Miami’s Case for the College Football Playoff Is Stronger Than You Think
The Miami Hurricanes didn’t just win on Saturday - they made a statement. A 38-7 dismantling of Pittsburgh capped off a dominant four-week stretch and put the Canes squarely in the College Football Playoff conversation.
And not just as an afterthought. This team has the résumé, the results, and the recent form to back up a serious claim.
Let’s break it down - not with emotion or hype, but with the criteria the playoff committee themselves laid out.
1. The Numbers Don’t Lie: Miami Checks Every Box
The College Football Playoff selection committee has a set of criteria they lean on: strength of schedule, head-to-head results, comparative outcomes, and other relevant factors like injuries. So how does Miami stack up, particularly against a team like Notre Dame?
Strength of Schedule:
Notre Dame is sitting at 42.
Miami? Right behind at 44.
Practically identical.
Strength of Record:
Notre Dame comes in at 13, Miami at 14. Again, a virtual dead heat.
Head-to-Head:
This one’s clear.
Miami beat Notre Dame 27-24. Not a fluke, not a last-second miracle - the Hurricanes led by two scores and controlled the game.
Common Opponents:
Both teams faced Pitt, NC State, Stanford, and Syracuse.
Miami posted larger margins of victory in three of those four matchups. And while the committee says margin of victory isn’t a factor, history suggests it still finds its way into the room.
It’s hard to ignore when one team consistently dominates.
Injuries or Player Availability:
No major absences that tilt the scales here.
This isn’t a situation like Florida State or Ole Miss where key players were missing in big moments. Both teams have had their full rosters for the most part.
Bottom line: Miami either matches or surpasses Notre Dame in every measurable category the committee claims to prioritize. There’s no gap in the résumés. These teams are neck and neck - and Miami has the head-to-head win.
2. Efficiency? Miami’s Right There Too
Even if you want to step outside the official criteria and talk about team efficiency - something that often gets tossed around in committee discussions - Miami holds its own.
According to ESPN’s efficiency metrics, Notre Dame ranks No. 5 in the country. Miami is right behind at No.
- That’s not a meaningful difference.
Both teams are playing high-level, consistent football. And if we’re being honest, Miami has looked like the more complete team over the last month.
3. The Real Question: Will the Committee Rethink Its Position?
This is where things get tricky. The committee has already shown its hand in recent weeks, slotting Notre Dame ahead of Miami and seemingly locking in that position. The question now is whether they’re willing to reevaluate - to change their minds based on new evidence.
That’s not something we’ve often seen. Historically, the biggest jumps in the rankings happen earlier in the season.
As we get closer to the final reveal, the committee tends to stick with the narrative they’ve already built. And in this case, that narrative favors Notre Dame.
But if the committee truly follows its own criteria, the Hurricanes deserve serious consideration. They’ve earned it on the field.
The data backs it up. The eye test supports it.
4. Speaking of the Eye Test - Miami Already Passed It
Let’s talk about that so-called “eye test,” the subjective measure that often becomes the tiebreaker when everything else is close. Some argue Notre Dame just looks better.
But when these two teams met, Miami didn’t just win - they won the physical battle. They dictated the game.
Remember the opener? Most analysts picked Notre Dame.
Vegas leaned Irish. Social media buzzed with predictions of a Notre Dame win.
And then Miami came out and controlled the game from start to finish. That’s the eye test.
That’s answering the bell when it matters.
Since then, Miami’s only gotten better. More efficient.
More explosive. More complete.
If your gut still says Notre Dame is better, it might be time to recalibrate.
5. Let’s Talk Losses - Because That’s What the Committee Might Lean On
Here’s where the conversation often shifts: Miami’s two losses. Critics call them bad.
But let’s take a closer look - both came against teams with eight wins. That’s not exactly falling to cellar-dwellers.
Compare that to Alabama, who took a lopsided loss to a Florida State team that finished 5-7. If losses are going to be a determining factor, they need to be judged consistently. You can’t apply that standard to one team and not the other.
And for the record, “bad losses” aren’t even part of the committee’s stated criteria. But they’ve been used before to justify exclusions. That’s the frustrating part - the inconsistency.
Final Thought: Miami’s Done Everything It Can
The Hurricanes have played their way into this conversation. They’ve beaten top teams.
They’ve dominated down the stretch. They’ve checked every box the committee claims to value.
Now it’s up to the committee to decide if they’re willing to follow their own guidelines - or stick with the perception they’ve already created.
Miami’s not asking for a handout. They’re asking for a fair shot. Based on the numbers, the results, and the tape, they’ve earned it.