On the SVPod College Football postgame on Saturday night, ESPN producer and College Gameday betting analyst Stanford Steve Coughlin stated three times that Miami was not ready at SMU in their 26-20 overtime loss on Saturday.
Miami had multiple opportunities to put SMU away on Saturday, but as Stanford Steve's ESPN colleague, college football game analyst Greg McElroy, stated on his "Always College Football" podcast, "Miami is their own worst enemy."
Miami held SMU to -2 rushing yards through the first four quarters, committed 12 penalties for 96 yards, had possession for 37:42 and Carson Beck threw an interception in overtime with the first possession. Miami had nine possessions in SMU territory and finished with two field goals and two touchdowns.
Coughlin began his comments with the eponymous host of the SVPod mentioning Mario Cristobal calling timeouts against Stanford with a 35-7 lead in the final minute. Miami could have taken a knee to end the game. The final Miami TD allowed the Hurricanes to cover the point spread and allowed the points to eclipse the over/under.
"Stanford Steve Coughlin
That thing last week I watched at Miami last week when Mario Cristobal calling timeouts. I hope you feel really good calling timeouts to get your alums a cover against Stanford, cuz you didn't have your team prepared today to go to Dallas and play SMU, who actually got embarrassed last week against Wake Forest....You had everything on the table today....Everything on the table. That team wasn't ready today. They were not ready to play and SMU was. So, I hope everybody had their fun last week in Miami, but I don't know what else to say about Miami."
Van Pelt pointed out that Miami is 12-10 against unranked teams under head coach Mario Cristobal and is 7-5 in their last 12, with four of those five losses as a favorite by more than a touchdown. Miami has four wins and 11 losses in November and December in its fourth season under Cristobal.
Van Pelt stated the losses to Louisville in October and SMU on Saturday were too much of a familiar refrain at Miami. In 2024, Miami lost at Georgia Tech and Syracuse in two of its final three games after beginning the season 9-0. The losses at Georgia Tech and Syracuse cost Miami ACC Championship Game and College Football Playoff berths.
Miami is likely to get every opponent's best game. It is on Cristobal and the Miami staff to have the Hurricanes read. Miami is likely to be a double-digit favorite in the next three games. Miami is a 28.5-point favorite over Syracuse on Saturday, according to the FanDuel Sportsbook.
Miami was 10th in the Associated Press Top 25 and ninth in the USA Today Coaches poll week 10 rankings. After the loss to SMU, Miami is now 18th in the initial College Football Playoff rankings that were released on Tuesday. Miami has to win out and get help to continue to have everything on the table.