Overview
- CFP chair Hunter Yurachek said BYU’s Big 12 title game performance prompted Miami to move ahead of the Cougars, triggering a side‑by‑side with Notre Dame decided by Miami’s Week 1 win.
- Notre Dame declined a Pop‑Tarts Bowl invitation and will skip bowl season after finishing as the first team out of the 12‑team field.
- Irish athletic director Pete Bevacqua told Yahoo Sports a signed MOU will guarantee Notre Dame a playoff spot next season if ranked in the top 12, or top 13 if the bracket expands to 14.
- Bevacqua accused the ACC of campaigning for Miami and said the conference caused permanent damage to its relationship with Notre Dame.
- Kirk Herbstreit and Nick Saban called for ending the weekly rankings show as critics questioned Alabama’s No. 9 slot with three losses, while Miami’s Mario Cristobal acknowledged frustration with a process that leaves someone unhappy.