It appears to be upon us, courtesy of the College Football Playoff committee’s bizarre decision to include Alabama and exclude Notre Dame.
On Sunday, the Fighting Irish were snubbed for the College Football Playoff, as the selection committee opted to put Miami in over them. It was a controversial decision that left many scratching their heads, but the Hurricanes did beat Notre Dame head-to-head earlier in the season.
Soon after being left out of the CFP, Notre Dame announced it would not be participating in a bowl this season.
The statement is below:
As a team, we’ve decided to withdraw our name for consideration for a bowl game following the 2025 season.
We appreciate all the support from our families and fans, and we’re hoping to bring the 12th national title to South Bend in 2026
-The 2025 Notre Dame Football Team.
Rather than have one more game and a month of extra practices, the Irish are essentially taking their ball and going home.
I have no problem with the team and its coaches deciding that playing in the Kraft Bleu Cheese Ranch Bowl or whatever it’s called this year isn’t worth the investment of time required. A 10-2 team that is quite obviously one of the best 12 teams in the country expects to be playing for a national title. It deserves to be playing for a national title.
Some observers have pointed out, quite reasonably, that this is a consequence of Notre Dame’s own decision not to join a conference. And it is, and that’s correct. But there is no duty to play in a lesser game that counts for nothing, and this, too, is a consequence of the committee’s actions.
Alabama got their shot last night. They blew it. Why they should be given another shot, over teams like Notre Dame and Vanderbilt, makes no sense to me. I have no problem with James Madison getting in; they did their part and they won their conference. But why the committee thinks anyone wants to see Alabama go to Oklahoma, again, and presumably lose there, again, is beyond me.
Notre Dame lost two games to teams in the playoffs by a combined 4 points. Alabama lost two games to two teams in the playoffs by a combined 23 points, plus to an unranked team by 14 points. As I said yesterday, Alabama should not have been included.
And now, a feeble attempt to protect the non-tradition of conference championship games, the entire bowl tradition is now in jeopardy. Because Notre Dame will not be the only team to decline a bowl; the Big 12 is already having to strongarm two of its teams with playoff aspirations to get them to participate in the bowls to which they’ll be invited.
I don’t have anything against Alabama. I didn’t even follow college football during the Saban years and I’ve never been an SEC guy. But I don’t like seeing other teams getting only one shot at glory when another gets three.