If the final College Football Playoff rankings taught us anything, it is that playing in a conference is of great importance to the Selection Committee. This played a part in the 10-2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish getting left out of the playoff field, despite being ranked ahead of the Miami Hurricanes up until the final ranking. The Irish's two losses on the year were by only four points to Miami and Texas A&M.
After taking their ball and going home, opting not to play in a bowl game, Notre Dame is down so bad.
Fighting Irish fans are now pointing the finger of a play in question where Texas A&M later beat them.
This no call from September officially kept Notre Dame out of the playoff https://t.co/TjMfYAHa1x
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) December 7, 2025
To blame Texas A&M, a team that beat you fair and square at your place, for you not making the playoff is embarrassing. Texas A&M was always above the cut line for getting off to an 11-0 start to the season. Yes, the loss to rival Texas cost them a shot at an SEC Championship and later a first-round bye. However, the fallout from the committee's decision to keep Notre Dame out was spot-on.
Rather than pick apart this weak no-call, let's really explain why Notre Dame did not make the field.
Notre Dame can only blame itself for not making the CFP, not Texas A&M
Texas A&M was one of eight locks heading into the final rankings, along with Georgia, Indiana, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, and Texas Tech. All eight of these teams did enough during the regular season to merit inclusion in the playoff field. Indiana and Ohio State were 12-0. Georgia, Ole Miss, Oregon, Texas A&M and Texas Tech were 11-1. Oklahoma was 10-2 with a compelling resume.
Notre Dame entering Selection Sunday as one of three teams vying for two spots with Alabama and Miami. Even though the Crimson Tide suffered a third loss in the SEC Championship, it was a rematch from earlier in the season vs. Georgia, a team it beat in Athens. Miami may have had two worse losses than Notre Dame, but the Hurricanes beat them head-to-head way back during Labor Day Weekend.
What is very important to understand here is the Selection Committee was never going to punish an SEC runner-up for suffering a third loss in its league championship, nor was it going to penalize a team like Miami for having two bad losses, despite the head-to-head. Alabama was always going to make it. This is because you do not want to set a bad precedent for punishing any real title bout loser.
So it came down to Miami and Notre Dame, and the Selection Committee made the right call. Notre Dame has been able to benefit from not playing in a conference and effectively a cherry-picked ACC allotment. This is a team that once sucked onto the ACC as a parasite during COVID so it could have a season. In turn, Notre Dame has done more damage to the sport than anyone by being independent.
Essentially, the Selection Committee did not want to leave the ACC out of the equation, all things equal. The ACC is a TV partner with ESPN, who largely controls the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame has that sweet TV deal with NBC. It has long operated like it is above everyone in the college football world. When it came to judgement day, they finally met their maker in one Hunter Yurachek.
So when Notre Dame fans blame a call vs. Texas A&M as to why they are out, do not listen to them.