If the Miami Hurricanes feel like a lock to make the College Football Playoff 12-team bracket, it's because they are close to it, according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor.
The predictor currently has the Hurricanes at 93%, the highest percentage of any team in the country and one of just three teams (Texas & Notre Dame) that are at 90% or above on the list. Alabama (88%) and Georgia (85%) are the next closest teams.
Miami has put itself in prime position to chase a College Football Playoff berth and compete for a National Championship 🙌🔥
— Ibis Media (@IbisMediaCo) October 6, 2026
Check quotes to see the Canes’ chances according to ESPN’s Allstate College Football Playoff Predictor 👀 pic.twitter.com/kc76ft45WK
The Allstate Playoff Predictor is powered by the FPI and serves as ESPN's official playoff prediction machine. Miami is an overwhelming favorite in six of its final seven games and is also predicted to win its first ACC championship in football.
Miami and Notre Dame could be playoff locks by November 7
With the Hurricanes and the Fighting Irish both in prime position to make the CFP, it's fair to wonder if the prime time showdown on November 7 is more of a game for playoff positioning than the main event it's been billed at.
And don't get me wrong, it's the biggest game of the season and another chance for the Hurricanes to prove they are a level above the Irish. But this matchup could easily happen again in January when the stakes are at a premium. So there could be a balance between wanting to beat Notre Dame on its home field and also understanding that this game could happen again down the road.
Rematches in college football aren't so unusual these days. Since the addition of the conference championship, the playoffs, and an updated system to determine national championship matchups, there have been many instances where two teams had to run it back.
The ACC might not be a one-bid conference
You have to scroll down a bit on the playoff predictor to find a couple of ACC teams in the mix. Pitt (28%) and Wake Forest (13%) have made the predictor, while undefeated Duke is still not in there. The ACC gets no favors from the polls, which are heavily slanted to the SEC and Big Ten, and that could become a determining factor in the new strength of conference metric.
But the conference has made it a habit of disrupting the CFP since its expansion to 12 teams. Two years ago, it was Clemson sneaking through the back door after winning the ACC Championship Game to give the conference a second bid, joining SMU. And, of course, last year the Hurricanes were the conference representative despite not playing in the conference championship game.
So as we approach the midpoint of the season, there's no reason to shut out the possibility of a second team joining Miami in the postseason tournament. The margin of error for any ACC team is limited, but the numbers could be in favorite of the conference by the end of the season, and they never lie.
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