The College Football Playoff selection committee has left the Miami Hurricanes frazzled and looking for answers after the penultimate rankings put them on the outside looking in.
The chief complaint being Miami only having two losses compared to Alabama, who was ranked 11th, having three. The Crimson Tide’s losses include one against Oklahoma in which they only scored three points. The Hurricanes also blew a 21-point lead to Syracuse for their second defeat last week.
Miami quarterback Cam Ward, who was thought of as a Heisman Trophy contender, lashed out against the committee on Wednesday.
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Miami quarterback Cam Ward runs with the ball against Syracuse on Nov. 30, 2024, in Syracuse, New York. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
“We’re playing better defenses, in my opinion, than the SEC,” he said on the ACC Network, via On3 Sports. “So, it’s just hard. I did what I could. The team, we controlled what we can control.
“We controlled our own destiny for a lot of the season, and we didn’t end up getting the job done. So, we know it’s all in our hands, and it got taken away from us when we lost, so it’s nothing that we can do about it now but just sit there, be patient and just try to get an opportunity to play for another game.”
Ward also doubted how much “tape” officials are watching before putting the rankings together.
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Miami quarterback Cam Ward stands back to pass against Wake Forest, Nov. 23, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
“I mean at the end of the day them boys who in that committee, I really doubt they watch tape or not. I mean you can’t, I mean, we’re a 10-2 team. Not saying Alabama’s not a good team, which they are, but let’s talk about them points. That’s probably the biggest factor, I believe.”
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said before the rankings were released that the committee should “go to the facts.”
Officials saw things differently.
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal encourages his players before the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets game on Oct. 7, 2023, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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“What it came down to is as we evaluated both teams and looked at how they rank, obviously we think highly of both teams,” committee chair Warde Manuel said, via On3 Sports. “One’s at 11, one’s at 12. But what it really came down to is Alabama is 3-1 against current top 25 teams and Miami is 0-1. Alabama is 6-1 against teams above .500 and Miami’s 4-2. Both have had some losses that weren’t what they wanted out of those games. But in the last three games, Miami has lost twice.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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