As frustration boils over in South Bend, FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt said Monday that the College Football Playoff selection committee ultimately “got it right” by leaving Notre Dame out of the 12-team field.
Even if the Irish might have been better than several teams that made it above the cut. There was a final decision put on the table that favored conference teams. Notre Dame finished 10-2 and won 10 straight to close the regular season, but the Irish slipped to No. 11 on Selection Sunday after Miami moved ahead to claim the final at-large berth.
The snub prompted Notre Dame to opt out of bowl consideration entirely. Klatt acknowledged the anger from Irish fans but argued that two conflicting ideas can be true.
“I think that the committee ultimately got it right and, at the same time, Notre Dame would beat half of this field,” he said on The Joel Klatt Show. He listed multiple teams, including Miami, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama and Ole Miss, that he believes Notre Dame would “probably” beat based on its form over the final two months.
Klatt said the resume comparison mattered more than hypothetical matchups. Notre Dame’s early losses and lack of a conference title opportunity left its fate in the committee’s hands.
For the Irish, the what-ifs will linger far longer than bowl season. This is nearly the same scenario Florida State faced after an undefeated regular season in 2023. But Notre Dame couldn't escape the early-season losses.
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