A shaky second-half performance against Wake Forest sees the Miami Hurricanes tumble from the top five as surging contenders capitalize.
MIAMI, Fla. – In the latest Associated Press Top 25 college football poll, the Miami Hurricanes slid down a spot to No. 6 in the rankings; previously No. 5.
The major difference was the Ole Miss Rebels jumping to No. 4 as a result of a 32-24 win over the LSU Tigers, who were ranked No. 7 ahead of the intense and highly anticipated matchup to currently No. 10.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are coming off a 33-20 win over Wake Forest. However, it was a game of two different halves. Initially, the Hurricanes were clicking on several cylinders. Offensively, quarterback Darian Mensah couldn’t miss a target and the defense responded strongly after giving up a touchdown.
However, in the second half, the script had flipped.
The Hurricanes produced just 75 yards of offense and scored one touchdown. Meanwhile, the defense allowed two unanswered touchdowns by Wake Forest and 246 total yards. It was edge rusher Damon Wilson II’s forced safety and cornerback Ethan O’Connor’s interception that stopped the bleeding for the Hurricanes.
Texas (No. 1), Georgia (No. 2), Notre Dame (No. 3), and Indiana (No. 5) had more impressive wins to keep them ahead. They won by a combined average margin of 25.8 points. If the Hurricanes stayed on trajectory and dominated from beginning to end, then there’s a case to be made for staying in the top five.
Regardless, the team is off to a strong 3-0 start (ACC 2-0) to the season. The Hurricanes and Mississippi State are the only ones with two road wins against Power Four opponents. Wake Forest gave both units a legitimate push and a humbling experience. The Hurricanes were dominant against Stanford and Florida A&M. However, it won’t always be a smooth ride against every opponent, especially in ACC play and in South Bend, Indiana, in early November.
The Hurricanes will have an opportunity to return to the top five this Saturday against Central Michigan at Hard Rock Stadium. It will be just the second time the team has played in front of a home crowd. Afterwards, the next seven of eight matchups will be against ACC opponents, plus a primetime showdown against Notre Dame. The Hurricanes are still projected to win the league and return to the College Football Playoffs.
In the first three weeks, the team has shown to have the pieces to compete for a National Championship. However, there are still some stains to clean up.
Anthony Aguirre covers the Miami Hurricanes and Miami Heat for Roundtable Sports. Contact info for tips/info: [email protected] & 305-987-3290 | Follow on Instagram/X: @AnthonyA_Sports
