Miami leads unchanged post week 9 State of Florida Power Rankings
Miami continued to make its case for a College Football Playoff berth with a 36-14 win over Florida State on Saturday. The Hurricanes improved to 7-0 and Florida State dropped to 1-6 with the outcome at Hard Rock Stadium. The post week eight power rankings remained the same.
Central Florida, Florida State and Miami were the only Florida FBS teams to play on Saturday. BYU won 37-24 at Central Florida on Saturday. The Knights lost their fifth straight game. Florida International lost 10-7 to Sam Houston State on Tuesday. Florida, Florida Atlantic and South Florida all had week eight byes.
None of the week eight outcomes were enough to change the rankings. Central Florida is a half game behind South Florida, but is significantly higher ranked in the ESPN Football Power Index. Now in the Big XII, UCF has played a far more difficult schedule than USF. FAU and FIU follow behind USF and FSU is unquestionably last.
Florida teams have been challenged in 2024. Three Florida teams have played schedules that rank in the top 25 nationally. Florida has the 21st toughest schedule through the first eight weeks of 2024 and has the most difficult remaining schedule.
Florida State has played the 15th most difficult schedule and has the 23rd most difficult remaining schedule. South Florida has played the 22nd toughest schedule but has the 115th toughest remaining schedule. Miami has played the 47th toughest schedule and has the 54th most difficult remaining schedule.
Rank | Team | Record | FPI Ranking | Projected record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Miami | 7-0 | 10 | 12.0-0.85.7-6.3 |
2 | Florida | 4-3 | 23 | 5.7-6.3 |
3 | Central Florida | 3-5 | 44 | 5.3-6.7 |
4 | South Florida | 3-4 | 95 | 5.7-6.7 |
5 | Florida Atlantic | 2-5 | 107 | 4.7-7.3 |
6 | Florida International | 2-5 | 116 | 4.4-7.6 |
7 | Florida State | 1-7 | 69 | 2.8-9.2 |
With five weeks left in the regular season, Miami is the only FBS team in the state of Florida projected to earn a bowl berth. Central Florida and Florida State have had epic collapses. Florida is continuing to fight under Billy Napier and the other three programs are poor to mediocre.
Mario Cristobal sent a message to recruits about the trajectory of Miami versus the other programs in Florida. The comment was not so subtly a shot at Florida and Florida State. Miami is on the rise with Florida stagant facing a gauntlet November schedule and Florida State in free fall.