Five games into the 2025 season and the Miami Hurricanes can proudly proclaim themselves state champs. Now it's time for the No. 2 team in the country to want more.
Of the Hurricanes' five wins, three of those teams are currently ranked in the top 25. And Florida, who were in the preseason top 15, just dispatched No. 9 Texas at home, proving the Gators still have some fight in them.
STATE CHAMPS 🙌
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) October 5, 2025
#3 Miami went into Tallahassee and defeated their rival, #18 FSU, 28-22. It is the Hurricanes' first conference win of the season, and their second win in a row over Florida State@CanesFootball | @MiamiHurricanes | #ItsAllAboutTheU pic.twitter.com/WdK2wjfaRo
​Bigger and better things are ahead
From this point on, talks about a state championship are done. This could be the best Hurricanes team in over 20 years and that means winning the program's first ACC championship and getting into the 12-team playoff.Â
There's no one left on the schedule that's currently ranked in the top 25, but that doesn't mean potential landmines lie ahead. Miami has over a week and a half to prepare for a Louisville team that always plays Miami tough and on November 1 there's a road trip to play an SMU team looking for a signature win.
I had been holding something back on Miami as a legit national title contender because, well, the last 20 years of Miami and Mario.
— Matt Baker (@MattBakerCFB) October 5, 2025
Not after last night. It’s time to take these Canes’ CFP chances very seriously. https://t.co/fVJyFqavC8
Carson Beck has been on teams with championship expectations, and he knows what it's like to fall short of those goals. Beck returned to college football to win a championship and the quarterback knows that Miami has the potential to get there, but they can't stop working.
"I'm sure we're going to go back and watch this game and there's just so many little things, little mistakes, little plays that are just left out there for grabs," Beck said. "I just think if we could eliminate those mistakes and stop shooting ourselves in the foot sometimes, we could be really dangerous and really good."
Winning rivalries and winning on the trail
Mario Cristobal has been part of the FSU-Miami rivalry for 30 years. He knows what winning this game means for the state of the program and his ability to continue to convince blue-chip prospects to become Miami Hurricanes.Â
"It's such a big deal. This has nothing to do with me, but I played here, and I know what it means to play in this game, especially up here in Tallahassee," Cristobal said in his post-game press conference. It's been years since both teams were ranked in the top 20, top 10...and so many high school rivalries...players playing against each other. It lasts an entire year."