The Debate Continues: Is Miami, Notre Dame or San Diego St. No. 1?

What was Mike Downey smoking the day Notre Dame played Miami?

He obviously wasn’t watching his “No. 1” team get kicked. Indeed, the Irish should be “fighting mad,” but not because they were outvoted in the polls--rather, because they were duped into believing they were even playing for the national championship.

Downey blames a second-rate selection system when the fault lies in some third-rate bowl game matchups: How the loser of the Notre Dame-Miami game ends up playing the No. 1 team in the Orange Bowl; the loser of the Alabama-Auburn game ends up playing No. 2 team in the Sugar Bowl; and the country’s hottest team (Florida State) doesn’t even get a shot at Notre Dame, Auburn or Miami is a mystery.

RON OVADIA, Los Angeles