Miami football moves up to 8 in Coaches Poll, stays 9 in AP Top 25

The Miami football team moved up one spot to eighth in the USA Today Coaches Poll and stayed ninth in the AP Top 25 released Sunday.

The Miami football team moved up one spot to eighth in the USA Today Coaches Poll following the first loss of the season by BYU. Miami stayed ninth in the AP Top 25 voted by the media after Indiana moved ahead of the Hurricanes following their victory over Wisconsin on Saturday.

This is the latest Miami has been ranked this high in either poll since the Hurricanes fell from second to seventh following their loss in the ACC Championship Game to Clemson in 2017. Miami finished 2017 ranked 11th following a loss to Wisconsin in the Orange Bowl. Miami hosts North Carolina this Saturday.

The Tar Heels moved back into both polls on Sunday after falling out following their loss to Notre Dame last week. North Carolina is ranked 20th in both polls. North Carolina will be the third ranked team Miami has played this season at the time of the game. Miami defeated then number 18 Louisville and lost to number one Clemson.

Miami is only eight points behind Indiana in the AP Poll. The game against North Carolina will be a critical statement game for the Hurricanes. Indiana plays its final regular-season scheduled game against Purdue on Saturday. Miami is 50 points ahead of Indiana and 122 behind Cincinnati for seventh in the coaches poll.

Miami has been ranked for 12 straight weeks this season. The last time Miami had a streak that was as long as the current one was 24 from the last poll in 2016 through the first seven polls in 2018. Manny Diaz and the Miami football team are building momentum for the future.

Miami is virtually guaranteed to finish the 2020 season in the final polls. The Hurricanes are given a 67.7 percent chance to defeat North Carolina by the ESPN Football Power Index. Miami is given a 90.7 percent chance for victory a week later against Georgia Tech. Miami should move up the rankings if they keep winning.