After Notre Dame was left out of the 12-team CFP field, analyst Paul Finebaum called the program’s response “embarrassing,” criticizing the decision to decline a bowl invitation.
When the CFP field was revealed for 2025, many expected Notre Dame, 10-2 and winners of their final 10 games, to crack the expanded 12-team bracket.
But when the dust settled, the Irish found themselves excluded as the final at-large bid went to Miami Hurricanes, also 10-2. Miami’s head-to-head win over Notre Dame in Week 1 reportedly tipped the balance.
Paul Finebaum is fed up with Notre Dame fans 🫢 pic.twitter.com/XxDVSfkaOl
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 8, 2025
The snub hit hard. Notre Dame’s athletic director announced the school would decline even a secondary bowl invitation, ending the season with no postseason at all.
For many inside and outside the program, the disappointment felt genuine.
The Irish’s late-season dominance, lopsided wins, and their brand legacy all seemed to argue for inclusion. But for the selection committee, those arguments weren’t enough.
Paul Finebaum’s take: No sympathy for the “crybabies”
But not everyone feels sympathy for the outcry. On ESPN’s “Get Up,” Paul Finebaum didn’t hold back, calling Notre Dame’s public reaction “embarrassing” and likening the school’s response to that of “crybabies.”
Finebaum argued that while Notre Dame fans and players have a right to be disappointed, the tone of complaint and the decision to opt out of any bowl game crossed a line. He said the program should swallow the committee’s decision, accept its fate, and move forward rather than publicly lament it and refuse to play.
“They think they’re great, but they’re not.”
Paul Finebaum blasted Notre Dame 😳 pic.twitter.com/Fz8wjOyJa7
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) December 8, 2025
In his view, the Irish got the result they earned, losses at Miami and Texas A&M, and should stop blaming the process. As he put it, “They got it right, and the crying from Notre Dame is quite frankly embarrassing.”
What does all this mean for Notre Dame, the CFP, and college football expectations
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For Notre Dame: The snub and subsequent bowing out may damage goodwill. Student-athletes lose a final game, fans lose closure. The optics of abandoning a bowl rather than fighting it out may leave lasting resentment among peers and voters long-term.
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For the CFP: This situation highlights a tight ceiling: even 10-2 records don’t guarantee inclusion under the expanded field. It underscores how head-to-head losses, even early in the season, still carry weight under selection criteria.
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For the broader landscape: The reaction and backlash raise bigger questions about expectations vs. reality. As more independent or non-automatic-bid teams seek playoff berths, the pressure on the selection committee grows. And the next time a similar team narrowly misses, will the public or media treat them as victims, or hold them responsible?
In the end, Paul Finebaum’s criticism might sting, but it cuts to the core of what many inside college football hope to reinforce: the outcome of a season isn’t negotiable.
The rules, the committee, the earlier losses, they all add up. If you finish 10-2, that’s strong. If you lose to Miami and A&M, that weighs. And if you walk away before a bowl game in protest, some will call that surrender, not principle.
