Overview
- Miami moved ahead of Notre Dame on the final ballot despite neither team playing, leaving the Irish No. 11 and first out as the committee cited head-to-head once Miami passed BYU.
- Notre Dame announced it would withdraw from bowl consideration for this season following the Selection Sunday result.
- AD Pete Bevacqua confirmed an MOU that will automatically place Notre Dame in next year’s playoff if it finishes inside the top 12, with reporting of a 14-team contingency that protects the Irish at No. 13 or better.
- Bevacqua blasted the weekly rankings show as “an absolute joke,” said the playoff felt “stolen” from players, and publicly backed a 16-team format with five automatic qualifiers and 11 at-large bids.
- Sportsbooks and media figures called the late ranking flip surprising and the format too convoluted, noting Tulane and James Madison entered as conference champions and are sizable underdogs in first-round games.