Predicting which of Miami's 2026 opponents will be in the top 25 polls this season

I can't sit here with a straight face and say that Miami's schedule is hard, so I won't even try.

Notre Dame is the only team on the schedule that appears in the preseason top 25. The Hurricanes joins SMU (#19) and Louisville (#24) as the only ACC teams ranked, and Miami wouldn't face either team until the ACC Championship Game. Last year's ACCCG finalists, Duke and Virginia received one vote between them. 

READ MORE: Miami is ready to prove the AP voters wrong after preseason poll lowballs the Canes

Clemson, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech are the teams on Miami's schedule that are also receiving votes, with the Tigers a few votes outside the top 25 because these voters still think Missouri football will be a thing. 

So, assuming Notre Dame will be in or around the top 10 all season, is the Hurricanes' schedule as manageable as it seems? Let's dig deeper.

Miami opponents that won't be in the top 25 this season

I think we can safely write off Stanford, FAMU, Central Michigan and Boston College for sure. Both of the ACC opponents are in the early stages of a roster restructure and FAMU isn't even in the FBS. Central Michigan had a 7-6 record last year, but MAC schools usually need at least 10-win projections to be viable for the AP rankings.

Mario Cristobal will hate the idea of discounting any opponent, but it feels safe to say that these four won't be a factor in the AP polls.

Miami opponents that probably won't be in the top 25

This is where North Carolina and Virginia Tech sit, but for two entirely different reasons. The Tar Heels are just... something. I mean, that feels like a volcano that could explode at any time. But the guy coaching them is pretty good, and even if it's easy to discount Bill Belichick, we can't discount Bill Belichick. 

Virginia Tech is certainly on the list of teams that could exceed expectations. James Franklin probably needs a year to kick that thing into full gear, but the Hokies have some guys, and they will probably land an upset or two this year. Week 12 seems like a long time to carry momentum, but it's a possibility.

Miami opponents that will be legitimate top-25 threats

This is where Clemson, Pittsburgh, Duke and, yes, Wake Forest land. Don't sleep on the Demon Deacons. They were 9-4 last year and, although this schedule is tough, Wake Forest has a proven history of punching above its weight class.

The other three teams are a little easier to justify. Clemson could easily knock off LSU in Week 1 and start the season 4-0. The Tigers could also be 2-2. Hard to say. Pittsburgh is one of those programs that's just going to hang around in top-25 contention because that's what the Panthers do. 

Duke is certainly an interesting case. Much like Wake Forest, the Blue Devils also punch above their weight class, but they've also had some dudes over the past few years. Between Mike Elko and Manny Diaz, they get some guys in that program that make you scratch your head and wonder how they ended up at Duke instead of Ohio State or something. One of those guys will be Miami's starting quarterback this year.

READ MORE: ACC coaches echo why Darian Mensah is so scary in Miami's high-octane offense

And then there's Florida State

The Seminoles are such a big unknown because of what they could be. There's no reason to think Mike Norvell has figured anything out and Ashton Daniels seems like a horrible reach at quarterback. But this is FSU and some of these guys can play. 

I could see the Seminoles going somewhere between 4-8 and 9-3. I wouldn't be shocked if Norvell was gone before or right after the October 17 game at Hard Rock, but I wouldn't be shocked if FSU is 5-1 and ranked inside the top-20. The Seminoles are the ultimate wild card on this schedule. 

Now it's time to be done with these silly rankings and play some football!

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