Miami has spent more than two decades chasing its first ACC football championship, so ESPN's 2026 forecast seems like a major breakthrough for Mario Cristobal's program.
But ESPN also has the Hurricanes entering the CFP field as the No. 8 seed and losing at home against No. 9 Oregon.
ESPN 2026 College Football Preview magazine projects Miami to win ACC but lose in first round of CFP
ESPN called Miami "the ACC's most proven quantity" heading into 2026. The Hurricanes return running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and wide receiver Malachi Toney, add former Duke quarterback Darian Mensah and bring back both coordinators after last season's run to the national championship game.
The Hurricanes finished the 2025 regular season 10-2, entered the playoff as the No. 10 seed and won at Texas A&M before beating Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl and Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl. Indiana stopped Miami's run, but the Hurricanes proved they belonged with the sport's elite teams.
There is some concern with Miami despite returning a lot of production
The offensive line will be under the microscope. True freshman Jackson Cantwell is expected to begin at left tackle, Matthew McCoy is moving from left guard to right tackle and Ryan Rodriguez is preparing to become the full-time starter at center for the first time in his career.
The early part of Miami's schedule should give that unit some time to settle, with Stanford, Florida A&M, Wake Forest and Central Michigan coming early in the year. But the Hurricanes cannot afford for that process to take too long, though.
Road games at Clemson on Oct. 3 and Notre Dame on Nov. 7 will be the biggest tests of the regular season. Miami also has Florida State, Pittsburgh, Duke, Virginia Tech and Boston College at home.
The Hurricanes will also need to replace several difference-makers on defense from the 2025 team, especially in the pass rush department. Damon Wilson II comes to Coral Gables as a high-end transfer addition after producing nine sacks and more than 50 pressures at Missouri last season. Ahmad Moten returns after recording nine tackles for loss and 27 pressures, while former five-star recruits Marquise Lightfoot, Justin Scott and Armondo Blount are entering an important stage of their development.
Miami projected to lose in opening round against Oregon
Winning the ACC would guarantee Miami a playoff berth if it finished as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions, but it would not guarantee a first-round bye. Drawing a talented Oregon team that is led by QB Dante Moore would be tough task for the Canes to conquer in round one.
But the expectation for Miami is to make another run at the CFP title.
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