Major national website projects Miami Hurricanes in College Football Playoff
Brad Crawford of 247Sports named the Miami Hurricanes as one of the inaugural programs in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. Crawford projects Miami to be a Mississippi in a first-round game. Florida State is the only other ACC team that Crawford projects to earn a CFP berth.
Miami has not finished close to a position in the top 12 since 2017. The 2017 Hurricanes were 10-2 in the regular season and they ranked 11th nationally after losing to Clemson in the ACC Championship game. Miami is on the cusp of the top 12 in way-too-early top 25s nationally.
Miami was 14th in the 247Sports spring way-too-early top 25. The ESPN Football Power Index ranks Miami 24th. Mississippi is sixth in the 247Sports way-too-early top 25 and 16 in the ESPN FPI. The Rebels finished 11th in the final 2023 CFP Poll. With an expanded playoff, Mississippi should be a contender for a berth this season.
Miami and Mississippi have played three times with the Rebels holding a 2-1 edge in the all-time series. Mississippi won 14-0 in 1936 and 21-7 in 1940, Miami earned a 20-7 win over the Rebels for its only victory in the series in 1950. All three games were played in Miami.
College Football Playoff Darkhorses (2024)
— Blue Bloods Bias (@bluebloodsbias) February 27, 2024
1 Virginia Tech Hokies
2 South Florida Bulls
3 Wisconsin Badgers
4 NC State Wolfpack
5 Kansas Jayhawks
6 Miami Hurricanes
7 Boise State Broncos
8 West Virginia Mountaineers
9 Texas A&M Aggies
10 Indiana Hoosiers pic.twitter.com/TBlJpvXWZo
"No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Ole Miss
- Brad Crawford, 247Sports
One of three 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."
Multiple media outlets have picked Miami as a contender for the 2024 College Football Playoff. The addition of quarterback Cam Ward, running back Damien Martinez and edge rushers Elijah Alston and Tyler Baron are expected to improve the production Miami has on the field during the 2024 season.
Ward and Martinez with ACC leading returning receiver Xavier Restrepo are expected to lead an elite Miami offense. Alston and Baron will team with returning edge rushers Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor to give Miami a prolific pass rush. Miami has the talent to produce on the field in 2024.
Next. ESPN writes Miami 1 of 10 contenders as first time CFP team. ESPN writes Miami 1 of 10 contenders as first time CFP team. dark
Too often over the last 20 years, Miami has not lived up to expectations. After leading Miami to a 12-13 record in his first two seasons as head coach, Mario Cristobal needs to finish among the best teams in the ACC in 2024. Anything less than contending for an ACC Championship and College Football Playoff berth will be subpar.