For the last 2 years, any variation of the future College Football Playoffs heavily favored the SEC and the Big 10. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Big 10 commissioner Tony Pettiti were creating a P2 that marginalized the Big 12, ACC, the G5 to such an extent that there was even a discussion of just a P2 playoff.
There’s only one way that the rest of college football can stay in the conversation – win, and win on the biggest stage. Regular-season wins gain attention, but don’t resonate. Bowl wins even with opt-outs should matter to some extent, but they largely get ignored.
You have to win in the playoffs.
Since 2019, there has been one non SEC, Big 10, Notre Dame win in the playoffs. That was the TCU win over Michigan in 2022, and that win got diminished when TCU was destroyed 65-7 by Georgia.
Last year, the ACC, Big 12, and G5 went 0-4 in the playoffs. This year, the G5 lost 2 more blowout games. The Big 12’s Texas Tech appeared to have the makeup to win a game or two. Well, they did with their defensive front, but across the rest of their roster, they were completely overmatched by Oregon in a not as close as the score indicated 23-0 loss.
The Miami Hurricanes went into College Station and defeated a top-10 SEC Texas A&M team 10-3. That caught people’s attention, but the Aggies weakish resume and lack of historical success had the win treated more like a nice story than one that truly resonated the way it should have.
A win over the defending national champs and the country’s current premier program, Ohio State, well, now that’s undeniable.
Miami won emphatically by scoring more points (24) than anyone did this season against the nation’s statistically best defense and beating the Buckeyes 24-14.
Someone had to break the glass ceiling if there was any chance at CFP equity. Big 12 champ Texas Tech could have helped the argument, but face-planted on the national stage against Oregon.
There’s a saying that if I want it done right, I’ll just do it myself.
In the end, that someone was the ACC’s Miami Hurricanes.
Miami, one game at a time, is blowing up P2 CFP narrative in resounding fashion all by themselves.
