Key Highlights
- Ohio State doesn’t have to worry about facing Notre Dame in this year’s College Football Playoff.
- The CFP committee made a controversial decision by excluding Notre Dame despite its high ranking.
- The decision has implications for the future structure of the CFP and could affect Ohio State teams.
- Notre Dame’s absence from the playoff highlights issues with the current CFP rankings system.
Notre Dame’s Exclusion from College Football Playoff Sparks Debate
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The controversy surrounding Notre Dame’s exclusion from this year’s College Football Playoff (CFP) has reignited discussions about the fairness and transparency of the selection process. Despite being ranked higher than Miami in every previous CFP ranking, the Fighting Irish were unexpectedly bumped by the Hurricanes after both teams were idle during conference championship weekend.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day expressed his perspective on the controversy: “It didn’t matter for OSU to spend all those weeks atop the nation. However, if we didn’t have the season it had, the weekly rankings could have provided a litmus test for where the team stands in the latter part of the season.”
Controversial Decision and Its Impact
The CFP committee’s decision has significant implications for future seasons. Last spring, they signed a memorandum of understanding which goes into effect next year, requiring Notre Dame to get into the field if it is ranked in the top 12. This means that Ohio State will no longer have to worry about facing former Buckeye-turned-Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman in the postseason.
Ohio State’s dominance has formed a mini-rivalry with Notre Dame, despite the Buckeyes’ recent history of success against their rivals.
The storied programs have met five times since 2006, including three matchups between 2022-25. Each battle has come with high stakes, with Fiesta Bowl titles on the line in 2006 and 2016, College Football Playoff implications at stake in 2022 and 2023, and a National Championship Game in January.
Challenges of the Current Rankings System
The playoff expanded from four teams to twelve ahead of the 2024 season. The structure came with automatic bids to the five highest-ranked conference champions – a caveat that Notre Dame could never benefit from under the current rules.
However, starting in early November, the committee releases its weekly top 25 rankings. ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, while speaking on “College Gameday” this weekend, anticipated such a result for Notre Dame and made a stance against the weekly rankings which attract audiences to his employer: “I just think it sets us up for things like, ‘Well that doesn’t make sense, how could you do that? You’ve had Notre Dame ahead of these guys all week, they didn’t even play, how are you going to flip Miami now?’ It’s really not supposed to be the real rankings until the season is over.”
Herbstreit’s comments highlight the tension between maintaining a fair selection process and creating drama that drives viewership.
Ohio State has been the face of consistency in the sport, so the thought of the Buckeyes being the final at-large team in the field feels like a distant concern. However, it’s worth remembering OSU went 10-2 last season before making its run to a national title.
Another consequence of Notre Dame’s absence could center around the CFP rankings. Following BYU’s drop from No. 11 and Alabama staying put at No. 9, Miami and Notre Dame stood side-by-side in the final rankings.
The committee felt the programs were level and head-to-head could determine which team got the final at-large bid. The Irish lost to the Hurricanes, so their placement below Miami shouldn’t come as a surprise.
The implications of this decision extend beyond just Ohio State and Notre Dame. It raises questions about the fairness of the CFP’s ranking system and how teams are selected for the playoff.
As the structure continues to evolve, stakeholders in college football will be watching closely to see if changes are made to address these concerns.
While Ohio State doesn’t have to worry about facing former Buckeye-turned-Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman in the postseason, the controversy surrounding Notre Dame’s exclusion from this year’s CFP could impact the future structure of the playoff and shape the landscape of college football for years to come. The debate over transparency and fairness in the selection process will continue as teams and fans alike await updates on how the system might change.