Miami received wide-ranging national support after being the first team out of the playoff in the final rankings released before the official bracket comes out on Sunday. As expected the final spot came down to Alabama and Miami. Alabama is 11th in the College Football Playoff rankings and Miami is 12th.
CFP Committee Chair Warde Manuel stated Alabama's 3-1 record versus their top 25 and Miami being 0-1 made a difference in the Crimson Tide being ranked ahead of the Hurricanes. What wasn't mentioned is that Alabama lost by 21 to 6-6 Oklahoma and at 6-6 Vanderbilt as well as to Tennessee.
Alabama defeated Georgia and South Carolina who are both in the top 15 in the CFP rankings. Alabama's three losses were by 33 points. Miami's two defeats were by nine. The difference for Alabama being ranked was likely in their wins. Miami does not have a win over a team in the CFP top 25.
Miami does have a win over Louisville who is 13th in the ESPN Football Power Index. Georgia is fifth in the FPI, Alabama fourth, Georgia fifth, Tennessee seventh, Miami 11th and South Carolina 14th among the aforementioned teams. It was likely a tight call between Alabama and Miami in the CFP rankings.
✅ Ranked #1 in points scored, total offense, yards per play, first downs and 50+ point games
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) December 3, 2024
✅ Ranked in the top 25 of both total offense and defense (1 of only 7 teams in the country)
✅ 10-2 record (2 losses by a combined 9 pts)@CanesFootball has earned a spot in the… pic.twitter.com/hexliYmjdS
😂😂 no shocker there .. just funny lose by 21 to a 6-6 team and drop 5 spots . Lose by 4 to a ranked 9-3 team drop 6 spots .. math ain’t mathing .. o well we move ✌🏾#GoCanes
— Brian Monroe (@B_Monroe15) December 4, 2024
Note that Miami dropped farther for losing on the road to an 8-3 team than Ohio State did for losing at home to a 6-5 team (and scoring 10 points).
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 4, 2024
In the history of the BCS/CFP @AlabamaFTBL has gotten EVERY benefit of the doubt from the computers/humans. No judgement, just fact.
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) December 4, 2024
Makes no sense because Canes have fewer losses than Bama and Bama has 2 losses worse than UM's 2 losses. It shouldn't be who you think is better in your imagination. https://t.co/jWIJjeNi9j
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) December 4, 2024
I don’t understand Bama ahead of Miami.
— Clay Ferraro (@ClayWPLG) December 4, 2024
I could’ve understood South Carolina (in fact, I would’ve put them in). But Bama getting blasted vs OU should’ve been a disqualifier.
Warde Manuel says with teams that are not playing this weekend, "There's nothing that's going to change for us to evaluate them any different than we do now."
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 4, 2024
Would indicate everyone below Alabama that can't win its championship is out.
YOU MAKE THE TOP 25 BUDDY… manipulate it to be what you want https://t.co/RwvhdMNt5Z
— Eric Mac Lain (@EricMacLain) December 4, 2024
Things never change. Brands over merit.
— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) December 4, 2024
Current top 25 is a ludicrous metric. Miami has wins over Nos. 26 and 28 and didn’t get housed by a 6-6 team. https://t.co/1d4JUmTFL3
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) December 4, 2024
Ohio State lost to a 6 win team, at home, as a 20+ point favorite and fell 4 spots. Miami fell 6 for losing on the road by 4 points to a 9-3 ranked team. Makes sense. 😂😂😂😂
— BeatinTheBookie.com®️ (@BeatinTheBookie) December 4, 2024
Both are true. Egregious that Miami is ranked behind Bama. But Canes have themselves to blame for losing 2 of last 3 and never fixing defense and not maximizing having their best QB in two plus decades. A real shame. https://t.co/evrwuMoALV
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) December 4, 2024
It's hard to overstate how much brand damage the CFP committee did to itself by keeping Florida State out last year.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) December 4, 2024
Just fueled every SEC/ESPN conspiracy imaginable and and negated the purpose of playing and winning games. Still hate it.
Just sayin’ — what if Texas houses Georgia? SMU, Miami already guaranteed to have better records. Alabama, Ole Miss, South Carolina have the same amount of losses
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) December 4, 2024
Sharpie. https://t.co/jEGan2kdZz
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) December 4, 2024
Statement from ACC commissioner Jim Phillips on the CFP: "Miami absolutely deserves better from the committee." pic.twitter.com/8N1Y7PyG2H
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 4, 2024
Alabama lost by 21, two weeks ago, at Oklahoma and the Sooners went 6-6.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) December 4, 2024
The committee evidently thought Miami's four-point loss at Syracuse (9-3) was more damaging than a 24-3 loss to a mediocre team.
The SEC wins, again.
Really ?? ….what put Bama over the top of Miami for the last spot in is that Miami went 1-2 in their last 3 games (by an average of 4.5 pts, to a ranked Syracuse and GT team that just took UGA to 8OT). Bama went 2-1 (to 5-7 Auburn, destroyed by OU, and beat FCS Mercer)
— Dan Radakovich (@DanRadakovich) December 4, 2024
NFL announces that even if Dolphins win one more game than Denver, Broncos will get last playoff spot because they play in a tougher division. (Kidding. But this shows lunacy of college system.)
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) December 4, 2024
I kept stating that Miami was in playoff mode after the Gatech loss. I was realistic about how the CFP committee was going to treat the ACC and SEC. Miami had to at least get to the ACC title game -- flat out, they didn't. Up 21-0.... and then.... #Canes
— Steve Kim - #AirCristobal2024 (@SteveKim323) December 4, 2024
“On both sides of the ball, we’re one of the best teams in the country... We’re playing better defenses, in my opinion, than the SEC.”
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) December 4, 2024
Cam Ward reacts to the latest CFP rankings. pic.twitter.com/7PyqPjPfes
Everybody’s somebody… until Miami beats them.. then they’re “nobody”
— Mike Ryan (Ruiz) 🙌🏽 (@MichaelRyanRuiz) December 4, 2024
“Giving the 12th playoff spot to Miami would've been an easy win for the committee. Instead, it chose pain.” https://t.co/oYxN3bQsHT
— Andrea Adelson (@aadelsonESPN) December 4, 2024
The comments and social media posts range from athletic administrators to media to former players. Some of the media are national and neutral and others are in South Florida who are more biased towards Miami. The consensus is that Miami belongs in the College Football Playoff over Alabama.
Alabama's loss to Oklahoma was by 21 points and occurred later in the season than their impressive wins. It appears that teams outside of the Big Ten and SEC can only afford to lose one game to secure a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. This marks the second consecutive year that the CFP committee has snubbed an ACC team.