The College Football Playoff committee stirred some controversy by changing the rankings of Alabama and Notre Dame, with Alabama now at No. 9 and Notre Dame at No. 10. This adjustment perplexed coach Marcus Freeman, especially since Notre Dame secured a substantial win against Stanford, defeating them 49-20.

Alabama also triumphed over Auburn, but their 27-20 victory was not as dominant as Notre Dame’s. Freeman expressed confusion over why their performance didn’t suffice to maintain their position.

“Obviously you’re disappointed, but more so because of a little bit of confusion,” Freeman noted. “You’re confused in terms of what we could have done differently and why we fell when we won 49-20. I think we were up 42-6 going into the fourth quarter. I don’t spend time talking about other teams, but it’s just like, OK, what could we have done differently? I don’t know.”

If conference championship favorites win, Notre Dame may still contend for an at-large playoff spot. Meanwhile, Alabama’s ranking may offer them some leeway should they lose in upcoming games, a consideration that the committee has historically weighed.

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