Indiana Secures Top Seed as Notre Dame Misses College Football Playoff

In a dramatic turn of events in college football, Indiana has secured the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff, while Notre Dame has been left out of contention. The decision was made by the College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee, which finalized the rankings on Sunday afternoon.

Notre Dame’s Absence from College Football Playoff

Notre Dame finished the season with a 10-2 record but dropped from No. 9 to No. 10 in the latest rankings. Despite their strong performance, including ten consecutive wins following a tough start, the Irish were overlooked. Their two losses, which were by a mere four points combined, were to teams that made the playoff field: Texas A&M and Miami.

The committee’s decision favored Miami over Notre Dame, primarily due to Miami’s season-opening win against the Irish. CFP selection committee chair Hunter Yurachek explained that both teams had similar schedules, but the head-to-head result proved decisive.

Indiana’s Historic Achievement

Indiana’s season was markedly different. The Hoosiers achieved an unblemished 13-0 record, culminating in a victory against previously top-ranked Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. This victory secured them the top seed in the playoff and marked a significant turnaround for a program that had previously faced struggles.

With this ranking, Indiana earns a first-round bye and will host the winner of the matchup between No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 9 Alabama in the quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl.

Final College Football Playoff Rankings

The final College Football Playoff rankings reflect the competitive nature of this season:

The playoffs are slated to commence with first-round games on December 19-20. The final is scheduled for January 19 outside Miami, promising an exciting conclusion to the college football season.