Here's Why Everyone's Wrong About Alabama, Notre Dame In College Football Playoff Picture

We're somehow rapidly approaching the College Football Playoff, and as we get closer and closer, the committee's poll takes on increased importance. Sometimes. 

With the release of this week's poll on Tuesday night, the immediate controversy in the college football world revolved around two teams and their placement in the rankings: the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The 8-2 Irish jumped into the top 10 at No. 9, while the 8-2 Crimson Tide fell to No. 10 after a 23-21 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in Tuscaloosa. 

Immediately, SEC boosters started their wailing and gnashing of teeth. Some called it an abomination. One writer based in Birmingham said that it was "a joke" for the Irish to be above Alabama. 

One particular account referenced the number of wins against currently ranked opponents to say Alabama deserved to be higher. 

Except, both of them, and the many other pro-SEC accounts are wrong about the rankings. And there's a simple explanation.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - CJ Carr of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish rolls out to pass during the game against USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on October 18, 2025. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)

Alabama's Resume Isn't Actually Better Than Notre Dame

The argument, on its surface, seems to make some sense: Alabama has more ranked wins than Notre Dame. There are several key issues with that line of thinking, however. One is that human rankings aren't the only measure of team quality. Another is that Alabama's loss to Florida State now looks like one of the worst losses of any top team this season. Finally, overall team resumes are built not just on wins and losses, but by how teams play within those games.

Sure enough, when looking at a holistic picture, the rankings start to make a lot more sense. 

For example, ESPN's SP+, an advanced ranking system based on team efficiency on offense, defense and special teams, also rates team resumes, using a very simple formula. As creator Bill Connelly defines it, "Résumé SP+ compares each team's scoring margin (capped at 50 points for a given game) to what an average top-five team would be expected to generate against a given opponent." 

Not just wins and losses, scoring margin. SP+ also has a strength of schedule ranking, "based on the expected win percentage an average top-five team (per SP+) would generate against each team's schedule."

Here's how these rankings play out when using a more advanced form of resume evaluation than just "Alabama beat Vanderbilt."

Notre Dame ranks eighth, Alabama ranks 15th. While Alabama has played a harder schedule than Notre Dame, how they've played against their schedule, by measuring scoring margin relative to what an average top-5 team would have in those games, isn't as impressive. Sorry, Tide fans, that's the data.

By forward-looking rankings, Notre Dame also ranks higher than Bama. FEI ratings have the Irish sixth, while Alabama is eighth. SP+ has Notre Dame fifth and Alabama 11th. 

Here's the other thing; the order here doesn't actually matter much. If Alabama wins out, the Tide is almost certainly going to make the playoff anyway. They play in the SEC, they have the brand name, they have a big quality win over Georgia. There will be a massive, organized campaign by ESPN to get them in over other two-loss teams. And the loss to Oklahoma makes it less likely they'll have to play in an SEC Championship Game and potentially take a third loss. 

Part of ranking college football teams is taking a comprehensive look at their body of work. Part of that is ranked wins, part of it is ranked losses. Notre Dame's two losses, by the way, are to No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 13 Miami. Bama lost to No. 8 Oklahoma and a 5-5 FSU team that's 2-5 in the ACC. Part of it is also assessing how teams played in their games. By that measure, the Irish have a case to be ranked ahead of Alabama.