The college football world is abuzz following the release of the final 2025 College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, which set the 12-team field and ignited a firestorm of debate. The central storyline dominating headlines is the controversial exclusion of the 10-2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who were leapfrogged by Miami for the final at-large spot. Many people also believed that Notre Dame should have jumped over Alabama after Ty Simpson and the Crimson Tide got dominated in the SEC Championship game. The decision has led to outrage from many fans and analysts alike, and a defiant response from Notre Dame, who have announced they will skip bowl season entirely in protest of what they call a “farce”.
Notre Dame Gets Snubbed From the CFP
Selection Sunday Shocker: Miami and Alabama Get the Nod Over Notre Dame
On Selection Sunday, the CFP selection committee unveiled a bracket that saw the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers secure the No. 1 overall seed after their historic Big Ten Championship win over Ohio State. Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech rounded out the top four, all earning crucial first-round byes.
The real drama, however, unfolded on the bubble. Alabama (10-3) and Miami (10-2) secured the final at-large bids, much to the dismay of Notre Dame, which also finished with a 10-2 record. The decision to place Miami at No. 10 and Alabama at No. 9, while leaving Notre Dame out, has been met with significant criticism. Many argued that the Irish, whose only losses were competitive games, had a stronger overall resume than a three-loss Alabama team that was just blown out in the SEC Championship by Georgia.
CFP committee chair Hunter Yurachek faced intense questioning over the decision, offering explanations that many found confusing and “misleading”. The rationale seemed to emphasize a head-to-head victory for Miami over Notre Dame early in the season, a point of contention given the fluid nature of rankings throughout the season, but it also seemed that Alabama could not get punished for losing a conference championship when BYU clearly did get punished for losing theirs.
The Irish’s Defiant Stance: Opting Out of Bowl Season
The fallout was immediate. Notre Dame’s Athletic Director expressed “overwhelming shock” at the decision, stating the team felt “punched in the stomach”. The frustration culminated in a bold move: Notre Dame announced it would decline any bowl invitation, choosing instead to end its season.
This move has proven to be as controversial as the snub itself, with some analysts calling it “loser behavior” that sets a poor precedent for college football. Nonetheless, the decision underscores the immense frustration with a system that, in the the eyes of many, remains arbitrary and political despite expansion to a 12-team format. The Irish are not alone, as Iowa State and Kansas State also opted out of bowl games and were fined $500,000 each by the Big 12 conference.
A New Era, Old Controversies
The 2025 season marks only the second year of the expanded 12-team playoff, a format designed to mitigate controversy. However, this year’s selection drama proves that even with more spots, subjective decision-making continues to fuel outrage. The debate over who “deserves” a shot at the title will likely persist as long as a selection committee, rather than an objective system, determines the field.
As the first-round matchups are set, including a compelling rematch between No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 9 Alabama, the focus shifts to the field of teams that will compete for the national championship on January 19 in Miami Gardens, Florida. But the lingering questions about fairness and the integrity of the selection process ensure that the story of the teams left out will be just as much a part of the 2025 college football narrative as the eventual champion.
Main Image: Â Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
