The 12-team College Football Playoff makes room for some genuinely cinematic Miami pairings and three stand above the rest. An Oregon showdown would pit Mario Cristobal against the program he led to consecutive Pac-12 titles before leaving for his alma mater. A date with Ohio State would reopen the scar tissue from the 2003 Fiesta Bowl's infamous overtime flag. And a Georgia matchup would center on the Carson Beck subplot that has defined Miami's present. Thanks to the current CFP format any of these could happen — that is with the caveat that all of these teams make it.
The Mario Cristobal Bowl: Miami vs. Oregon
The narrative writes itself here: Miami's head coach goes against the program he led to a Rose Bowl and two Pac-12 titles, which is now retooled in the Big Ten. Cristobal's Oregon tenure (2018-21) left fingerprints on the Ducks' trench culture and facing that DNA with his current, power-run Miami identity would be deliciously meta. Oregon's leap to the Big Ten also raises the stakes because the CFP is inevitably judgement day for conferences as a whole.
Avenging 2003: Miami vs. Ohio State
Two decades later, Miami fans still see the late flag. The 2003 Fiesta Bowl (2002 season) was defined by a controversial defensive pass interference call on Glenn Sharpe in overtime, extending Ohio State's drive before the Buckeyes won 31-24 in 2OT. A CFP meeting would be framed as a cathartic sequel, and any crack at the defending national champion is a juicy opportunity.
The Carson Beck Bowl: Miami vs. Georgia
Carson Beck's backstory at Georgia makes this one irresistible. Before arriving at Miami, Beck was Georgia's starting quarterback — a Jacksonville product who cut his teeth in Kirby Smart's system. A CFP date with the Bulldogs would be a genuine reunion game: QB vs. the program that developed him, as well as roster familiarity on both sides. Beck didn't have his career as a Bulldog end how he would have hoped, so a win here would be therapeutic for him. It would also validate Miami's decision to scoop him up in the transfer portal.