Miami’s Cam Ward Calls Out CFP Committee, SEC Defenses After Latest Rankings

The Heisman hopeful was not happy following a rough College Football Playoff rankings release for Miami.

Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

The Miami Hurricanes were ranked No. 12 by the College Football Playoff selection committee on Tuesday night, almost certainly ending the program's national championship hopes. Quarterback Cam Ward, who was named ACC Player of the Year and the league's Offensive Player of the Year Wednesday, took exception with the committee ranking the Hurricanes below No. 11 Alabama during a Wednesday ACC Network appearance.

“I mean at the end of the day them boys who in that committee, I really doubt they watch tape or not,” Ward said, per On3. "I mean, we’re a 10-2 team. Not saying Alabama‘s not a good team, which they are, but let’s talk about them points. That’s probably the biggest factor, I believe.”

Ward helmed the top offense in the country by a variety of metrics, including yards (538.3) and points (44.2) per game. The Hurricanes offense also ranked No. 1 in ESPN's SP+ and FPI. The QB says that the selection committee ignored a solid defense that made Miami one of the most balanced teams in the country.

“We’ve got a top 25 defense, which is actually one of the best defenses in the country,” Ward said. “So both sides of the ball we’re one of the best teams in the country. You talk about an offense who puts points on the board left and right, whether it’s passing, whether it’s throwing. We’ve got two great running backs in the backfield in [Damien Martinez] and Mark [Fletcher], so it’s hard to leave that out.”

He also made the surprising claim that the defenses that Miami faces in the ACC are superior to the ones that Alabama took on in the SEC.

“We’re playing better defenses, in my opinion, than the SEC,” he said. “So it’s just hard. I did what I could. The team, we controlled what we can control. We controlled our own destiny for a lot of the season and we didn’t end up getting the job done. So we know it’s all in our hands and it got taken away from us when we lost, so it’s nothing that we can do about it now but just sit there, be patient and just try to get an opportunity to play for another game.”

Some of Ward's claims don't quite pass muster, especially around The U's defense. While Miami only allowed 319.8 yards and 23.9 points per game, they struggled mightily down the stretch in ACC play. The Canes gave up 30.8 points per game in conference. Only Florida State and Wake Forest, two of the league's worst teams, scored less than 28 points against the defense.

Regardless, Alabama's placement above Miami has generated significant controversy, just weeks after the Crimson Tide lost to unranked Oklahoma 24–3, something that does not appear to be weighed as heavily as The U's close losses to Georgia Tech and Syracuse. Miami has a 10–2 record, while Alabama is 9–3 on the season.

The Hurricanes' 42–38 loss to the Orange also knocked the Hurricanes out of the ACC championship, giving No. 17 Clemson a chance to play for a conference title and CFP spot against No. 8 SMU. The Big 12 champion—either No. 15 Arizona State or No. 16 Iowa State—is expected to be one of the five highest-ranked conference champions, and will jump into the 12-team field. Warde Manuel, the chair of the selection committee, said that the group would not be reevaluating teams that are not active during conference championship weekend, meaning Miami's fate is likely sealed barring an unforeseen change.

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