Ron DeSantis just put an official stamp on Miami's favorite tagline from the past two years. In a post on X, Florida's governor wrote, "By the power vested in me, I hereby officially declare the Miami Hurricanes the state champions," citing Miami's wins over four in-state opponents in the season's first six weeks.
By the power vested in me, I hereby officially declare the Miami Hurricanes the state champions after they beat four other Florida schools in the first six weeks of the season (and also beat Notre Dame to boot).
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 6, 2025
Congrats to the “U”! https://t.co/EeOjSJK7fm
Miami has beaten South Florida (49–12 on Sept. 13), Florida (26–7 on Sept. 20), and Florida State (28–22 on Oct. 4), plus FCS in-state foe Bethune-Cookman (45–3 on Sept. 6). Those three FBS results came by a combined 64 points, with the Florida game coming in as a defensive masterpiece with the Gators managing just 141 total yards and going 0-for-13 on third down.
Cristobal’s locker room had already embraced the "state champs" message before DeSantis weighed in. Players paraded "BACK-TO-BACK STATE CHAMPS!" placards after the win in Tallahassee, and Miami's head coach leaned into the rivalry stakes, while still preaching discipline. "We are moving forward. We’re not going back," Mario Cristobal said when asked about Miami's swagger and celebration.
The Hurricanes are up to No. 2 in the latest AP Top 25, behind Ohio State, after stacking a top-20 road win at Florida State on top of earlier victories against Notre Dame, USF and Florida. Voters rewarded the resume of Miami — and Carson Beck's four-touchdown night in Tallahassee didn't hurt.
Miami's wins aged just about as well as they could have in Week 6. USF entered their matchup against Miami ranked No. 18 but dropped completely out after the loss. After getting some more wins they re-entered as No. 24 in the country in the Week 7 Poll. Florida, who have seen their season fall apart in the first half of the year, got a major boost last week by knocking off then-Top-10 Texas. Florida State got respect from the AP as they remained in the Top 25 despite being 3-2 and Notre Dame continues to climb up the rankings after their 0-2 start.
Moving forward, the Hurricanes don't exactly have the toughest schedule ahead, but their success so fair is earning the praise which it rightfully deserves.