PTI - Was Notre Dame SNUBBED by the Committee?

Episode Date: December 8, 2025

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss the latest in the CFP, the Chiefs, and the Packers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.esPN.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. Scientists have found a way to supercharge aging cells. Tony, what's that mean for us?

Tony Kornheiser. 50 more years of PTI up top. 50? 50. Supercharged aging cells. What do you get to- What does that mean? I don't know. Do you get to lay down in a hyperbaric chamber and feel the supercharging and feel yourself getting younger?

You know, I started going into hyperbaric. Have you done that really? A couple of times. Let me know if it works. Yeah. Welcome to PTI, boys and girls, in today's episode, the Chiefs are all but done. The Steelers top the Ravens and the Packers beat Wilbon's Bears. But we begin today with the 12-team college football playoff.

It's all set up. The big news is that 10-2 Miami is in and 10-2 Notre Dame is out, despite Notre Dame being ranked ahead of Miami for weeks and weeks, even though Miami beat Notre Dame head-to-head. Also, 10-3 Alabama is in, despite those three losses and a crushing loss to Georgia in the SEC-C. conference championship game on Saturday. Wilbon, as you know, I think Notre Dame got completely hosed. What do you think about the teams in the playoffs? If Alabama had been left out instead, it wouldn't have killed me. But I understand. These are close decisions. I'm about one thing. I told you this on your podcast this morning, and I mean it. Head to head. And Notre Dame had beat Miami. I don't care when the game was. It's only 12 of them.

Put Notre Dame in. But Notre Dame didn't win that game. Miami won that game. So I don't have any problem with the team that won head to head. If you're not going to honor head-to-head, what the hell? Then what are you going to honor other than on-the-field competition? I don't care about voting and popularity. We'll get back. I'm going to let you get to Notre Dame. Yeah.

Because I'm mad now. Earlier I wasn't angry. I told you on the podcast this one of it was just about head-to-head. It was. But now Notre Dame has a nerve to come out and criticize the ACC, the nerve when they cozy up to the ACC for their purposes and their benefit over the years. They've won every popularity contest in the history of man. They got the whole world stumping for them, and now they want to whine to the ACC.

They're lucky I'm not Jim Phillips because a statement I would have released would have crushed them forever. Ask you a question. I thought you were going to hold off until I spoke. But you went. But now you got the stage. Now you got the court. Okay. So give me a little time here.

The villain in the piece is Virginia. If Virginia had beaten Duke, none of this happens. That's right. Virginia gets in. James Madison is. out and Miami's probably out because an ACC team gets in. That's right. And the committee wanted to put an ACC team in.

Okay. So when Duke beats Virginia, the committee understands they can't put Duke in with five losses. But most of the people on the committee, most of them are ADs and coaches. And they know ADs all around the country. And they don't want to embarrass the ACC. No. The ACC's big-time conference. So they want to make sure an ACC team gets in.

And so they put in Miami because they can't put in Virginia. This is the same group of people who week after week after week separated Notre Dame from Miami, even though it may have been wrong, but that's what they did weekend. I know. So you can ask this question fairly. What did Miami do last week to move ahead of Notre Dame? The answer is nothing because they didn't play.

Committee members got memories in August. Let me get to head to head. Let me get to head to head. And I understand it. Miami played a home game against Notre Dame, beat them by three points. That's not a crushing defeat. Three points. That was in August. In August. It is now December. Since then, Notre Dame

won ten games in a row, and Miami lost two games to weaker opponents, unranked opponents. Notre Dame's losses are far better because two teams are in the tournament. Who did they beat? They won't. Mine's got more impressive victories than Notre Dame. Well, the victory they have this more impressive is Notre Dame.

Yeah. Is Notre Dame. I think, I honestly think, that Notre Dame got hosed because because they're not in a conference, really. They play footsie with a conference. They cozy up when it benefits them. They're not really in it. And then criticize them today.

I understand that. Hippercitical bombs is what they're like. Alabama's important in this. They're important. We both have maybe left them out. They could have left Alabama out. Alabama has three losses, including a terrible loss to Georgia. I mean, they got destroyed.

But the committee anticipated that. They put Alabama ahead of Notre Dame for no apparent reason to tell everybody if you get to a conference championship game, we're not going to boot you. Because you're playing at it, whereas A&M and Oklahoma and they're not playing in it. Let me ask you one quick thing before we move on. Yes.

Head to head. I know you for a long time. You believe in what happens in the field of play. I do. I do. But I think there's some nuance to it because it happened so long ago. Wasn't that long ago? August.

The fall season is only four months long. It was August. August and last day. September, October, November. That's it. December. Have you been outside lately?

It's freezing. I was outside. It's different than long. By the way. By the way. By the way. How hypocritical is Notre Dame? Let me,

the ACC, as long as I get my paycheck and then behave like this. To be fair. To be fair, you've hated Notre Dame your whole life. And you loved them and you stumped for them. I admit to hate them. Now I hate them today.

I'm glad they're home. I'm glad they're going nowhere. No playoff. No, it's going to end. We're not doing any more stories. Get out, Notre Dame. Because it's just going on and on and on. Please.

You hate them. I do hate them. Go ahead. Today more than ever. Read. And I got reason. Really? And I got support.

Read. Huh? Hate Notre Dame. Yeah. Boom to the AFC now. The Steelers beat the Ravens in Baltimore to move atop the NFC north. Jaguars beat the Colts to take control of the AFC South in the game. Daniel Jones injured as Achilles out for the season.

The Texans are. game back after beating the Chiefs last night, sending them all but out of the playoffs. And the bills beat the Bengals ahead of Buffalo's big showdown at New England Sunday. Which AFC team then had the biggest win? It's not the biggest win. It's the biggest loss. Kansas City had the biggest loss. Kansas City is now out of, they're not getting in the playoffs. For the first time since, hello, 2014.

In the interim, they won three Super Bowls and they were in five so much for your years of dynasty of one, because they had a real dynasty. They had a real dynasty. Every time I've watched Kansas City this year and they've lost, it's the same thing. Patrick Mahomes throws a perfect pass and somebody drops it. My God. Drop after drop after. 22 drops. It seems more like that this season.

Drop after drop. So now Andy Reid has to figure out how to retool that team. And he also has to figure out does he want to keep coaching? If you ask me what is the biggest win, I'm going to go pretty much off the board where you're concerned. I actually think it might be Buffalo because Joe Burrow was having his way with them until those two crazy back-to-back interceptions. And then, now it's snowing, the weather is awful. Josh Allen takes over the game. Josh Allen gives an MVP performance, and maybe the bill's found something.

I don't disagree with you on either one of those points. Kansas City is the big story in the AFC. These guys are worthy, long-time, dominant, impressive, charismatic champions. What do you think he used them? What do you think of Houston? Well, they don't have much in the way of offense. They remind me a lot of my Bears teams, but they'll hit you in the mouth. How about the hitting in that game last night?

the popping in that game. Things were flying off people's helmets last night. I don't want to be accused of recency bias. When I watch that, I honestly thought that could be a Super Bowl team. They have held, I think, in succession, Buffalo, Indianapolis, and Kansas City, a total of 45. If you're holding somebody at 15, you only have to score 18.

But I'm going to agree with you on the other point, too. I thought Buffalo reestablishing itself, if that's what they did. They weren't home, but Cincinnati, you thought Joe Burrow was going. going to deliver. I was going to win it. And it did. I was starting to sway. It looked like he was and he has these bizarre interceptions that... What did you think of Pittsburgh and Baltimore? Baltimore is done too. I think they are. Here's why. One, you know, for six to eight weeks, I've thought Lamar Jackson is not that Lamar Jackson. You can see it. Maybe he will be again

next year. Not now. Not now. But not now. And I don't think they're good enough. And I don't think Pittsburgh's good enough either. So I kind of slide... But it, but it quiets the drumbeat about Mike Tomlin little bit. And Aaron Rogers was good. Aaron Rogers was very good in that game. He was very good. The call against the Ravens, is that a touchdown or not? I didn't think it was. Did you? It's a hard one. Yeah, I didn't. I kind of thought it was like to be swayed on that. And Indianapolis, which started out, they're done. They're done. Okay, maybe this rookie from

Notre Dame. No. I can root for him because he ain't there. Maybe he's pretty good. Maybe he can hold a fort. They're not out of it. I think they're out of it. It looks, they're trending out of it. Let's move now to the NFC and talk about him. impressive wins yesterday. The Rams crushed Arizona 45-17 in Arizona. The Packers held on and beat the Bears on the last meaningful play of the game with an interception in the end zone 28-21. And the Saints who'd only won twice all year beat Tampa Bay in Tampa Bay 24 to 20 to knock the bucks down to a tie for first place in their division with Idol Carolina. Wilbon, whose win was most impressive? Packers. And if those two plays are gone differently at the end, a touchdown and a two-point conversion, I would say the Bears. That game, that's, that That was a game worthy of all the hype all week and worthy of the oldest rivalry in the National Football League, 100 years old. Obviously, I don't want to talk to anybody

for about two hours after the end of that game. The Packers look like they're ready to challenge. And they're further along in their evolution than the Bears and Caleb Williams, Love and versus Williams. And they won that game at home. They're going to run that back in 13. days. Actually, it's a Saturday night primetime game in Soldier Field. Well, I'm hoping for a different

result. But the Packers played really well. Whenever the Bears came, they had that 17-play drive. The Bears did, which was really impressive. And they knocked the Packers back in the end zone, hit them in the mouth, and the Packers answered. And that game had everything you could ask for. Obviously, I want the different last pass. Caleb's got to throw it earlier and higher. Two seconds later, Komet was open or run the ball. I would have run the ball. that game had everything. Yeah. It also had the winner that's always the winner.

It's 12 of the last 13, 30 of the last 36. So you don't have to be Aaron Rogers to own the Bears. You can be Jordan Love and own the Bears. I'll make the case for the other two things just briefly. I'll start out with the Saints, you know, because they're a terrible team. They were one in five on the road, and they win this game against Tampa Bay, who I thought was a good team. And they have faded. And their only chance now is they have two games head-to-head with Carolina.

So we'll see what they can do in that. And the other game, the Rams, the Rams reestablished themselves as a number one seed in the NFC. This is the point I want to make because they had lost to Carolina. Matthew Stafford had thrown two picks and made a fumble. And then they rushed. What did they get here? 249 yards. But, and there's always a butt, Arizona is simply nothing.

Homecoming team. They're absolutely nothing. I told you this this morning, that I watched the Bears and the Packers, and I thought the Bears were a playoff team. Whether you had any doubts at all in the first 12 games as what their schedule was and how they were winning their playoff team, they put on their big boy pants. That was a really good game. My argument, not my argument,

my disagreement with you, which we hashed out this morning, is I wondered, did the bears use the timeouts correctly at the end of the game? And why didn't they go to the end zone more than once? We didn't want to stop the clock, because we can't stop anybody. Right.

We couldn't stop the Packers into two drives where we needed to a turnover or a stop. So, no, they played that right, except the, the, I don't like it. I love Ben Johnson. I love everything he's done. Right. I'm running the ball. I just ran the ball down their throats. I'm not going to put that in the air when I can run it in Green Bay in that situation. But, but, but, but I'm in a better mood now. Let's take a break. Still to come. The Browns botched a game tying two out of the wildcatch.

Chedior Sanders have been on the field. Jeff Kemp makes the Hall of Fame kind of over Barry Bonds and Roger Clements. Kind of. Kind of. Notre Dame. I'm angry now. No, I can see that. I'm legitimate. I wasn't angry on the podcast this morning. You're angry now. Yeah. Because they insulted your boy Jim Phillips. Yes. Right. And you'll stand...

Pardon the Interruption is presented by Gray Goose. Make Time Wait. Please enjoy responsibly. Part of Happy Hour. Welcome back to Pardon the Interruption. Presented by Gray Goose. Part of Happy Hour. It is time for the missives from the minions and mail time. I'll put on my glasses to read the first one. Mail time! Should Shadour Sanders have been on the field for the Brown's bid to tie the Titans?

Yes. Absolutely. He should be on the field. I mean, there's at least a threat of running a fuller play package which involves passing the ball for real. I understand that Cleveland has run these wildcat formations and particularly in two.

Fine, run it all you want. But have Shadour Sanders on the field? Is this that hard? I was taken aback by this. That he wasn't. When I saw the Wildcat, which turned out to be a terrible play. They made it work, though. In the past, they've made it work, but it didn't work this time.

I mean, I want Shadur Sanders as an option because to that point, he had thrown for 364 yards and three touchdowns, and he had run one in. So if I was a coach with that information in front of me on a clipboard, I would think Shador Sanders would be out there. The play was terrible. It was awesome. The Wildcat went backwards instead of forwards. The past was terrible.

What it was was a. clinic on why not to call that play. And if the coach has to have a clipboard to remember that his rookie quarterback has accounted for four touchdowns in that game when they stink, then he needs to be fired. You know the result of this, don't you? Shador Sanders was named today as the start of the rest of the way, and I think he's earned that at this point. Wait, you want to fire the coach?

Oh, come on. I'm exaggerating, unlike Notre Dame's story. It's just, it's a bad look for the coach, not to know that the most important guy he's got on his offense is on the sideline with him. It's dumb. Your favorite player on the team, Miles Garrett, is now up to 20. How about that? 20s.

By the way, we have to block Miles Garrett and soldier field on. Good luck. Next letter. Cleveland. Yeah, but Cleveland's no. Cleveland's no good. You're going to be good. Let's hope they're no good again.

Come on, stop it. They've been no good all year. A trap game, no letdown. Stop it. I'm just, I'm worried. Stop it. Hall of Fame, are you surprised that Jeff Kent was the only player to make the hall via the contemporary era committee, which used to be

call the veteran. And we're going to call it the veterans. We are. And it's important to point that this is a vet. This is not the real vote. This is the veterans committee real vote. It's a different thing. I was a little surprised Jeff Kent made it. And then I realized that he has more home runs than any second base than ever. I'm okay if you're making it. Yeah. And a lot of guys get in this way. You know, later on, somebody votes him in. But I am not surprised at all that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens didn't get in. But I am surprised they didn't even get five votes, Mike. This means the next time they're eligible is 2013. And if they don't get five again, they're out forever. So you are going to never have a seven-time-time-old-winner

and the home run king of all time. You're not going to have them. And that's because this drug stuff is serious and it's going to reverberate on Alex Rodriguez down the way as well. I guess so, Tony. And I'm not going to say never because Pete Rose, they finally... He never got in? Well, but they gave up the ghost. He's eligible now. He's gone. He's gone. Only you and I. The only people who would have seen him play who could vote.

He will be eligible. Yeah, he won't. Carlos Delgado, I thought could have gone. I'm fine with Kent going in. Leader at home runs is for all second base. Second base for all time. As you mentioned, Delgado is one of those guys who I thought could have gone in. You know, the Hall of Fame, I'm haul weary.

Because I don't know what it means. Clemens and Bonds are clearly two of the best players of all time. And arguably, the best players of all time. and arguably the best players of their times. Yes, yes. And they're not in. And how long do you go? How punitive do you get?

They are suspected of using performance-enhancing drugs. And Alex Rodriguez, you're right. They're not going to. Facing the same situation. Enough female. Let's take one last break still to come. The Eagles try to bounce back from two straight losses tonight. How will they fare against the charges?

And, Tony, Oklahoma City keeps beating people's brains out. Ask you a question. Yeah. Did you see those yellow uniforms for the charges? What are that? What is that? They're awful. Why are they wearing that?

Somebody should be fired. They have one of the greatest uniforms of all time. Yes. That person who said yellow uniforms. What? Fired. Bring your stuff and get out. Send them to Notre Dame.

I'd like that. Send them to Notre Dame. Put yellow uniforms on Notre Dame because they're chicken. Oh, chicken of what they? Pardon the Interruption is presented by Gray Goose. Make Time Wait. Please enjoy responsibly part of Happy Hour. Happy time, people.

Happy 25th birthday, Andy Pahez. After batting 272 with 27 homers in 86 RBI during the regular season, Dodgers outfield had a miserable offensive postseason, batting only 078, four hits, one RBI, 11 strikeouts. But what Pahez did defensively in game seven saved the World Series. Saved it. With the score 4 to 4 in the bottom of the 9th and 2 out, Toronto's Ernie Clement came up with the bases loaded. at a shot to deep left center.

Ball game. Pahas raced over from center and after crashing into Kike Hernandez, Pias leaped into the air to take the game winner away from the Blue Jays. The Dodgers won in 11 on a home run by Will Smith and a shutdown inning from Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Remember Dave Roberts inserted Pahas

into center field for Tommy Edmund during the ninth inning. Talk about making the right move. The game's over. The World Series is going to another team. And he makes this play. Right play. And as much credit as he gets, which is like almost all of it, Dave Roberts, as you, what kind of instinct leads you to that?

Right. Wow. Happy anniversary Baker Mayfield on this day three years ago, the former overall number one pick of the Cleveland Browns led an improbable comeback for the Rams over the Raiders. capped off by a 98-yard scoring drive just two days after the Rams had claimed Mayfield off waivers. Mayfield had started the season with Carolina, but after a one-and-five record there, Mayfield was granted his release in early December. Rams were down 16 to 3 in the fourth quarter when Mayfield led two long scoring drives. He ended up going 22 or 35 for 230 yards, no picks. After that season, Mayfield went to Tampa Bay where he has found his footing.

And even with yesterday's loss, has kept the bucks in the thick of a division race this season, despite injuries to all his best receivers. And to him, you know I did not like Baker Mayfield early on. But you do now. I love him. Yeah. He's talented. He's tough.

He's charismatic. He's been injured. No excuses. He's out there with half a team and half a body. And he runs. And he runs when they need. He does. He runs with you. Happy trails to Vancouver in the MLS Cup. Leonel Messi assisted on two goals on Saturday as Into Miami beat Vancouver in the final. Messi won the game's MVP and seems to be a lock to win his second overall league MVP tomorrow. In all, Messi scored or assisted on 15 goals in these playoffs.

A league record. 38-year-old has delivered time and again since coming to this league. And Taylor Twelman told us Friday, Messi is all but certain to be part of Argentina's World Cup defense next summer, and yet you continue to rip him. Well, just to make fun. He's the goat. Is he the goat?

Yeah. I thought you said Ronaldo was the goat. It can't be Ronaldo. It was another guy who played in Argentina. Oh, okay. I want to go to Vancouver and Mexico City to see the World Cup in person, those two cities. What about L.A.? It's going to be in L.A.?

All the time. Who needs to go to L.A.? Really? I live half my life in L.A., Vancouver, Mexico City. Let's go to the big finish if we could. The Thunder beat the Mavs and the Jazz this weekend by a combined 51 points. Are you impressed? You forgot about Palais, which is unforgivable.

Yes, they, Tony, they don't lose. When are we going to take them seriously? What point? I don't know. Go ahead. Christmas? I don't know. Dolphins beat your jets.

30. And 20. And 2. And 2. Yeah, yeah. 3410. Your jets went down. The jets stink.

The jets stink. What did I write down here? But since the GM was fired in Miami, they're 4 and 0. The coach probably saved his job. Gonzaga Blue at Kentucky by 35. Should Wildcat fans be concerned? Five-four tough schedule. Well, how about Boogie Cousins who's ripping the team?

He did. He did. Former Wildcat. Fired Virginia Tech head coach, Brent Pry, get this, is reportedly rejoining the team as James Franklin's D.C. Does that make sense? It might because he did it before at Penn State. But it's weird to me.

It is. They just fired him. He's got a big nice house and you don't want to leave. Very weird. Last one, Monday night football, Eagles and Chargers. Do you like the Eagles to bounce back tonight? Yeah, when you quarterback in the Chargers, San Diego, has a broken hand?

I mean, I know it's the non-throwing hand, but still. It's not his leg like the guy at Indianapolis. We are out of time. We were trying to do better the next time. Sue Feinberg, happy birthday. I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knucklehead.