Florida Governor Ron DeSantis thought he was staying out of trouble this time.
He picked the wrong fight to get involved in.
And Ron DeSantis just made one mistake that should scare every conservative.
DeSantis Jumps Into College Football Playoff Mess
Ron DeSantis has learned the hard way that politicians and sports don't mix well.
The Florida Governor jumped into the raging debate over whether Miami or Notre Dame deserves a College Football Playoff spot after the Hurricanes beat the Fighting Irish 27-24 in Week 1.
Both teams finished 10-2, but the CFP selection committee has consistently ranked Notre Dame ahead of Miami despite the head-to-head loss.
DeSantis posted on X that "if ND gets in and Miami doesn't, it will further erode the importance of the regular season."¹
He added that with identical records, "head-to-head is the tiebreaker if you have to choose between them."²
https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1995185111763964230?s=20
The Governor tried playing it safe by saying he was "OK with both getting in," but he still took a side in college football's most contentious ranking debate.³
DeSantis has history when it comes to defending Florida teams in CFP controversies.
Two years ago he blasted the committee for leaving undefeated ACC champion Florida State out of the four-team playoff and even asked the state legislature to set aside $1 million to help FSU sue over the decision.⁴
But this time his intervention landed with a thud.
Politicians Always Ruin Sports Debates
Here's what DeSantis doesn't understand about getting involved in sports controversies.
Nobody wants politicians anywhere near these discussions.
They almost always make things worse and come across as pandering.
DeSantis thought he could score easy points with Florida voters by backing the Hurricanes against Notre Dame.
Instead he stepped into a mess where both sides have legitimate arguments and the committee has been consistent in its reasoning all season.
https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1995195382255767738?s=20
CFP chair Hunter Yurachek explained that the committee "really compare the losses of those two teams" and Miami's defeats came against two unranked opponents while Notre Dame lost to ranked teams.⁵
Miami lost to unranked Louisville and SMU by a combined nine points while the Irish lost close games to Miami and then-No. 3 Texas A&M before reeling off 10 straight wins.
The committee has explained its process multiple times but DeSantis ignored all that nuance to make a simplistic "head-to-head should decide it" argument.
Notre Dame has better quality losses, a stronger winning streak, and more dominant victories over common opponents.
Miami ranks 12th in total defense and 29th in total offense while Notre Dame has been crushing opponents by multiple scores since their 0-2 start.⁶
But DeSantis reduced a complex debate to a bumper sticker slogan.
DeSantis Keeps Making the Same Mistake
DeSantis failed spectacularly in his 2024 presidential run against Donald Trump.
He dropped out before the New Hampshire primary after finishing a distant second in Iowa with only nine delegates.⁷
Part of his problem was getting into fights he couldn't win and looking desperate for attention.
Now he's doing the exact same thing by injecting himself into college football debates.
When Ted Cruz shows up to sporting events, the teams he roots for tend to lose.
DeSantis is developing a similar reputation for making things worse when he weighs in on sports.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry made loud proclamations after LSU fired Brian Kelly and looked ridiculous.
DeSantis is following that same playbook of politicians who think they can score easy wins by picking sides in sports controversies.
https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1995665820790431975?s=20
Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich and coach Mario Cristobal have been lobbying hard for their team to make the playoff.
They don't need DeSantis parachuting in with oversimplified takes that ignore how the selection process actually works.
The Governor would serve Florida better by staying out of college football and focusing on actual policy issues.
But DeSantis seems drawn to these attention-grabbing moments even when they backfire.
Conservatives should worry that their leading governors keep making unforced errors on the national stage.
¹ Ron DeSantis, post on X, November 30, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Oliver Vandervoort, "Even Ron DeSantis has waded into the Miami-Notre Dame CFP narrative," On3, December 2, 2025.
⁵ Hunter Yurachek, comments to ESPN, November 26, 2025.
⁶ Matt De Lima, "College football powerhouse AD sends strong message to CFP committee," Sports Illustrated, December 1, 2025.
⁷ Wikipedia contributors, "Ron DeSantis presidential campaign, 2024," Wikipedia, accessed December 2, 2025.
