Miami Hurricanes rank 22nd in 2022 ESPN Football Power Index

The Miami Hurricanes are ranked 22nd in the 2022 ESPN Football Power Index that was recently posted. ESPN projects Miami to have 8.5 wins and 3.8 losses. The Hurricanes are given a 27.7 percent chance to win the ACC Coastal Division, 8.6 for the conference and 1.9 for a college football playoff berth.

Miami is the third highest-rated team in the ACC. The FPI projects Clemson with 11.1 wins and 1.6 losses. Miami plays at Clemson on November 19. Clemson is projected with a 74.7 percent chance to win the ACC Atlantic Division and 58.7 for the ACC. Pittsburgh is given a 44.8 percent chance in the Coastal and 15.8 to win the ACC.

Miami hosts Pittsburgh in the season finale on November 26 a week after playing at Clemson. The games against the Panthers, Tigers and at Texas A&M on September 17 are the three toughest games on the Miami schedule according to the FPI. Texas A&M is ranked 14th in the FPI. North Carolina is 22nd in the FPI.

The next closest team on the Miami schedule after UNC is Florida State at 31. Miami will presumably be favored in every game but Clemson, Pittsburgh and Texas A&M. Last season Miami finished 23rd in the FPI despite a 7-5 record. Penn State which finished 7-6 and 17th, was the only team ranked higher with a worse record.

Alabama who finished second and Pittsburgh 12th were the only teams ranked higher than Miami who were on the 2021 schedule. The games against Clemson, Pittsburgh and Texas A&M this season will be critical as Mario Cristobal hopes for his team to make a statement early in his Miami Hurricanes tenure.

Miami begins the season hosting FCS Bethune-Cookman and Southern Mississippi before they travel to Texas A&M. The last non-conference game is against Middle Tennessee State on September 24. Southern Miss is 116th and Middle Tennessee State 87th in the FPI. FCS teams are not included.