Is Miami ranked too high?
The Week 13 College Football Playoff rankings have been released, sparking debates nationwide about which teams deserve their positions and which do not.
One team at the center of this discussion is Miami, which is ranked No. 8 with a 9-1 record. They are also positioned as the No. 3 seed in the mock brackets as the current ACC Champion. Even though Miami is behind SMU in the conference standings, they receive the higher ranking due to their overall ranking, with the Mustangs at No. 13. Ultimately, this debate will be resolved on the field.
Miami is ahead of Georgia and Ole Miss in the rankings; both have two losses but have faced much tougher schedules and achieved notable wins that Miami has not. Following the announcement of the rankings, fans expressed their disbelief that the Hurricanes received such high regard from the committee.
“Miami hasn’t won a meaningful game in 23 years, but sure, let’s put them in the top 10 lol,” one fan commented on X, formerly known as Twitter. Another fan stated, “Miami is 9-1 but has an unranked loss and no impressive wins. They shouldn’t even be in the top 10.”
Georgia recently secured a noteworthy victory over Tennessee and has a road win against No. 3 Texas, while Ole Miss boasts a significant win against Georgia as well.
In contrast, Miami’s best victories are against unranked teams Louisville and Florida. They also suffered a narrow loss to Georgia Tech, a team with four defeats. As a result, many fans anticipated that Miami would be ranked lower, despite their single loss this season.
Miami three wins from CFP first-round bye
Despite concerns about Miami’s current ranking, the team still has plenty to fight for in the upcoming three weeks. Cam Ward and the Hurricanes have two regular season games left, facing Wake Forest and Syracuse, and if they win both, they will advance to the ACC Championship game.
The ACC title game is likely to be against SMU, who remains unbeaten in conference play. While Miami is expected to be the favorite, achieving a 12-1 record won’t be easy.
Despite their impressive record, Miami has revealed several vulnerabilities this season. Cam Ward, even though he’s a Heisman Trophy contender, sometimes plays too recklessly with the ball. Additionally, the Hurricanes’ defense can be vulnerable, which teams like Syracuse may take advantage of.
It’s significant that Miami is still ranked No. 8 this week, as this position means that continuing to win could secure them the No. 3 seed in the playoffs along with a first-round bye. With the Hurricanes ranked ahead of three SEC teams, it seems unlikely that Boise State or the eventual Big 12 champion will be able to surpass them in the rankings.
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