Kirk Herbstreit didn’t hold back this weekend when discussing the College Football Playoff rankings - and frankly, he’s got a point. After the committee unveiled its final bracket, which included Miami over Notre Dame, Herbstreit offered more than just an explanation. He offered a solution: scrap the weekly CFP ranking shows altogether.
Let’s start with the decision itself. According to committee chair Hunter Yurachek, once BYU fell out of the picture following its loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game, the committee had to make a call between Miami and Notre Dame.
The two were neck-and-neck - until Miami’s head-to-head win over the Irish earlier in the season tipped the scales. That result vaulted the Hurricanes into the playoff field and left Notre Dame on the outside looking in.
That’s the kind of late-season pivot that makes Herbstreit’s argument resonate. His take?
The weekly rankings don’t really matter - not in the way fans are led to believe. The committee resets the board once the full body of work is in.
It doesn’t care how a team was ranked a week ago. What matters is how everything stacks up when the dust settles.
And he’s not wrong. The weekly rankings are built to stir conversation, to fuel debate shows, to drive engagement.
But in terms of actual playoff implications? They’re window dressing.
The real decisions happen once the final whistle blows on Championship Weekend.
Of course, don’t expect those weekly shows to disappear anytime soon. They’re made-for-TV drama, and they serve their purpose in keeping the sport front-and-center during the back half of the season. But Herbstreit’s point is clear: if we’re being honest about the process, the only rankings that truly matter are the ones we saw on Sunday.
Now, let’s take a look at the bracket itself - and outside of Notre Dame’s omission, there weren’t many shockers.
Indiana secured the No. 1 overall seed after knocking off Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship, a statement win that capped off a dominant season. The Buckeyes still landed at No. 2, while Georgia, fresh off their SEC title win, slotted in at No.
- Big 12 champion Texas Tech rounded out the top four.
All four earned byes into the quarterfinals.
Here’s how the first round shakes out:
- **No. 5 Oregon vs.
No. 12 James Madison** - This one will be played at Autzen Stadium on December 20.
The winner heads to the Orange Bowl on January 1 to face Texas Tech.
- **No. 6 Ole Miss vs.
No. 11 Tulane** - A high-octane matchup in Oxford on December 20.
The winner gets Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
- **No. 7 Texas A&M vs.
No. 10 Miami** - Miami’s controversial inclusion gets put to the test immediately in College Station on December 20.
The winner draws Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on December 31.
- **No. 8 Oklahoma vs.
No. 9 Alabama** - This one’s circled in red on every fan’s calendar.
Set for December 19 in Norman, with the winner advancing to face Indiana in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
It’s a bracket full of intrigue, matchups with history, and programs that have been knocking on the door for years. But the biggest takeaway from Selection Sunday might not be who got in - it might be how we got there.
Kirk Herbstreit reacts to the College Football Playoff field (and again brings up the CFP weekly rankings show). 🏈🎙️📺 #CFP #CFB https://t.co/oaDlK8bOME pic.twitter.com/YxVJ7RtzWZ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 7, 2025
And if Herbstreit’s right, it’s time to rethink the way we talk about rankings from week to week. Because when it comes to the playoff, only the final word counts.