Following the unveiling of the College Football Playoff bracket on Sunday, controversy quickly erupted over the committee's decision to select SMU over Alabama. While many pundits debated the merits of the committee’s selections, one comment stood out: Warde Manuel, the chair of the CFP committee and Athletic Director at Michigan, stated that the committee “values strength of schedule.”
This comment raised eyebrows, especially from Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, who took to social media to challenge Manuel's statement. Kiffin tweeted, “Is this fake news?? He didn’t actually really say that…” questioning the committee’s logic in ranking teams, particularly SMU, over a more battle-tested Alabama squad.
Chris Partridge Weighs In On Warde Manuel
In a surprising turn of events, former Michigan assistant coach Chris Partridge, who worked with the Wolverines from 2015 to 2019 and briefly returned in 2023, took to X to add fuel to the fire. Partridge, who was fired in November 2023 after his involvement in the Michigan football sign-stealing scandal, responded to Kiffin’s comment with a scathing remark. He tweeted, “Trust me you don’t know the half of it with that guy!” This pointed jab further fueled speculation about the tense relationship between Partridge and Warde Manuel.
While the sign-stealing controversy has certainly created its fair share of drama, Partridge's tweet suggests that there’s more to the story involving Warde Manuel than meets the eye. Partridge's strong words are a reminder that there may still be unresolved issues behind the scenes, despite Manuel's role in shaping Michigan’s athletic programs.
