Brad Crawford of 247Sports responded that Miami will likely play in the Gator Bowl if it does not make the College Football Playoff. The question was posted by a fan after Crawford reported the Fighting Irish will play BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl if they are not selected for the CFP.
Miami has played twice in the Gator Bowl. Miami beat Clemson 14-0 in the 1952 Gator Bowl and Georgia Tech 28-13 in the 2000 game. The 2025 Gator Bowl will be played on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville.
Miami playing in the Gator Bowl would provide quarterback Carson Beck an opportunity for his career to come full circle. Beck is a Jacksonville native who played at Mandarin High School. Beck played at Everbank Stadium when he led Georgia to wins over Florida.
Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports projects Miami in the Gator Bowl against Tennessee. CBS Sports has Miami playing Texas in the Gator Bowl. Mark Schlabach of ESPN, Pete Fiutak of the College Football News and Bryan Fischer of Sports Illustrated predict Miami against Vanderbilt in the Gator Bowl.
We'll likely see Notre Dame vs. BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl if the Fighting Irish are not selected for the College Football Playoff, a bowl source confirms to @CBSSports.
— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) December 6, 2025
Gator
— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) December 6, 2025
Miami in the Gator Bowl would be a major disappointment for fans
Kyle Bonagura of ESPN projects Miami against Houston and Erick Smith of USA Today predicts the Hurricanes to play BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Miami lost 41-38 to Iowa State in the 2025 Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando. BYU lost 34-7 to Texas Tech in the Big XII Championship Game on Saturday.
Miami has not played any of the opponents mentioned during the 2025 season. Tennessee or Texas would likely be the consensus most intriguing matchup for Miami fans if the Hurricanes do not earn a CFP berth. Miami beat Texas 46-3 in the 1991 Cotton Bowl.
The College Football Playoff and Bowl Selection Show will be televised by ESPN from 12–3 PM Eastern Standard Time on Sunday. The ACC Network will have its own two-hour ACC Huddle at PM ET on Sunday night at 6 PM ET.