There have been many notable head coaches fired this college football season, but the upcoming weeks will tell if Mario Cristobal is safe with the Miami Hurricanes.
The Miami Hurricanes have a rich college football history, winning five national championships; however, the program hasn't lived up to its past legacy. Since 2010, they've appeared in 11 Pro Bowls and won once. The program has yet to reach the College Football Playoffs after its inaugural season in 2014, even after the expansion to 12 teams in 2023.
The Hurricanes had a legitimate chance last year with senior quarterback Cam Ward. He led the team to having the best offense in college football, averaging the most points per game, second in passing yards, and also first in offensive yards per play.
However, they were among the worst in multiple defensive categories. It ultimately came back to bite them.
In the final game of last season against the Syracuse Orange, the team blew a 21-point lead and fell to defeat with a final score of 42-38.
Afterwards, the Hurricanes were eliminated from ACC title contention, which also completely ruined their chances of reaching the College Football Playoffs.
Fast forward to this season and the team is facing a similar dilemma. In the previous three weeks, the Hurricanes lost two games against unranked ACC opponents, the Louisville Cardinals and SMU Mustangs.
It's hurt them in the AP polls, the conference, and their chances of reaching the postseason.
The College Football Playoff rankings were recently released for the first time and the Hurricanes finished 18th, outside of the bracket.
The common denominator is Mario Cristobal. Although he is well-respected within the University of Miami, especially as an alumnus, his failure to take the team to new heights has been noticeable.
The defeats highlighted are examples, but there is another one.
In an early October home game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the Hurricanes were in position to win with seconds remaining. However, instead of kneeling, Cristobal decided to run the ball, which resulted in a fumble and Georgia Tech recovery, then proceeded to score on the final drive and steal the victory, with a final score of 23-20.
These small errors have caused massive damage to the Hurricanes. Cristobal is a tough and gutsy head coach, but that makes the margin for mistakes extremely thin.
The Hurricanes will face Syracuse at home tomorrow, on Saturday, at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. It's a bit of a familiar situation, especially for Cristobal.
There have already been multiple head coaches fired before the season ended, including Brian Kelly from LSU, Billy Napier from Florida, and James Franklin from Penn State.
If the Hurricanes fail to reach the ACC championship game, at minimum, Cristobal's status could be up in the air. The program is in desperate search of postseason success, but is he the guy to get the job done?
As the college football season reaches the final stretch, more answers will be revealed.
More Miami Hurricanes News:
- “Hurricanes Men’s Basketball Dominates BCU”
- “Carson Beck’s Message After Hurricanes’ SMU Loss”
- “Hurricanes Fall Outside College Football Playoff Picture”
- “Jai Lucas ‘Not Satisfied’ With Hurricanes Season Opener Victory”