The Miami Hurricanes closed out the 2025 regular season on a tear, ripping off four straight wins to finish 10-2 and firmly plant themselves in the national conversation. But as the College Football Playoff committee prepares for its next Top 25 reveal, Miami is still sitting just outside the 12-team playoff picture-a position that has head coach Mario Cristobal making his case loud and clear.
And he’s got some compelling points.
Head-to-Head Matters
Cristobal isn’t just lobbying for a spot-he’s laying out the data. Chief among his arguments: Miami beat Notre Dame head-to-head, a 27-24 season-opening win that the Hurricanes largely controlled.
Notre Dame, ranked No. 9 in last week’s CFP Top 25, is currently ahead of Miami in the pecking order. But Cristobal wants the committee to take a hard look at that direct result and what it says about the two teams.
“When you play the same opponent and do a better job against them, that carries a ton of value,” Cristobal said Monday on The Joe Rose Show. “We had an opportunity to play head-to-head. The way that game was graded, the way our offensive and defensive lines performed, the way our key players executed-it paints a clear picture.”
Cristobal’s not wrong. The Hurricanes didn’t just sneak past the Irish-they looked like the better team for most of that game. And when you factor in that both teams faced four common opponents in the back half of the season-NC State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Stanford-Miami came out with a stronger showing in three of those four matchups.
A Resume Worth Revisiting
From a numbers standpoint, the resumes are neck-and-neck. Notre Dame’s strength of schedule ranks No. 42 nationally, while Miami’s is just two spots behind at No.
- Strength of record?
Notre Dame sits at No. 13, Miami at No.
- Practically identical.
But again, Miami won the game that matters most when comparing these two: the one where they played each other.
Cristobal also pointed to Miami’s brutal non-conference slate-Notre Dame, USF, and Florida-as proof that the Canes didn’t take the easy road. “Nobody else was willing to play that kind of schedule,” he said.
“We beat those teams. Some of them got banged up along the way, but we showed up.”
Now, with the regular season in the books, Cristobal believes his team is hitting its stride at the perfect time.
“We are playing significantly better than we did early in the season,” he said. “We’re getting healthier, and we’re hitting on all cylinders. This is the right time for us.”
Built for the Big Stage
Cristobal isn’t just selling the Hurricanes as a playoff contender-he’s pitching them as a team built to win in any environment, against any opponent.
“This team can win at any level against anybody,” he said. “We’re physical.
Our front lines are graded at the highest level. Our playmakers are making plays.
Our secondary is playing man and zone as well as anyone.”
That confidence doesn’t come out of nowhere. Miami’s staff has done a masterful job this season of maximizing personnel. Cristobal credited offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson and defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman for making smart, player-first decisions.
“They understand the simple concept of players over plays,” Cristobal said. “If you don’t put guys in the right situations, it’s not going to look good. As the season went on, we got better at doing that-playing to our strengths.”
Standout Performers
A big part of Miami’s late-season surge has been the play of quarterback Carson Beck. After a midseason stumble, Beck has been lights-out over the last month.
“He’s been the best in the country over the last four weeks,” Cristobal said. “He’s healthy now, and he’s hard to defend.
He’s really smart. He was misunderstood before he got here, but he’s a special player, a special worker, and a great teammate.”
Then there’s true freshman wide receiver Malachi Toney, who’s quickly made a name for himself as one of the most dynamic young players in the country.
“He’s a special player,” Cristobal said. “Everything he does with the ball-besides just catching it-is part of what makes him elite.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he jumped over to defense and locked someone down in man coverage. He just understands the game at a high level.
He’s relentless.”
ACC Championship Quirk
While Miami watches the playoff picture unfold, the ACC Championship Game will feature two-loss Virginia and 7-5 Duke-thanks to a tiebreaker scenario that left some raised eyebrows across the conference.
Cristobal didn’t hide his thoughts on the format but kept things respectful.
“I’m a big fan of divisions because everybody plays each other more often,” he said. “But however it ends up, you say congratulations to Duke and Virginia. Even if we don’t agree with the way it played out, you respect the result and focus on your own stuff.”
What’s Next?
Miami’s resume is strong. The team is surging.
The head-to-head win over Notre Dame is in the books. And Cristobal believes his team can go toe-to-toe with anyone.
Now the ball is in the committee’s court.
The Hurricanes have done their part. Whether that’s enough to punch their ticket into the 12-team playoff remains to be seen-but if you're looking at who’s hot, who’s tested, and who’s built to make noise in December, Miami checks a lot of boxes.