‘Let’s just put the Chiefs into the playoffs because we think they’re good’ — ESPN’s Mike Greenberg destroys silly narrative around Miami vs. Notre Dame
The ESPN personality wasn’t having it when hypotheticals came up between the Irish and Hurricanes.
The absurdity of the College Football Playoff selection committee’s handling of certain aspects of their latest rankings has reached a new high. And one talking head has dragged the defending Super Bowl champions into the mix – at least tangentially.
The committee revealed its latest rankings on Tuesday night, and the Miami Hurricanes continue to sit behind the Notre Dame Fighting Irish despite a head-to-head win over the latter early in the season.
On ESPN’s Get Up on Wednesday morning, host Mike Greenberg discussed the rankings with Heather Dinich and Paul Finebaum, the latter of whom was incensed over the possible inclusion of Notre Dame over Miami for the last spot in the field.
But it was at the end of the conversation where things took an even more surreal turn for the completely absurd. And Greenberg wasn’t having in.
Mike Greenberg quipped about putting the 6-6 Kansas City Chiefs into the field because people think they are good regarding Miami vs. Notre Dame
Greenberg brought on ESPN’s Joe Fortenbaugh to discuss the odds for both to make the playoff, and Fortenbaugh noted the large disparity in odds between the Irish (-500) and Hurricanes (+650). Fortenbaugh then went on to mention how Notre Dame would be favored in a rematch and how the committee would benefit from having an oddsmaker among its decisionmakers, which is obviously an objectively terrible and dangerous idea.
Greenberg shot that down. “And you know what I would send to that Vegas bookmaker? The film of the game they actually played. A game they played against each other, and Miami won. What are we talking about here?”
“Miami more deserving, Notre Dame viewed as the better team,” Fortenbaugh responded.
“It doesn’t matter who is the better team,” Greenberg shot back. “They played each other. The better team doesn’t always win. Let’s just put the Chiefs into the playoffs because we think they they’re good!”
And that’s where the NFL and every other professional league clears college football by a country mile. Metrics don’t matter there when there is a tie in the NFL and other pro sports- and for what it’s worth they’re very close between Notre Dame and Miami. There are strict rules, and the one at the very top is – who won when these two teams played? It doesn’t matter if a team is on three-game losing streak to end the year.
If the Chiefs go on a run to tie a slipping Jaguars team for the final wild card spot next month, the playoff berth goes to the Jaguars because they narrowly beat Kansas City 31-28 way back in early October. Done.
And that’s as simple as it should be between Notre Dame and Miami. The committee has, in a way, given an NFL analysis here by acknowledging head-to-head results to EVERY relevant pair of teams who played each other in the latest rankings – Georgia over Ole Miss, OU over Alabama, Texas (even at 9-3) over Vanderbilt, and USC over Michigan. Four head-to-head winners with a one spot edge, as it should be.
But apparently that’s not enough to keep the Irish and their golden luck where they should be – one spot below Miami.
Despite different leagues, the rules of fairness and common sense should apply across the board when there is a head-to-head result. It has in the rest of the CFP rankings. It would for the Kansas City Chiefs if they’re in a tie with a team they lost to.
What makes the Notre Dame Fighting Irish so special?
