The College Football Playoff selection committee has left the club Hurricanes in Miami exhausted and looking for answers after the penultimate rankings left them on the outside looking in.
The main complaint is that Miami has only two losses, compared to 11th-ranked Alabama with three. The Crimson Tide’s losses include one against Oklahoma in which they scored just three points. The Hurricanes also blew a 21-point lead to Syracuse coming off their second loss last week.
Miami quarterback Cam Ward, who was seen 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 November 30, 2024 in Syracuse, New York. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
“We play better defense than the SEC, in my opinion,” he said on the ACC Network via On3 Sports. “So it’s just hard. I did what I could. The team controlled what we could control.
“We spent a lot of the season controlling our own destiny and in the end we weren’t able to get the job done. So we know it’s all in our hands and it was taken away from us when we lost. We can do something about it now, but just sit there, be patient and just try to get a chance to play for another game.”
Ward also questioned how much “tape” officials watch before compiling the rankings.
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Miami quarterback Cam Ward takes a step back against Wake Forest, Nov. 23, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
“At the end of the day, I mean those guys that I really doubt on that committee whether they’re watching tape or not. I mean you can’t, I mean we’re a 10-2 team. I’m not saying Alabama isn’t good. team, whatever they are, but let’s talk about the points. That’s probably the biggest factor, I think.”
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said before the rankings were released that the committee should “get to the facts.”
Officials saw things differently.
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal cheers on his players before the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets game on October 7, 2023 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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“The bottom line is that we evaluated both teams and looked at where they are in the rankings. Obviously we have a high opinion of both teams,” committee chairman Warde Manuel said via On3 Sports. “One is out of 11, one out of 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 those of Miami 4-2. Both have had some losses that weren’t what they wanted to get 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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