Despite all of that, Notre Dame was left out in favor of Alabama and Miami.
What makes that decision so baffling, and so indefensible from a Notre Dame perspective, is that Alabama was pushed over Notre Dame in the rankings a week ago when there was very little evidence to suggest that was the right call.
Notre Dame was also jumped by Miami in the final rankings on Sunday, even though Notre Dame and Miami did not play a game on Saturday.
How the rankings could flip in less than a week, when neither team played, exposes just one of the many flaws in the playoff selection process, and the flaws and inconsistencies that this particular committee had.
The issue is not so much Miami getting an at-large spot over Notre Dame. Miami, after all, did beat Notre Dame in a head-to-head game earlier this season. The games being played on the field matter, and the head-to-head result should matter.
But if that is the case, how does the committee justify consistently ranking Notre Dame ahead of Miami for weeks, only to flip them at the last possible second on a weekend where neither team played?
How does the committee argue that the eye test and how you are playing at the end of the season matter, and then watch Alabama struggle down the stretch, get blown out on Saturday and put it in ahead of Notre Dame?
How does the committee argue that teams will not be punished for losing badly in a conference championship game (Alabama), while punishing another team (BYU) for losing badly in a conference championship game, helping set the stage for Notre Dame to be left out?
It is a shameful process.
Notre Dame not only lost out because of that, but it had to watch and listen to ESPN talking heads put down their resume all weekend to boost up Alabama. You can not blame Notre Dame for not wanting to give the network or college football in general a big audience for what will now be a meaningless game.
Sour grapes? Maybe. Petty? You bet. Valid? Absolutely.
