The latest College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings have kicked up quite a bit of debate, especially with Notre Dame landing at No. 10. Their spot has folks scratching their heads, questioning whether the CFP Committee is leaning more on gut feelings than hard numbers these days.
Notre Dame’s No. 10 ranking jumped out as soon as the Committee released its first list. Critics argue it’s a move that favors subjective impressions over what the stats actually say.
Even though Notre Dame started off rough, losing to Texas A&M and Miami right out of the gate, they’ve bounced back with six straight wins. Quarterback CJ Carr and running back Jeremiyah Love have been big reasons for that turnaround—they’ve really put the team on their backs.
Notre Dame’s Controversial No. 10 Ranking
So, let’s talk about the numbers that usually matter. One big metric is strength of record. Here, Texas is sitting at No. 9, Oklahoma at No. 11, and Miami at No. 18. Notre Dame doesn’t really measure up to those teams in this category.
Now, looking at strength of schedule, Texas is No. 11, Oklahoma is No. 12, and Notre Dame falls to No. 23. That gap makes you wonder—what’s the real logic behind putting Notre Dame above them?
Quality Wins
Quality wins are another piece of the puzzle. Texas has wins over No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 16 Vanderbilt. Oklahoma knocked off No. 21 Michigan and No. 24 Tennessee.
Miami, even though they’ve been hot and cold, managed to beat Notre Dame. Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s only real quality win is against No. 19 USC. It’s not exactly a stacked resume.
The Committee’s Justification
CFP Committee chair Mack Rhoades tried to shed some light on their thinking. He pointed to Notre Dame’s two close losses against tough teams and their ability to push through adversity, like losing their starting center before the USC game.
He talked up the team’s performance on both sides of the ball, but honestly, his explanation felt a bit heavy on opinion and light on concrete stats.
Art and Science of Rankings
Rhoades called the ranking process a mix of art and science. The art? Watching games, judging things like line play and quarterback efficiency. The science is all about the data and metrics.
This year, though, it seems like the Committee is leaning more into the “art” side. That shift has made the rankings feel a bit more subjective than usual.
Implications for the CFP
This move toward subjectivity could really shake up how the CFP works. Sure, the eye test matters, but it shouldn’t drown out the actual numbers that tell the story of a team’s season.
Consistency and Fairness
People are worried about how consistent and fair the rankings are. If the Committee keeps favoring gut feelings, it’s not hard to imagine accusations of bias popping up.
Take Miami, for example—they beat Notre Dame but are ranked eight spots lower, even though their overall records look pretty similar. Stuff like this just adds to the confusion.
Future Rankings
As the season rolls on, who knows if the CFP Committee will stick with this approach or swing back to a more data-focused method? We’ll find out soon enough.
For now, though, it’s clear the process could use a little more transparency—and maybe a better balance between numbers and opinions.
Conclusion
The controversy around Notre Dame’s No. 10 spot in the CFP just won’t go away. It’s a classic battle: subjective judgment versus hard data.
The Committee leans on the “eye test,” and sure, that’s understandable. But should that really outweigh the actual numbers?
Isn’t the whole point to balance art and science here? If not, what’s the point of all these rankings anyway?
Want to dig deeper? You can check out the full article on On3.
As the season keeps rolling, everyone’s going to be watching how the CFP Committee handles this. Will they get it right this time?
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