Overview of College Football Playoff Rankings Reaction: Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio State
Colin Cowherd and Josh Pate spend this episode reacting to the College Football Playoff rankings and breaking down the biggest teams and matchups shaping the race. The conversation centers on Notre Dame vs. Miami, the committee’s handling of Indiana, Alabama’s ceiling against LSU, and USC’s surprising win over Ohio State. Along the way, they debate how to evaluate teams: actual results on the field versus power ratings, strength of schedule, and “best team” optics.
Key CFP Rankings Debate
Notre Dame vs. Miami
- The biggest immediate discussion was Notre Dame’s matchup with Miami, especially with Miami star Malachi Toney possibly not fully healthy.
- Both hosts leaned Notre Dame in the game, citing:
- a strong Irish defense,
- home-field advantage,
- colder weather conditions,
- and concern about Miami’s passing-game dependence if Toney is limited.
- They also noted Notre Dame’s quarterback, CJ Carr, still has to prove he can rise in big-volume, high-pressure spots.
Miami’s Profile Under Mario Cristobal
- Pate and Cowherd were highly complimentary of Mario Cristobal’s roster-building philosophy:
- build from the trenches,
- recruit experienced quarterbacks,
- use the transfer portal strategically,
- and avoid overreliance on traditional long-term quarterback development.
- Their view: Miami looks like a legitimate national-title-level team at its best, especially because Cristobal has corrected some of the game-management issues that used to follow him.
Indiana at No. 4
- The most heated criticism was reserved for Indiana being ranked No. 4.
- Their argument:
- the story around Indiana has outgrown the actual product,
- the offense has been uneven, especially without a fully healthy Fernando Mendoza,
- and the committee’s logic looked inconsistent when compared with how Notre Dame was treated.
- Cowherd’s blunt takeaway: if Miami played Indiana right now, he would expect Miami to be favored.
Team-by-Team Reactions
Alabama vs. LSU
- The hosts saw Alabama–LSU as one of the hardest games to project.
- Alabama’s upside was tied to returning health and talent:
- key injured players were expected back,
- and the Tide still have the kind of explosive ceiling that can overwhelm anyone.
- LSU’s recent results were treated cautiously:
- they’ve beaten weak opponents,
- but the team still feels volatile and not fully proven.
- Pate leaned slightly LSU, but emphasized the uncertainty and said Alabama could absolutely expose them if the Tide are healthy and sharp.
USC’s Win Over Ohio State
- USC’s upset of Ohio State was framed as a “stay of execution” for Lincoln Riley.
- Cowherd and Pate agreed it was USC’s best, most complete physical performance in years, played with purpose from start to finish.
- The emotional reaction around the win was part of the point:
- USC acted like it had finally done something meaningful simply by beating a quality opponent.
- Cowherd saw that as evidence of how far expectations had fallen under Riley.
- Ohio State was defended more than criticized:
- they’ve lost too much NFL-caliber talent,
- the quarterback situation limited the offense,
- and the loss was seen more as a roster reality than a collapse.
Bigger College Football Themes
What the Committee Should Reward
- Both hosts pushed back on the idea that the playoff should be decided purely by who would be favored on a neutral field.
- Their point:
- power ratings matter,
- but actual results should matter more.
- They criticized the inconsistency of rewarding Indiana while punishing teams like Notre Dame for weaker schedules.
Best Teams “At Their Best”
- Pate’s top-tier group at full strength:
- Georgia
- Miami
- Notre Dame
- He also said Alabama and LSU have the upside to join that group depending on health and form.
- Ohio State would have belonged in that discussion before the quarterback issues.
- As a dark horse, Pate pointed to Utah as a team worth watching, praising its program-building and quarterback play.
Final Takeaways
- Notre Dame was viewed as a real threat, especially at home and with Miami potentially compromised.
- Miami remains a dangerous national-title contender because of Cristobal’s roster construction and its physical identity.
- Indiana’s ranking drew the sharpest criticism for seeming story-driven rather than performance-driven.
- Alabama-LSU was called a volatile, high-ceiling, hard-to-read game.
- USC’s win over Ohio State looked more like a sign of Ohio State’s roster limitations than a total Buckeye collapse.
Bottom Line
This episode is less about one game and more about how to judge college football teams in the playoff era. Cowherd and Pate repeatedly return to the same tension: should the committee reward the most complete résumé, the best team on paper, or the one that has actually earned it on the field?