Lower than three weeks out from the announcement of the School Soccer Playoff subject, it appears we may very well be headed for an additional head-scratching choice relating to this yr’s 12-team bracket.
In Tuesday’s up to date rankings from the choice committee, Notre Dame sits at No. 9 whereas Miami is thirteenth.
Each groups are 8–2. Miami beat Notre Dame 27–24 again in Week 1. And but, it appears clear the Preventing Irish will comfortably be within the subject as soon as once more in the event that they win their ultimate two video games, whereas the Hurricanes will in all probability want chaos to interrupt their method since they’re very more likely to miss the ACC Championship Sport.
How is that this the case after we actually have proof of what occurs when these two seemingly comparable groups face off on the sphere?
“I feel if you have a look at Notre Dame and Miami, we actually examine the losses of these two groups. Miami has misplaced to 2 unranked groups,” new choice committee chair Hunter Yurachek stated Tuesday. “We actually haven’t in contrast these two groups, they haven’t been in comparable comparative swimming pools thus far. However Miami is creeping as much as the place they are going to be in comparison with Notre Dame if one thing occurs above them.”
Yurachek, who took over the position on Nov. 13 when Mack Rhoades stepped down whereas taking a depart of absence as Baylor’s athletic director, is technically proper about Miami’s losses.
Louisville was ranked earlier than shedding a second straight recreation Saturday, however within the up to date rankings, the Hurricanes’ two losses are certainly to unranked ACC groups. Nonetheless, Louisville and SMU are a mixed 14–6 (9–4 in ACC), in order that they aren’t precisely pushovers.
Additionally they aren’t the top-15 groups that Notre Dame misplaced to in its first two video games (Miami and now-No. 3 Texas A&M) earlier than rattling off its present eight-game successful streak.
However that’s solely half the equation. Who you lose to issues — however who you beat ought to matter simply as a lot.
Miami has a top-10 win over Notre Dame and what was one other ranked win over South Florida till the Bulls took their third loss Saturday and fell out of the highest 25.
Notre Dame has a win over No. 15 USC and a win over a Pitt workforce it simply knocked out of the rankings. Past that, the Irish have overwhelmed two Group of Six groups above .500 (Boise State at 6–4 and Navy at 8–2) and 4 Energy 4 opponents who’re a mixed 10–32 this season.
Miami has the more serious losses. It additionally has the most effective win — and arguably a greater total set of wins.
Shouldn’t each of these issues matter? And if the résumés are as comparable as many consider, shouldn’t the tiebreaker be the head-to-head matchup they actually performed this season?
Typically I really feel like I’m taking loopy capsules listening to a number of the CFP committee’s rating logic. Essentially the most irritating half is how the committee appears to worth fully completely different standards each single yr.
Some seasons, good wins matter most. Different years, it’s all about avoiding unhealthy losses. In 2014, it was “recreation management.” Then there was the dreadful Florida State snub in 2023, credited largely to Jordan Travis’ damage.
All we ask for is consistency, and apparently that’s an excessive amount of to request.
Pittsburgh might do the CFP choice committee an actual stable by knocking off Miami within the ultimate week of the common season and making this comparability level irrelevant.
