The Miami Hurricanes make a steady leap in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, but there's still more territory to claim.
The Miami Hurricanes find themselves on a difficult path with hopes of reaching the College Football Playoffs, as well as a chance to compete for an ACC title. They were on pace to be bound, starting the season 5-0, with notable victories against ranked opponents, such as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, South Florida Bulls, and Florida State Seminoles.
The team also had an honorable mention victory against the Florida Gators, who dropped out of the top 25 of the AP polls a week ahead of the matchup.
However, the Hurricanes' early trajectory would soon be drastically disturbed after two losses against ACC unranked opponents: the Louisville Cardinals and SMU Mustangs. They had a chance to win both games, but their chances were drastically shattered due to interceptions by redshirt senior quarterback Carson Beck.
The team's path to accomplishing postseason aspirations has only gotten more difficult, with the margin of error getting extremely thinner, but there's been an excellent response from them.
In the Hurricanes' previous three wins, which came against the North Carolina State Wolfpack, Syracuse Orange, and Stanford Cardinal, they've averaged 40.3 points and 456.7 total yards.
It's worth noting that the program was ranked 15th in the last Selection Committee rankings, also projected into the bracket, in which former Chairman Mark Rhoades emphasized their need for consistent offense:
"We've got great respect for Miami," he said. "When you think about the eye test, they're really talented, both sides of the ball. Just need to be a little bit more consistent on the offense."
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Rece Davis and CFP Selection Committee Chair, Mack Rhoades, talk through a chaotic situation for the ACC and Miami's part in it.
It's a great assumption that the Hurricanes responded to the call, as they continue to climb the rankings, now finishing 13th, a two-spot advancement, and are also projected into the bracket. The team would match up against the Ole Miss Rebels.
It's important to mention that the Hurricanes are currently not guaranteed a spot, despite being the highest-ranked in the ACC. If they don't miraculously win the conference, then their realistic chances of punching their ticket are through an "at-large" bid, which is decided by the committee.
It then emphasizes the importance of the mission to win out the rest of the season and continue to convince the members of their case.
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November 1️⃣8️⃣ College Football Playoff Selection Committee Rankings
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The situation continues between them and the Fighting Irish, who remained ninth in the newest College Football Playoff rankings.
Chairman Hunter Yurachek, the athletic director of the University of Arkansas and Rhoades' replacement, commented about it right after the reveal:
"I think when you look at Notre Dame and Miami, we really compare the losses of those two teams," he said. "Miami has lost to two unranked teams, Notre Dame has lost to two teams that are ranked and are top 13. We really haven't compared those two teams. They haven't been in similar comparted pools to date, but Miami is creeping up."
The Hurricanes defeated the Fighting Irish in the season opener, with a final score of 27-24, and were in control the entirety of the game. Head-to-head has been a discussion as of late, especially involving the South Florida program.
"Well, I think you look at what happened this week when we compared Alabama and Oklahoma in a similar spot where eight, nine, and 10, we were comparing those teams," Yurachek added. "Oklahoma, obviously, got the nod based on their two-point win [at Alabama]. If Miami and Notre Dame are in a comparable range, the head-to-head will be a significant data point that we will use."
The Hurricanes will finish the season with two road games against the Virginia Tech Hokies and Pitt Panthers, both unranked ACC opponents. It's significantly important that they dominate in order to build a concrete resume that the Selection Committee can't ignore.
More Miami Hurricanes News:
- "Hurricanes Steadily Jump Latest AP Polls"
- "Hurricanes' Failed Opportunity Against Reigning Champion Gators"