The best path for No. 13 Miami to gain entry into the college football playoff 12-team bracket is still through winning the ACC. Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, that path has many roadblocks that still need to be cleared.
But in the ACC, where even one-win Boston College can be a play away from beating 9-win Georgia Tech, the path for Miami isn't clear, but it isn't out of the question either. It will just take a little luck.
.@espn’s playoff predictor now gives Miami a 35% chance (previously was at 14%) at a CFP at-large bid if it were to win its remaining two games. pic.twitter.com/MMie6bnocv
— Luke Chaney (@LChaney_) November 20, 2025
What has to happen for Miami to win the ACC?
First, Miami has to take care of business on its own end. That means winning this Saturday against Virginia Tech and next Saturday against Pitt. Those are the things the Hurricanes can control. After that, it gets very murky.
Of the three available scenarios, the first one seems like it's the most likely. But two things HAVE to happen this week. Pitt needs to go on the road and beat 9-1 Georgia Tech and Duke has to beat UNC on the road. It feels like Georgia Tech is ripe for an upset, and after Pitt basically threw last week's game against Notre Dame, they should be fresh.
If the first three things happen (Miami, Pitt and Duke win), then the Louisville-SMU game could go either way, and your rooting interest will just depend on how much faith you have in SMU winning at Cal the following week or vice versa.
Hurricanes still searching for first ACC title
It's hard to believe that Miami has never won the ACC. The Hurricanes have been in the conference since 2004 and were expected to immediately shoot to the top of the league, but that hasn't happened.
Miami has only played in the ACC title game once, a 38-3 loss to Clemson in 2017. Last year, the Hurricanes arguably had the best team in the conference and certainly had the best player, quarterback Cam Ward, but lost two of their final three conference games to get bumped out by Clemson.
It would be a tough pill to swallow for Hurricane fans if Miami had arguably the best team in the ACC for consecutive years and didn't have a trophy to show for it.