After a thoroughly dominating 41-7 win over the North Carolina State Wolfpack over the weekend, the Miami Hurricanes are looking to keep the College Football Playoff dream alive for as long as they can. According to ESPN's Football Power Index, Miami has only an 11.1 percent chance to make the playoff. This ranks 20th in the country behind the likes of Georgia Tech and Virginia over in the ACC.
The good news for Miami is two more wins are very much on the radar the rest of the way. They have two road dates at the sub-.500 Virginia Tech Hokies, as well as one at those frustrating Pittsburgh Panthers. Should Pitt keep its stuff together, Miami has a halfway decent chance of beating anoter ranked team. The only one they will surely have on their resume at this point will be over Notre Dame.
Regardless of the odds being stacked against him, Mario Cristobal remains positive with this remark.
"We are on the verge of playing our best football. We have to go and take our business and everything will take care of itself."
Although Cristobal's comments on Miami jelling at the right time, the Hurricanes are going to need some help to overcome its two losses in conference play to Louisville at home and then on the road to SMU. While Louisville has stumbled in recent weeks a 7-3 (4-3) record, Miami really needs SMU to drop a game or two to make it to Charlotte. SMU is 7-3 (5-1) so far this season after its big Miami win.
Even though Miami might be the most talented team in the ACC, its playoff chances are quite slim.
Mario Cristobal preaches positivity with Miami backed up against a wall
No matter how you slice it, this is the right approach coming out of the Hurricanes' head coach. Miami can only control what it can the rest of the way. For the Hurricanes to make the playoff, they need to take care of business at Virginia Tech and at Pittsburgh before seeing what happens across the rest of the ACC. Miami could make it to Charlotte, but its best shot of making the playoff is as an at-large.
Again, owning the head-to-head over Notre Dame is massive for their chances of getting in as one of the last few teams in. In all likelihood, the best thing Miami can hope for is to be either the No. 9 or No. 10 seed. If the Canes were to make it to Charlotte and somehow win the ACC, that could conceivably elevate them even higher. Miami is one of those teams that can throw a wrench into the entire playoff.
Right now, Georgia Tech and Virginia appear to be on a collision course to get to Charlotte. The winner of that game will likely make the playoff as the ACC champion. The loser will be going home. Miami is the only team in the ACC who has any real shot of making the playoff as an at-large team. There will be other teams with 10-2 records at the end of the season, hoping to get a bid in the end.
For now, Miami fans should rally around Cristobal's level of focus and see what happens in just a bit.