Eight games into the 2025 season, Miami lost in overtime to SMU, and it looked like a repeat of the 2024 season when the Hurricanes got as high as fourth in the CFP poll before running out of gas and losing two of their final three regular-season games to miss out on the 12-team bracket.
But instead, the Hurricanes seemed to re-focus in the final four games and put together their best performances of the year. It wasn't enough to get into the ACC championship game, but it was clear that Miami was the best team in the conference and got the at-large bid that might have otherwise gone to the conference champion.
From there we know what happened. Miami knocked off Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss before losing a heartbreaker to Indiana in the championship game.
Mario Cristobal Says Miami “Built to Sustain” After Title Run - https://t.co/bOsS7VNxdv pic.twitter.com/Rgdh2f9kHC
— CaneSport Miami Hurricanes (@CaneSport) March 27, 2026
Mario Cristobal credits 2025 season on commitment from players
When Mario Cristobal was asked what was the difference between the two seasons and how Miami avoided another late-season skid, he said that the Hurricanes simply remembered who they were.
"I think that meeting after the SMU game really kind of changed things," Cristobal told Josh Pate. "We just weren't playing like we played [previously]. We were playing hard. Our effort, our care factor....everything was through the roof, but we weren't...it didn't look like us."
Cristobal said that the coaching staff made a reel of the first five games of the season when Miami was playing well and let the team watch it to see what they were capable of when they were at their best.
"All we did was take those first five weeks and clipped out us playing Miami football — physical, violent, tough, relentless, physical plays. We watched 10 minutes of us playing Miami football," Cristobal added.
From that point on, Cristobal said all the things Miami came to be known for during that postseason run were evident in the practices. He particularly singled out the physical play of the skill players, which we saw repeatedly as every running back and wide receiver was more than willing to lower their shoulder pads and play tough.
Those are the sort of lessons that are sustainable, and it's a big reason why Miami is a favorite to win it all in 2026. The Hurricanes embrace the work and that will pay off.