Notre Dame toppled No. 1 Miami, but last year’s College Football Playoff snub won’t let Irish exhale

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Marcus Freeman had just beaten the No. 1 team in the country. He still didn't care about the College Football Playoff Rankings.

"We don't need to focus on it. We don't need to talk about it," Freeman said. "Our job was to leave no doubt today, and they did."

Days before Notre Dame's 31-24 win over Miami on Saturday night, Freeman told his players to use the CFP Rankings as motivation, if they wanted. The committee's first release put the Irish at No. 11, seven spots below where the AP poll had them. Fans grew angry, of course. It was a reminder of last season, when the committee flipped Miami and Notre Dame in a last-minute change, leaving the Irish out of the playoff.

"I was asked the same question on (ESPN's College) GameDay, like it really doesn't matter where we were ranked," Freeman said. "We learned that last year. It doesn't matter what you're ranked until the last week, and that's the truth."

After all, those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. The Irish finished the 2025 regular season on a tear, winning 10 straight to finish 10-2. They sat at…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/