Kirk Herbstreit isn’t backing down after his comments about the College Football Playoff, especially when it comes to Indiana making the cut. He recently reiterated that his concern was not about deserving teams but rather the committee’s tendency to prioritize teams solely based on their record rather than assessing who truly is the best. The whole thing sparked some debate, but Herbstreit’s standing firm on his point. Guess he’s not backing down anytime soon on this one.

Indiana Hoosiers losing against Notre Dame with a score of 27-17 brought a lot of hate for the team. And even Kirk Herbstreit made a critical comment on them, saying they were “outclassed” by Notre Dame. Moreover, he also made his stance clear, saying, “Not a team that should’ve been on the field.” That’s kind of true, though. Hoosiers failing to win against a ranked opponent is something that raises serious questions about their ability to win big games.

However, on December 24th, in a conversation on The Pat McAfee Show, Kirk Herbstreit made his point clear about what he meant while he said those things. “I think I said it in that postgame comment. Some of the responses made it sound like people thought I was trying to go to bat for other teams. I’m really not. My whole thing is I don’t want teams to get in just because they’re 11-1. If the reasoning for them getting in is that they’re a better team based on their resume and performance, then fine, put them in. But if it’s just based on their record, that shouldn’t be the only reason.” That’s true; it’s gotta be about who’s playing the best game, not just who has the best record.

Well, you remember Curt Cignetti’s bold claim just before their showdown against Notre Dame? “We don’t just beat top 25 teams. We beat the s–t out of them,” he said. A classic example of big talk with a hollow outcome. This is the team that was trailing 20-3 against the Irish in the fourth quarter. Looks like Indiana’s loss against the Buckeyes wasn’t enough of a wake-up call for the committee members. It’s understandable to some extent that records are hard to ignore, but what about the strength of schedule these teams have faced?

But how do we come to a middle point with the committee constantly shifting? Last year, when Alabama made it into the playoffs against the Seminoles, it was just because of their remarkable gameplay history. Even then, people were not happy, and surprisingly, Kirk Herbstreit supported that, saying, “My point isn’t about certain teams; it’s about ensuring we’re picking the best teams, not just the most deserving.”

See, he is not wrong in making such claims. But then this year the committee also took some drastic steps, leaving out the 9-3 Alabama and some strong SEC teams. It’s a tricky balance—trying to get it right while also recognizing that with every right call, there’s bound to be some good teams left out.

Lane Kiffin is on the same path as Kirk Herbstreit

The playoff committee is really striking some nerves. And what’s adding fuel to the fire is their selected teams failing to live up to the expectations. Just look at teams like Indiana, SMU, and Tennessee, who were supposed to be at the top of their game according to many analysts and fans. But see the irony: they are all out of the playoff race. This even made Rebels’ head coach Lane Kiffin furious as he expressed his dissatisfaction with the whole selection process, selecting teams just by their records, not by performance.

Moreover, Lane Kiffin also hit X with a sarcastic tweet after the epic failure of this high-value team, saying, “Way to keep us on the edge committee.” The frustration is pretty evident after the Ole Miss Rebels were kept out of the playoff race because of their 9-3 record this season. So let’s talk about some facts.

We can’t deny the fact that the Rebels did have an embarrassing loss against the Kentucky Wildcats, and that’s really not impressive. And then what about the game they won against the Bulldogs? Doesn’t that count as a big win?

But who cares when you have an 11-1 on your resume, right? Lane Kiffin’s and Kirk Herbstreit’s concerns raise serious questions about the entire mindset behind the selection of the teams. At least the selection committee should have given teams like the Rebels and Crimson Tide a chance to prove their worth.

Kiffin’s rage went to an extent where he even tweeted a poll suggesting Nick Saban should be the NCAA commissioner. All this is surely adding up to some serious drama. Let’s see if there is any change from next season or if all this fuss was for naught.