Sun Dec 07 17:10:00 UTC 2025: ## College Football Playoff: Notre Dame and Miami Sweat it Out, Despite Hurricanes’ Head-to-Head Victory

South Bend, IN – With Championship Weekend concluding, both the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Miami Hurricanes find themselves on the bubble of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, despite sharing a 10-2 record. Adding fuel to the fire, Miami defeated Notre Dame head-to-head earlier in the season, leaving many questioning the College Football Playoff (CFP) committee’s rankings.

Notre Dame currently sits at No. 10 in the CFP rankings, consistently above No. 12 Miami. This has prompted criticism, with many, including South Bend Tribune columnist Tom Noie, pondering the reasoning behind the committee’s preference, citing the vague “eye test” and “good losses.” Noie believes Notre Dame has a chance to win a national championship.

Several scenarios could impact both teams’ playoff hopes. BYU’s victory in the Big 12 Championship or an Alabama win in the SEC Championship could effectively shut the door on at-large bids. A significant Alabama loss, however, could provide a glimmer of hope for the Irish or Hurricanes.

Miami coach Mario Cristobal asserted that head-to-head records should be the primary criterion for selection, but unfortunately for the Hurricanes, their strength of schedule and two losses to unranked teams have damaged their playoff chances. The Hurricanes are also held back by a weak ACC where they only beat two winning teams.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s schedule has been criticized for lacking top-tier opponents, despite the team’s significant improvement throughout the season.

As Palm Beach Post‘s Tom D’Angelo writes: “Putting Miami behind Notre Dame is the committee’s first head scratcher. Not a good look, or precedent. Not when the two have the same record (10-2) and a head-to-head result: Miami, 27-24.”

Both programs face an anxious wait until Sunday’s Selection Show at noon ET to learn their fate. The selection committee will weigh factors like head-to-head results, strength of schedule, and overall performance in determining the final playoff bracket.

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