Get ready for some heated debates and controversial rankings! The final week of the regular season has arrived, and it's time to settle the score between Miami and Notre Dame. These two powerhouse teams have been on everyone's lips, and their fate will be decided soon.
In my eyes, Miami and Notre Dame are equally impressive, and Miami's victory in their head-to-head matchup gives them the edge. This has been a consistent theme throughout the season, and it's reflected in this week's Athletic 136 rankings. But it's not just about that one game; there are numerous data points that support this ranking.
Both teams dominated Pitt, crushed NC State, and handled Syracuse and Stanford with ease. When it comes to their best wins, Notre Dame takes the cake with USC, while Miami's standout victory is... you guessed it, over Notre Dame! The results don't lie; these teams are incredibly close in performance.
Let's bring in the computers for a second opinion. ESPN's strength of record metric places Notre Dame at 13 and Miami at 14, while the Sagarin ratings have Notre Dame at 2 and Miami at 6. Even ESPN's Football Power Index agrees, ranking Notre Dame at 3 and Miami at 7. Their schedules are virtually identical, ranked 42 and 44 by ESPN. It's clear that advanced metrics can't separate these teams either.
But here's where it gets controversial... The CFP committee has been twisting themselves into knots trying to explain away Miami's win over Notre Dame. They've admitted that both teams are in the same comparison pool, yet they seem reluctant to give Miami the higher ranking. Why?
According to the CFP selection committee protocol, there are four main principles for comparing teams: strength of schedule, head-to-head, common opponents, and availability of key players and coaches. Miami and Notre Dame are neck and neck in all these categories, except for the head-to-head, where Miami takes the lead.
So, Miami should be ranked higher, right? Well, I believe the committee has already set the stage to keep Miami out, and they don't want to upset the apple cart by sliding Notre Dame out at the last minute, especially after their impressive 10-game winning streak. It's a tricky situation, and one that has its roots in the bloated conferences and the ACC's automatic bid system.
The ACC championship game is a mismatch, with Virginia and 7-5 Duke facing off, neither of whom played Miami or the top teams in the league. This conference realignment mistake has put the committee in a tough spot, and now they have to make a decision. Will Miami be left out, or will they surprise us all?
This week's Athletic 136 rankings reflect some minor changes. Texas A&M slides down after their loss to Texas, and Oklahoma drops due to their narrow win against LSU. I'm curious to see if the selection committee will make any moves with Ole Miss, who recently lost their coach.
Ohio State and Indiana will battle for the Big Ten championship, but both are likely to receive first-round byes. Texas Tech is a team to watch; they've won every game by at least three touchdowns, except for their loss to Arizona State when they were playing their backup quarterback.
As for the rest of the group, there are some notable arrivals: James Madison, Houston, Arizona, and Missouri. JMU could be a dark horse for the Playoff if Duke pulls off an upset against Virginia. SMU stays in the top 25 despite losing to Cal, thanks to their wins against teams with winning records, including Miami.
Louisville moves up after a dominant win against Kentucky, while Arizona State drops due to their loss to Arizona. New Mexico climbs after a thrilling double-overtime win against San Diego State. Duke moves up to 42 after beating Wake Forest, and they're back ahead of Clemson thanks to an earlier win.
Penn State returns to the top 50 after beating Rutgers, while Cincinnati and Cal drop due to their recent losses. Washington State is another team with some weird results, but they remain in the rankings.
Florida State drops after losing to Florida, while Jacksonville State rises and will host the Conference USA championship game. Michigan State ended their losing streak, and Wisconsin is also a team with some unusual results. Arkansas finished with a disappointing record, but their point differential suggests they might be the best 2-10 team ever.
Stanford falls after losing to Notre Dame, while West Virginia is another tricky team to rank. Louisiana Tech rises, and Miami (Ohio) climbs back into the top 100. Utah State inches up despite a close loss to Boise State, and Delaware reaches 6-6 in their first FBS season.
Marshall and Liberty drop due to their losses, while Kent State moves up after a winless campaign last year. Oklahoma State finishes as the lowest-ranked Power 4 team, a shocking collapse after their 2023 Big 12 title game appearance.
And finally, we have Charlotte and Georgia State, who both had tough seasons, and UMass, who finished winless.
So, what do you think? Should Miami be ranked higher? Will the committee surprise us, or will they stick to their guns? Let's discuss in the comments and see if we can predict the final rankings!
