Colin Cowherd weighs in on CFP discussion: Miami or Notre Dame?

Colin Cowherd has officially entered the Miami-Notre Dame College Football Playoff debate, and he is not lining up on the Hurricanes' side. On a recent episode of "The Herd," Cowherd mocked the backlash to Notre Dame being ranked ahead of Miami in the latest CFP Top 25, opening one segment with a jab at the fan base: "Canes fans, all 9 of you, college football has changed." He went on to argue that while head-to-head still matters, it is only one piece of the puzzle in the 12-team CFP era.

The Miami-Notre Dame CFP Debate

The controversy centers around the CFP committees placement of Notre Dame over Miami, even though the Hurricanes beat the Irish 27-24 in the season opener at Hard Rock Stadium. Both teams are 8-2, but Notre Dame's two losses came to Miami and unbeaten Texas A&M, while Miami stumbled against Louisville and SMU, who are both currently unranked.

Cowherd essentially backed the committees logic. He said head-to-head "matters" but "it's not everything," stressing that "timing matters" and pointing out that Notre Dame has not lost since Sept. 13 against Texas A&M. Since that 0-2 start, the Irish have ripped off eight straight wins, all by double digits, including victories over USC and Pittsburgh.

Miami, meanwhile, has lived on the other side of the narrative curve. The Hurricanes opened with the statement win over then-No. 6 Notre Dame and climbed into the top five in September. Midseason losses to Louisville and SMU, both outside the current Top 25, gave skeptics ammunition and handed the committee an easy way to keep Miami behind the Irish despite the head-to-head result.

Cowherd's broader point is that the 12-team playoff is built to reward the full body of work, not just one night in August. For Miami, though, his comments are another reminder that the margin for error is gone, and the goal is simple: win out and block out the noise.