University of Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich was disappointed to learn Tuesday's latest College Football Playoff rankings ranked the Hurricanes 12th and removed them from the 12-team field in favor of No. 11 Alabama. I didn't hide it. Last big bid in this iteration.
Michigan AD Ward Manuel, head of the College Football Playoff selection committee, explained why Alabama was ranked higher than Miami. The Tide is 3-1 against current Top 25 teams, while Miami is 0-1. Warde also noted that Alabama is 6-1 against teams above .500 and Miami is 4-2.
“Really??” Radakovic told X on Tuesday. “Bama topped Miami in the final slot because Miami is 1-2 in their last three games (by an average margin of 4.5 points) against ranked teams Syracuse and (Georgia Tech). ) until 8OT). Bama is 2-1 (5-7 Auburn, defeated by (Oklahoma), FCS Mercer). ”
Really ? ? ….The reason Bama topped Miami in the final slot is because Miami is 1-2 in its last three games (an average of 4.5 points against top-ranked Syracuse and GT teams that led UGA to 8OT). making a difference). Bama is 2-1 (Auburn is 5-7, defeated by OU, beat FCS Mercer)
— Dan Radakovich (@DanRadakovich) December 4, 2024
Radakovic and football coach Mario Cristobal took to the field early Tuesday to prepare for the Canes' 12-team induction.
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ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips also defended Miami, saying, “I'm certainly happy that SMU moved up in the rankings and that the committee continued to recognize the Mustangs' great season. That has nothing to do with this weekend's results. They should definitely qualify for the playoffs.” That being said, we are incredibly shocked and disappointed that Miami has dropped six spots to 12th place.
“Miami has more wins and losses than the team immediately before it, with dominant wins against fast-rising SEC teams, including a late-season win over No. 13 Ole Miss. Miami is arguably the better team by committee, with a ranked Syracuse team and a Georgia Tech team that just took No. 5 Georgia State to eight overtimes. Deserves good reviews.
“Looking ahead to the final rankings, we hope the committee reconsiders and grants a deserving Miami a spot. Clemson and SMU can win the ACC Championship and have the opportunity to represent the conference in the CFP. I’m still looking forward to this weekend.”
Miami is currently expected to play BYU in the Poptarts Bowl on Dec. 28. athletic The latest projections give the Hurricanes only an 8% chance of making the playoffs. The spots will be finalized after the FBS Conference Championship Game on Sunday, December 8th.
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for miami
Miami had a strong reason to finish before the Crimson Tide. Where Manuel and the selection committee missed the boat was by ignoring the fact that Miami's two losses were against quality opponents. Georgia Tech finished 7-5, but took Georgia, a playoff team and SEC finalist, to eight overtimes. Syracuse is 9-3 and 22nd in the CFP rankings.
Two of Alabama's three losses were to Vanderbilt (6-6) and Oklahoma (6-6). The loss to the Sooners came just two weeks ago and was a 21-point loss. — Manny Navarro, Miami Beat Writer
Lawsuit against Miami
Miami's elimination from CFP contention comes as a pleasant surprise after weeks of overrating the Canes and after Manuel seemed to telegraph that Miami's relative weakness in name recognition was not a consideration. It became.
“Teams can only play the (conference) schedule that's in front of them,” Manuel said after last week's rankings. “They can only play against the opponents they have. So we're going to take a hard look at these games and look at the stats and strength of schedule, but also look at how the teams play. We're performing against the competition they have. From our perspective, we're not needed just because of the strength of our schedule.”
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In penalizing Miami, the committee thought beyond a simple count of losses, weighing good wins over “good losses” and ejecting teams with lower intensity schedules and no wins in the ranks. did. It's not Miami's fault for not playing Clemson and SMU this season, but it also doesn't do Miami any credit. — Joe Rexrode, college sports columnist
(Photo: Al Diaz/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
