The release of the College Football Playoff rankings will have the sport abuzz tonight. LSU and maybe Boston College are the only Miami Hurricanes 2018 opponents likely to appear in the CFP Top 25.
LSU who began the season ranked near the bottom of the top 25 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches Poll walloped the Miami Hurricanes 33-17 in the season opener in Arlington, Texas. The game was not as close as the score. LSU took a 33-3 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Tigers have had an exceptional season. They began the season with five straight victories. That included a win at number seven Auburn. LSU suffered its only loss of the season 27-19 at Florida. The Tigers have since rebounded with resounding wins over then number two Georgia and Mississippi State.
Many are projecting LSU as the fourth team into the College Football Playoff with Alabama, Notre Dame and Clemson. The Bayou Bengals face their toughest test this season when the host Alabama as two-touchdown underdogs this Saturday.
Assuming that the Miami Hurricanes don’t reach the ACC Championship game and LSU loses to Alabama on Saturday Miami will likely not have a team on its schedule this season that reaches the College Football Playoff. If the Tigers lose for a second time this season they would be an extreme longshot earn a bid to the College Football Playoff.
With a 6-2 record, Boston College has almost no chance at the College Football Playoff. Their foray into the Top 25 after week two and following their victory over the Miami Hurricanes on Friday night was the first time the Eagles were ranked in ten years.
| Rk | Year | Wk | Date | Rk | Prev | Chng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018 | 4 | 2018-09-16 | 23 | ||
| 2 | 2018 | 10 | 2018-10-28 | 24 | ||
| Rk | Year | Wk | Date | Rk | Prev | Chng |
| 3 | 2008 | 9 | 2008-10-19 | 23 | ||
| 4 | 2008 | 14 | 2008-11-23 | 20 | ||
| 5 | 2008 | 15 | 2008-11-30 | 18 | 20 | 2 |
| Rk | Year | Wk | Date | Rk | Prev | Chng |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 10/30/2018.
If Boston College is ranked in the Top 25 of the College Football Playoff rankings that would be a big accomplishment for their program. The Eagles are 24th in the AP Poll and 25th in the USA Today Coaches Poll this week.
When the initial College Football Playoff Poll was released last season the Miami Hurricanes were ranked 10th. Last year was the first time that Miami has been ranked in the College Football Playoff Poll in the four seasons since the Playoffs began.
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 2017-12-03 | 1 | Clemson (12-1) | 1 | ACC (Atlantic) | |
| 6 | 2017-12-03 | 2 | Oklahoma (12-1) | 3 | 1 | Big 12 |
| 6 | 2017-12-03 | 3 | Georgia (12-1) | 6 | 3 | SEC (East) |
| 6 | 2017-12-03 | 4 | Alabama (11-1) | 5 | 1 | SEC (West) |
| 6 | 2017-12-03 | 5 | Ohio State (11-2) | 8 | 3 | Big Ten (East) |
| 6 | 2017-12-03 | 6 | Wisconsin (12-1) | 4 | 2 | Big Ten (West) |
| 6 | 2017-12-03 | 7 | Auburn (10-3) | 2 | 5 | SEC (West) |
| 6 | 2017-12-03 | 8 | USC (11-2) | 10 | 2 | Pac-12 (South) |
| 6 | 2017-12-03 | 9 | Penn State (10-2) | 9 | Big Ten (East) | |
| 6 | 2017-12-03 | 10 | Miami (FL) (10-2) | 7 | 3 | ACC (Coastal) |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | Conf |
| 5 | 2017-11-28 | 1 | Clemson (11-1) | 3 | 2 | ACC (Atlantic) |
| 5 | 2017-11-28 | 2 | Auburn (10-2) | 6 | 4 | SEC (West) |
| 5 | 2017-11-28 | 3 | Oklahoma (11-1) | 4 | 1 | Big 12 |
| 5 | 2017-11-28 | 4 | Wisconsin (12-0) | 5 | 1 | Big Ten (West) |
| 5 | 2017-11-28 | 5 | Alabama (11-1) | 1 | 4 | SEC (West) |
| 5 | 2017-11-28 | 6 | Georgia (11-1) | 7 | 1 | SEC (East) |
| 5 | 2017-11-28 | 7 | Miami (FL) (10-1) | 2 | 5 | ACC (Coastal) |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | Conf |
| 4 | 2017-11-21 | 1 | Alabama (11-0) | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 4 | 2017-11-21 | 2 | Miami (FL) (10-0) | 3 | 1 | ACC (Coastal) |
| 4 | 2017-11-21 | 3 | Clemson (10-1) | 2 | 1 | ACC (Atlantic) |
| 4 | 2017-11-21 | 4 | Oklahoma (10-1) | 4 | Big 12 | |
| 4 | 2017-11-21 | 5 | Wisconsin (11-0) | 5 | Big Ten (West) | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | Conf |
| 3 | 2017-11-14 | 1 | Alabama (10-0) | 2 | 1 | SEC (West) |
| 3 | 2017-11-14 | 2 | Clemson (9-1) | 4 | 2 | ACC (Atlantic) |
| 3 | 2017-11-14 | 3 | Miami (FL) (9-0) | 10 | 7 | ACC (Coastal) |
| 3 | 2017-11-14 | 4 | Oklahoma (9-1) | 5 | 1 | Big 12 |
| 3 | 2017-11-14 | 5 | Wisconsin (10-0) | 9 | 4 | Big Ten (West) |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | Conf |
| 2 | 2017-10-31 | 1 | Georgia (8-0) | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 2 | 2017-10-31 | 2 | Alabama (8-0) | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 2 | 2017-10-31 | 3 | Notre Dame (7-1) | 3 | Ind | |
| 2 | 2017-10-31 | 4 | Clemson (7-1) | 4 | ACC (Atlantic) | |
| 2 | 2017-10-31 | 5 | Oklahoma (7-1) | 5 | Big 12 | |
| 2 | 2017-10-31 | 6 | Ohio State (7-1) | 6 | Big Ten (East) | |
| 2 | 2017-10-31 | 7 | Penn State (7-1) | 7 | Big Ten (East) | |
| 2 | 2017-10-31 | 8 | Texas Christian (7-1) | 8 | Big 12 | |
| 2 | 2017-10-31 | 9 | Wisconsin (8-0) | 9 | Big Ten (West) | |
| 2 | 2017-10-31 | 10 | Miami (FL) (7-0) | 10 | ACC (Coastal) | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | Conf |
| 1 | 2017-10-31 | 1 | Georgia (8-0) | NA | — | SEC (East) |
| 1 | 2017-10-31 | 2 | Alabama (8-0) | NA | — | SEC (West) |
| 1 | 2017-10-31 | 3 | Notre Dame (7-1) | NA | — | Ind |
| 1 | 2017-10-31 | 4 | Clemson (7-1) | NA | — | ACC (Atlantic) |
| 1 | 2017-10-31 | 5 | Oklahoma (7-1) | NA | — | Big 12 |
| 1 | 2017-10-31 | 6 | Ohio State (7-1) | NA | — | Big Ten (East) |
| 1 | 2017-10-31 | 7 | Penn State (7-1) | NA | — | Big Ten (East) |
| 1 | 2017-10-31 | 8 | Texas Christian (7-1) | NA | — | Big 12 |
| 1 | 2017-10-31 | 9 | Wisconsin (8-0) | NA | — | Big Ten (West) |
| 1 | 2017-10-31 | 10 | Miami (FL) (7-0) | NA | — | ACC (Coastal) |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 10/30/2018.
The Hurricanes rose from 10th to an all-time high for the program second after their Senior Day victory over Virginia last November. Consecutive losses to Pittsburgh and Clemson in the regular season finale and ACC Championship game dropped the Hurricanes back down to tenth.
A loss to Wisconsin in the Orange Bowl dropped the Hurricanes to 13th in the AP Poll and 11th in the Coaches Poll to end 2017. A preseason ranking of eighth in 2018 and a favorable schedule seemed to have the Hurricanes poised for another run at the College Football Playoff this season.
Losses to LSU and Virginia ended the Hurricanes playoff hopes. The loss to Boston College cemented it. The Hurricanes now have bigger issues to work on in the remaining four regular season games for 2018.