On the day that he could win the Heisman Trophy, Cam Ward is still unhappy with the College Football Playoff selection committee for leaving Miami out of the 12-team field.

Appearing on the Saturday morning episode of SportsCenter, Ward called out the committee for leaving out the "best" quarterback and offense in the country.

"I'm really over it at this point, can't go back in the past and really control anything," Ward said. "I mean, at the end of the day, they left out the best quarterback in the country, they left out the best offense in the country. So, they're going to do what they got to do."

The Hurricanes wound up being one of the last two teams left out of the field, along with Alabama. They were No. 13 in the final rankings released on Sunday, two spots behind the Crimson Tide.

SMU at No. 10 was the lowest-ranked non-conference champion to make the playoff. The Mustangs were the most controversial choice inclusion after their 34-31 loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game.

(Despite being 10th in the final rankings, SMU is the No. 11 seed in the playoff because the four highest-ranked conference champions receive an automatic bye. Even though Arizona State is ranked No. 12, it will be the No. 4 seed as the fourth-best conference champion after winning the Big 12.)

The Hurricanes missed their chance to play for a national title by losing two of their final three games after starting the season 9-0. Their 42-38 loss to Syracuse on Nov. 30 knocked them out of the ACC title game where they would have had the opportunity to play SMU.

Based on team resumes, Miami finished ahead of SMU in strength of record and strength of schedule.

Ward's frustration at not being able to play for a national title is understandable, but the biggest reason he won't have that chance is because Miami's defense simply wasn't good enough when it needed to be.

Defense was an issue for the Hurricanes throughout the season. Their 23.9 points allowed per game ranked 60th in FBS. They allowed 271 rushing yards in a 28-24 loss to Georgia Tech. Kyle McCord went 26-of-36 for 380 yards and three touchdowns for Syracuse in its win over Miami.

If the defense had made a key defensive stop in either of those games, Ward and the Hurricanes might be preparing to play for the playoffs. He can still end his year with a win as one of the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy that will be awarded on Saturday.

Ward finished first in FBS in passing touchdowns (36) and second in passing yards (4,123). He is the first Miami player to be a finalist for the Heisman since Ken Dorsey in 2002.