The Miami Hurricanes finished No. 18 in the final Associated Press Top 25 released on Tuesday. It was the first time Miami finished a season ranked in the Top 25 since 2020 when the Hurricanes were No. 22 in the final poll after an 8-3 season. Miami received 411 points in the final poll and were the third-highest ranked ACC team.
The Hurricanes began the season No. 19 in the preseason poll, but their 492 points were more than they had in the final poll of the 2024 season. SMU finished the season as the highest-ranked ACC team with 721 points. Clemson, who beat SMU in the ACC Championship Game, was the second-ranked team in the conference with 712 points - It finished No. 14 in the poll.
Miami finishing No. 18 in the final 2024 poll is their highest to conclude the season since the Hurricanes were No. 16 in the final poll following the 2017 season. Miami finished 10-3 in both 2017 and 2024. Those are the only 10-win seasons Miami has had since finishing 11-2 in 2003.
Miami started a season in the Top 25 in two of Cristobal's three seasons. During Cristobal's inaugural season in 2022, Miami began the season ranked No. 16. Miami was not ranked in 2023 until Week 3 following a win over Texas A&M.
National champion Buckeyes are No. 1 in final AP Top 25, Notre Dame, Oregon next; Ole Miss, BYU ranked ahead of CFP teams.
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) January 21, 2025
Full poll: https://t.co/7dTTUiSC1j pic.twitter.com/z6vyneboBO
Miami finished ranked No. 18 in the final AP Top 25 poll
Miami reached a season-high of No. 4 in the rankings after starting the season 9-0. The Hurricanes dropped eight spots in Week 12 after a 28-23 loss at Georgia Tech. Syracuse, which eliminated Miami from the ACC Championship Game hunt and a likely College Football Playoff berth, finished No. 20 in the final AP Top 25.
Louisville was the only team Miami defeated in 2024 who received votes. The Cardinals finished third among other receiving votes and No. 28 overall with 38 points. Notre Dame, which finished No. 2 in the final 2024 AP Top 25, and SMU are the only teams on the 2025 Miami schedule who finished this season in the rankings.