Will Miami Hurricanes Win An ACC Championship Before It's Too Late?

When the Miami Hurricanes joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004, it was supposed to start decades of dominance. 

The Hurricanes were at the top of the college football world at the time. They had five national championships. They had produced the most NFL talent. They were set to control what many called a conference full of inferior teams. 

Twenty-two years later, the Hurricanes have proven they are no better than the rest of the league. In fact, they haven't even won an ACC title yet. The closest was 2017 when they lost 38-3 to the Tigers. 

Why bring this up just days after the loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish? 

Because this is the Hurricanes' last chance to put their stamp on the ACC. According to reports, the NCAA is set to expand the College Football Playoff to 24 teams next season. Included in the deal is the elimination of the league championship games in Power Four conferences.  

That means the Hurricanes face the possibility of spending more than two decades without a title in a conference they were supposed to own. It makes Saturday's game against the Duke Blue Devils even more important. Not only do the Hurricanes need to win to keep pace in the CFP standings, it would also lock up a bid for the ACC championship game. 

The game takes place Dec. 5 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. If the Hurricanes finally win the elusive title, it would serve as the perfect parting gift. After years of disappointment, they can say the move from the Big East to the ACC was the right one. 

Remember when the move first went down? The Hurricanes joined the league 12 years after the Florida State Seminoles. Unlike Miami, Florida State dominated the competition by winning nine straight conference titles. It took three seasons for the Seminoles to even lose a league game. 

When the Hurricanes hopped aboard, it was supposed to be similar to the rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan in the Big Ten. Unfortunately, FSU vs. Miami in the ACC never reached that level. Both teams were rarely in the Top 10 at the same time when they faced each other. 

The Hurricanes spent nearly 20 years in rebuilding mode before having a breakthrough in 2024. Last year they made it to the CFP title game, losing to the Indiana Hooisers. Even then, the Hurricanes missed out on the ACC championship game because of a loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. 

So before the league championships end, the Hurricanes should do everything possibly to finally grab that crown.