enough weight will depend on the chaos or stability above them.
