Mario Cristobal continues to take it from all directions after last Saturday's loss to SMU.
The loss continued the tendency of Cristobal-coached teams to falter in the final weeks of the season. Whether it's struggling to run the ball, conditioning issues that rear their ugly head in the fourth quarter or simply Carson Beck throwing too many interceptions, Miami hasn't gotten it done in the second half of the season. CBS Sports analyst Aaron Taylor wants to know when it's going to change.
"This is what they [Miami] do in November/December."@AaronTaylorCFB points out how Miami has fell apart late into the season under Mario Cristobal. pic.twitter.com/IamGpZHiB7
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) November 5, 2025
"it's November, so that means heat, humidity and another meltdown in Coral Gables. This is what they do in Novermber/December, 4-11 under Mario Cristobal," Taylor said.
Did Miami's recent swoon affect its CFP status?
Losing two out of three this time of the year is never a good thing, and it's safe to say that the Hurricanes' reputation of doing this under Cristobal is a good reason that they are ranked just 18th in the first CFP rankings — eight spots below a Notre Dame team they've beaten this season.
And one can't think but believe that reputation plays a bigger part in this. Cristobal's record in November and December sticks out. If there was a belief from the committee that Miami would recover from this stumble, I can bet they might've been ranked between 14th and 16th as many predicted. But trends suggest that there's a greater chance Miami falters again than have a late-season surge.
What can Miami do to break this trend?
The Hurricanes have to be cleaner in their execution on offense. Carson Beck has to be more efficient in the pass game and avoid turnovers. It would be a big boost if CJ Daniels gets healthy before the end of the season, but the injuries are starting to pile up. The defense has actually held up well for the most part, but the unit might have to take more matters into their hands and create more turnovers.
Miami HC Mario Cristobal Stated The WR CJ Daniels (Undisclosed) Will Miss Multiple Weeks
— CFB Nation 🏈 (@TheCFBNation) November 5, 2025
Daniels Has 33 Rec, 351 Yds, & 6 TDs For The Hurricanes This Season
Daniels Did NOT Play In The Hurricanes 26-20 Loss To SMU Last Week#GoCFB #CollegeFootball #Miami #AllAboutTheU #GoCanes pic.twitter.com/NPz0nN803X
And then there are the penalties. The drive killers. The self-inflicted wounds. The holds and even the questionable personal fouls. Miami has put itself in some bad positions and that, according to Taylor, might be the greatest indictment against Cristobal.
"12 penalties for almost 100 yards. More games are lost than won and Miami seems to do less with more."CBS Sports' Aaron Taylor