Another national website picks Miami to make College Football Playoff

Miami is picked as one of the "Preseason College Football Playoff predictions, teams to watch in 2024" by Brad Crawford of 247Sports. Crawford projects Miami as the 10th seed at seventh-seeded Mississippi in the first round of the inaugural 12-team College Football playoff.

Mississippi finished 11-2 in 2023 and was ninth in the final rankings. The Rebels' only losses were at then-number 13 Alabama and second-ranked Georgia. Mississippi is sixth in the 247Sports Way Too Early post-spring Top 25. Mississippi beat Penn State in the 38-25 2023 Peach Bowl.

The winner of Miami and Mississippi projects to play second-seeded Georgia in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State is projected as the number-one seed by Crawford. Florida State is projected as the third seed by winning the ACC. The Seminoles would play the Notre Dame-Oregon winner in the Peach Bowl.

Miami is coming off of a 7-6 2023 season. Rutgers beat Miami 31-24 in the 2023 Pinstripe Bowl. The 2024 Miami roster is expected to be significantly better than their 2023 one. If the incoming transfers perform up to expectations Miami should challenge for ACC Championship game and College Football Playoff berths.

"No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Ole Miss
One of two projected home games for SEC teams during the first round of the expanded playoffs, this would mark Lane Kiffin's biggest as a head coach to date against surprise ACC runner-up Miami. If quarterbacks Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart play as expected, both of these teams will challenge for the 10 (or more) win mark."

- Brad Crawford, 247Sports

The other SEC home game mentioned by Crawford is fifth-seed Texas against Group of Five College Football Playoff qualifier Liberty. The other round game in addition to those mentioned is number nine Alabama at eighth-seeded Penn State. Fourth-seeded Kansas State would play the Liberty-Texas winner in the Fiesta Bowl.

Ward led all returning quarterbacks in 2023 averaging 311.3 passing yards per game and had 25 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Ward added eight rushing TDs. Dart averaged 258.8 passing yards per game in 2023 with 23 TDs, five interceptions and also had eight rushing scores.

Miami and Mississippi have played each other three times. Mississippi won 14-0 in 1936 and 21-7 in 1940. Miami beat Mississippi in the teams' last meeting in 1950. The wins by Mississippi over Miami spoiled the Hurricanes' homecoming in both games.

Mississippi was picked fourth in the conference following SEC Football Media Days held last week. Six Mississippi players were picked first-team All-Conference. The ACC will announce their picks for the order of finish and All-Conference teams following media days that conclude on Thursday in Charlotte.