Miami’s noon window is rare enough this season that the Hurricanes might as well make the most of it. A win over Duke would get them pointed in the right direction, and then the real waiting begins: scoreboard watching. Sitting at No. 7 in the CFP rankings, Miami needs help, too, with teams ahead of it having to stumble if the Hurricanes are going to keep climbing.
That’s the backdrop for a weekend packed with games that should shake up next week’s rankings. With only a few Saturdays left in the regular season, every result carries extra weight.
One of the first games worth circling is Illinois at No. 4 UCLA on Friday night.
Illinois has quietly strung together four straight wins, while UCLA is still unbeaten and has earned its share of respect. Even so, the Bruins have been pushed in a few tight games, and this one has the feel of a low-scoring, physical fight.
That kind of game can give the Fighting Illini a real opening to spring the upset.
Saturday starts with No. 13 Wake Forest at SMU, and this one could have major ACC implications by early afternoon.
If Miami and Wake Forest both take care of business, the ACC Championship Game picture could be sorted out by around 3:15 p.m. ET.
SMU has been a different team at home in Dallas, and the Mustangs will try to keep themselves alive in the race to Charlotte. Wake Forest arrives with road wins over Louisville and Purdue already on its résumé, and after last week’s 77-0 win over Merrimack, the Demon Deacons should be rested and healthy for this one.
The SEC gets a pair of heavyweight matchups later in the day. No.
22 Missouri visits No. 1 Georgia, and the rankings conversation around that game is hard to miss.
Missouri likely didn’t belong in the CFP rankings last week, but the committee kept the Tigers in place, which gives Georgia another chance at a quality win.
Then there’s No. 6 Texas at No.
21 LSU, a game with plenty riding on it. The source material notes that Lane Kiffin needs to win some of these big games if he wants to get the Tigers faithful back on his side.
Texas is one of the few teams in the top 12 that could probably survive another loss, but this isn’t the spot to take one, especially with LSU owning the head-to-head edge in a tiebreaker. In that sense, it’s a must-win for both sides.
Another game with CFP ripple effects is No. 18 USC at No.
9 Indiana. It’s fair to ask which version of Indiana will show up, and the same question hangs over USC.
A road win for the Trojans would matter more for what it does to the Hoosiers than for USC’s own standing. The setup is tricky, too: USC has been inconsistent away from home and is making a fourth trip across multiple time zones, while Indiana has kept surviving on that tightrope more often than not.
The day closes with No. 2 Utah at No.
23 Arizona, and this one brings a rivalry that doesn’t get nearly enough attention. Since the teams began playing regularly in 2011, Utah holds a 7-6 edge, though Arizona has won the last two meetings.
The Wildcats are still clinging to their CFP top-12 hopes, and a home win over the Utes would change everything.
In Other News...
Miami Defense Suddenly Has A New Secondary Concern Before Duke
Miamis defense may have to make a late adjustment in the secondary this week, with safety Zechariah Poyser listed as questionable for the home game against Duke after picking up an upper-body injury last week. Head coach Mario Cristobal said Poyser is doing well, but the Hurricanes still have to treat his availability as uncertain as they get closer to kickoff.
If Poyser cant go, Miami does have backup options lined up to handle the safety spot, which at least gives the staff some flexibility. Still, any uncertainty in the back end is worth watching closely against a Duke offense that will test communication and depth, making Poysers status one of the more important items on the pregame checklist. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Gets An Early Test Of How Real This Start Is
No. 17 Miami gets a chance to keep building early momentum Friday when North Alabama comes to town for a 5 p.m. ET matchup at home. Both teams enter at 2-1, which gives this one a little more substance than the usual November tune-up, especially for a Hurricanes group coming off a win over North Florida and looking to show its start is more than just a fast opening stretch.
North Alabama arrives after a loss to Oklahoma, so the Lions will have their own motivation to steady things against a ranked opponent on the road. The game will air on ACC Network with Mike Corey and Tom Crean on the call, giving Miami another early-season stage to answer the first real question of the year: how much of this start can hold up once the schedule starts to ask more of it? [Read more 🡒]
Jai Lucas Is Still Pushing Miami To Fix Two Things Fast
Miamis 89-51 win over North Florida gave Jai Lucas plenty to like, especially the way his team controlled the glass and dictated the game inside. The Hurricanes were able to lean on their rebounding and paint presence to separate early, but Lucas still came away focused on two areas he wants cleaned up quickly: a tighter rotation and better spacing.
Lewis, the sophomore Lucas has leaned on as a floor general, was part of that conversation even with only two points in the box score. Miami now turns to North Alabama for the first meeting between the programs, and the next step for the Hurricanes will be showing that the same physical edge can come with a sharper, more connected offense. [Read more 🡒]