Urban Meyer and Brady Quinn spar over whether Notre Dame or Miami could topple Georgia in the SEC title game, sparking a heated College Football Playoff debate. The clash unfolded after the Big Ten Championship when FOX pundits Meyer and Quinn argued about the final two at-large spots, specifically in a hypothetical Georgia showdown vs. Alabama.
Meyer challenged the idea of Alabama earning a spot if it would mean they would play Georgia on Georgia’s home turf, asking, “Notre Dame, Miami, who would lose that game in that place?” Quinn pushed back, noting, “Notre Dame beat Georgia last year. Why are we acting like that didn’t happen?” Meyer countered by emphasizing his evaluation of tape across teams, insisting that Alabama should not be excluded from the playoff field merely because they played in the SEC Championship.
The discussion broadened when Notre Dame’s lack of a conference championship was highlighted. Quinn, focusing on Notre Dame’s performance in last year’s playoff in New Orleans, pointed to their on-field results, including beating Georgia the previous year.
Meyer argued that penalizing a team for competing in the SEC and losing in Georgia would be unfair and could undermine the purpose of the championship game. He asserted repeatedly that Notre Dame would never, ever play in a championship game, raising questions about fairness in the selection process.
Quinn framed the Notre Dame situation as separate from conference affiliation, stating that their playoff run and national championship appearance last year cannot be ignored. He reminded viewers that Notre Dame defeated Georgia in the previous season’s action.
As the final two playoff spots remain undecided, the panel offered predictions: Quinn leaned toward Miami and Notre Dame earning the berths, while Meyer kept Miami in the mix (citing the head-to-head win over Notre Dame) and argued Alabama deserved inclusion due to its SEC Championship appearance.
This debate underscored polarizing opinions about how much weight conference championships, head-to-head results, and historical performance should carry when selecting the playoff field. Do you believe Alabama’s SEC Championship appearance should guarantee continued playoff consideration, or should Notre Dame’s prior win over Georgia carry more influence than conference context suggests? Share your thoughts in the comments.
