Every year in college football, there seems to be a great debate between two powerhouses for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Sometimes, it's between one traditional power and a newcomer trying to break through. In 2023, Alabama got in over Florida State. Last season, the Tide were left out in favor of SMU.
This season, Notre Dame and Miami are both right on the edge of the cut line with the regular season officially in the rearview. Alabama is also right in that mix, but the Tide seem to be more secure before heading to the SEC Championship with a chance to clinch an automatic bid.
Notre Dame has come in a couple of spots higher than Miami in each set of CFP rankings over the month of November, but there is a twist in this comparison: Miami beat Notre Dame in a very close head-to-head battle all the way back in Week 1, 27-24.
Still, the selection committee has been able to look past that so far and has kept Notre Dame in front while Miami has been on the outside looking in. After closing out the regular season with a dominant 38-7 win over Pitt, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal urged the committee to consider that early-season result when the upcoming rankings come out, via On3 Sports.
“I feel strongly about our case,” Cristobal told On3 Sports. “It’s not because we are creating narrative. We are presenting facts. We played each other. We played the same teams. And we did a better job. Now we have to respectfully present the information.”
Miami added a better showing against a common opponent on Saturday, beating Pitt by 31 points just two weeks after the Irish beat the Panthers by just 22. However, a late-game touchdown pass with time running low drew a shot in the media from Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, whose team is also battling in that same mix near the CFP cut line.
The penultimate CFP rankings this season will be unveiled on Tuesday night, and not much shakeup is expected around the cut line after everyone took care of business during Rivalry Week. If Miami is going to get into the field, it will take a late change of heart from the committee that might never come.
