Miami Hurricanes’ College Football Playoff Fate Sealed After Upset Loss to Syracuse
The Miami Hurricanes’ College Football Playoff fate may have been sealed on Tuesday after they were not included in the penultimate bracket before conference championship weekend. The team’s upset loss to the Syracuse Orange on Saturday had a significant impact on their chances, blowing a 21-0 lead to eventually lose 42-38.
According to the selection committee, Miami was listed as the first team on the outside looking in, with three-loss Alabama Crimson Tide in the 11th spot. Alabama lost to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Oklahoma this season.
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips expressed disappointment in Miami’s fall from No. 6 to No. 12, citing the team’s two narrow losses to ranked teams. “Miami has more wins and fewer losses than the team director ahead of them and a dominant victory over an SEC team whose late-season surge includes a win over No. 13 Ole Miss,” Phillips said.
However, the CFP selection committee chair, Warde Manuel, explained that Alabama’s edge over Miami came down to the team’s performance against current top 25 teams. “One’s at 11, one’s at 12. But what it really came down to is Alabama is 3-1 against current top 25 teams and Miami is 0-1,” Manuel said.
Manuel noted that things could still change depending on the outcome of the conference championships. Miami’s fate now rests on the results of the ACC title game, where SMU faces Clemson. If SMU wins, they may hold on to their No. 3 spot, leaving the ACC with only one team in the playoffs.
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes will have to wait until the final rankings to learn their fate.
