Time is running out for Miami to break into the College Football Playoff field. A four-game win streak might not be enough to get the Hurricanes into the CFP bracket without a little luck to go with it.
UM won its third straight game by multiple scores, though the 34-17 win at Virginia Tech came with a late scare and an incredible Malachi Toney touchdown to pad the final score. The Hurricanes have been in trouble since losing in overtime at SMU to kick off November. Now 9-2, they have one more game at Pittsburgh that they need to win to even have a shot at the playoff.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEven though it's been the highest ACC team in the recent CFP rankings, Miami had a long road to Charlotte thanks to the wacky state of the conference. Georgia Tech losing to Pitt opens the door, but the 'Canes still need Virginia, SMU and Duke to lose to have a shot at their first ACC title and an automatic playoff berth.
UM's other route to the playoff is an at-large bid, but they'll need teams above them to tumble. The biggest bugaboo is Notre Dame, who lost to Miami to start the season but still sit over them in the rankings. First things first, though, the Hurricanes need to take care of business Saturday at Pitt.
Here's a look at how Miami fared in the Nov. 25 CFP rankings update:
College Football Playoff bracket: Who’s in, who’s out
By conference, the 12-team playoff now has five SEC teams, three Big Ten teams, one team from the ACC, one from the Big 12, one from the American and one independent.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFirst-round bye
No. 1 Ohio State
No. 2 Indiana
No. 3 Texas A&M
No. 4 Georgia
First-round CFP games
No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Texas Tech
No. 11 Miami at No. 6 Oregon
No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Ole Miss
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma
Latest CFP rankings
Here's a look at the full College Football Playoff rankings released Nov. 25:
Ohio State (11-0)
Indiana (11-0)
Texas A&M (11-0)
Georgia (10-1)
Texas Tech (10-1)
Oregon (10-1)
Ole Miss (10-1)
Oklahoma (9-2)
Notre Dame (9-2)
Alabama (9-2)
BYU (10-1)
Miami (9-2)
Utah (9-2)
Vanderbilt (9-2)
Michigan (9-2)
Texas (8-3)
USC (8-3)
Virginia (9-2)
Tennessee (8-3)
Arizona State (8-3)
SMU (8-3)
Pittsburgh (8-3)
Georgia Tech (9-2)
Tulane (9-2)
Arizona (8-3)
Miami's projected CFP opponent
The new bracket has Miami visiting Oregon in what would be a homecoming of sorts for Mario Cristobal. The current Hurricanes coach was once the head coach for the Ducks. But remember, Miami is in the bracket now because they are the highest ranked ACC team. Their path to the ACC championship game is cloudy at best.
What does Miami need to make ACC championship?
The Hurricanes enter Week 13 in fifth place in the ACC standings and need to win out to have a shot at making the ACC championship game. They also need Pitt to beat Georgia Tech this weekend, Virginia Tech to upset Virginia in two weeks, and have SMU and Duke both lose one of their last two games. The Mustangs play at Louisville and at home vs. Cal, while the Blue Devils host North Carolina and visit Wake Forest.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHow many teams in College Football Playoff 2025?
The playoff field expanded to 12 teams in 2024. The five highest-ranked conference champions will earn automatic berths into the field, with the other seven spots filled out by the highest-ranked teams remaining. The big change for the 2025 CFP comes in seeding for the playoffs: Rather than the four first-round byes going to conference champions regardless of their rank, those spots now go to the top four teams in the final rankings.
When next College Football Playoff rankings come out
The next CFP rankings will come Tuesday, Dec. 2 with the final rankings revealed Sunday, Dec. 7 on ESPN. Here's the full schedule:
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDec. 2 (7 p.m. ET)
Dec. 7 (noon ET)
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami in CFP rankings. Latest bracket, playoff picture, what to know
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