Last week, the College Football Playoff committee released its first rankings for the 2025 season. Miami was ranked No. 18. CFP Committee chair Mack Rhodes cited Miami’s inconsistencies as a factor. However, Notre Dame earned the No. 10 spot. And that’s the crux of the issue, for which the Canes are nursing a grudge.

The CFP committee released the list on November 4, considering games until week 10. Post week 10, both Miami and Notre Dame were 6-2, and yet the difference in the rankings is glaring. On top of that, the Canes beat the Irish in a 27-24 contest during the season opener at Hard Rock Stadium. But that win wasn’t factored into the rankings. What made Miami fans even more upset was a report by ESPN reporter Kris Budden.

“Committee cannot/did not factor in UM’s win over ND, in determining whether UM should be ranked above ND, because the committee ranked ND so far ahead of UM (10 to 18),” Budden said during the coverage of the Hurricanes’ Week 11 win.

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The reason points to the fact that the committee would have factored the win if Irish and Miami were within three spots apart. However, Miami is placed eight spots later than Notre Dame, and because of this, the season-opening contest is not included.

Miami beat Notre Dame head-to-head in the first game of the season, on a clean slate. Remember Carson Beck’s 20-yard pass to CJ Daniels in the first half? (against Miami) Daniels effortlessly caught an interception looking pass behind his head one-handedly and fell into the endzone. Touchdown. The game-winning moment came when Carter Davis kicked a 47-yard field goal, 27-24.

Additionally, Miami beat two (the-then) ranked opponents. Florida State and South Florida. Although the same number of losses were suffered by both, that’s when the context enters the chat. As On3’s Ari Wasserman put it, “Quality wins drive the bus.” Miami’s losses against Louisville and SMU did more damage. Over the season, the Irish have been bashed for their defense and play-calling. But their two losses were against Miami and Texas A&M. Unlike SMU or Louisville, Mike Elko’s program is going undefeated.

Even veteran analysts have weighed in on it, including Kirk Herbstreit.

Kirk Herbstreit on the Miami vs Notre Dame debate

Even Kirk Herbstreit admitted that “head-to-head should matter,” but with a caveat. “I don’t think it’s like, put that etched in stone, they already lost to that team, so they have to be ranked behind them,” he said in a conversation with Joey Galloway. “But it should only matter because I don’t believe in if a team beats a team in weeks 2, 3, 4, and 5, and then after that point, the two teams become very, very different.”

“…And the team that lost that game head-to-head all of a sudden becomes a team, man, you don’t want to play that team, and we’re expected to hold an anchor on their ankles, because you can’t rank them ahead of that team.

According to the CFP guidelines, head-to-head results are factored “when circumstances at the margins indicate that teams are comparable.” While compiling the rankings, the program’s overall report card is nitpicked at. Although with two losses, like Miami, the Irish edge out the Hurricanes on the strength of their record and schedule, 15th and 23rd, respectively.

Bottom line: Miami had a great start, but Notre Dame will make it to the playoffs as things stand.