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Miami, FL - The College Football Playoff committee announced its first 12-team field on Sunday, prompting immediate scrutiny after undefeated Indiana rose to the No. 1 seed while Notre Dame fell out of playoff contention at No. 11.
The Hoosiers claimed the top spot after a 13 to 10 win over Ohio State, securing their first Big Ten championship since 1967 and positioning themselves for a potential postseason rematch with the Buckeyes.
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Notre Dame, which won ten straight games to finish its season, dropped two spots over the final two weeks despite a 29 point victory in its finale and no games played this weekend.
Miami moved ahead of the Irish based partly on its 27 to 24 opening week win, a result the committee reexamined once BYU dropped in the rankings and placed the two teams side by side.
Alabama also held its No. 9 position despite a 28 to 7 loss to Georgia.
Committee chairman Hunter Yurachek said the group debated the No. 9, No. 10, and No. 11 positions extensively and reviewed Miami’s defensive performance against Notre Dame as a deciding factor.
The final automatic berth went to James Madison rather than Duke, with the committee citing Duke’s five losses and Virginia’s lower ranking.
Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech joined Indiana with first round byes.
The remainder of the field includes Oregon, Ole Miss, Texas A and M, Oklahoma, Alabama, Miami, Tulane, and James Madison.
