Despite a head-to-head win over Notre Dame back in the season’s opening week, Miami continue to be ranked below the Fighting Irish in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, which were revealed Tuesday. There are some, including ESPN’s own Booger McFarland, who believe Miami should be rewarded more by the CFP selection committee for its own victory over the Notre Dame than it currently is.
After the rankings reveal, committee chair Hunter Yurachek explained the committee’s thinking when it comes to Notre Dame and Miami.
"They [Notre Dame and Miami] were compared this week but they’re compared in the same pod as Alabama and a one-loss BYU. And the committee still feels that Notre Dame is a complete team, has been consistent throughout the season and deserves to be ranked where they are at No. 9 ahead of Alabama, a really good two-loss team with some great wins and then a one-loss BYU team. And then Miami falls in accordingly.
Hunter Yurachek says Miami, Notre Dame, and others were compared this week. pic.twitter.com/k6rpFM8vzP
— Grant Speaks (@GrantSpeaks1) November 26, 2025
"The committee has seen some really good consistent play from Miami over the past three weeks. You talk about Carson Beck—over the last three games—has completed over 80 percent of his passes, 800 yards in total passing, eight touchdowns, no interceptions. He looks like the Carson Beck in that five-game winning streak they had to start the season.
"They lost two out of three but now appears they're back on track. They started in this poll at 18. And now they're up to 12. They're the biggest mover so far of the past four weeks."
Fischer: Why Miami’s Win Over Notre Dame Means Nothing to a CFP Committee Obsessed With Losses
The CFP committee remains consistent on evaluating Notre Dame, Miami
Following the reveal of this past week's rankings, Yurachek made clear exactly why the Fighting Irish were ranked ahead of Miami in the first place.
“I think when you look at Notre Dame and Miami, we really compare the losses of those two teams. Miami has lost to two unranked teams,” Yurachek said at the time. “We really haven’t compared those two teams, they haven’t been in similar comparative pools to date. But Miami is creeping up to where they will be compared to Notre Dame. If something happens above them.”
Even after comparing the two teams, the committee still seemed to value Notre Dame’s two losses—ironically enough, to Miami and then-No. 10 Texas A&M—above the Hurricanes’ losses to unranked Louisville and SMU—as well as their head-to-head win over the Irish.
Notre Dame takes on unranked Stanford while Miami will battle No. 22 Pittsburgh, who fell to the Fighting Irish earlier this year, on Saturday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Notre Dame Remains Higher Than Miami in College Football Playoff Rankings.
