The Miami Hurricanes are back in the AP top five, and this time they’re sitting at No. 4.
That’s the highest spot Miami has reached in the 2026 college football season so far, topping its No. 5 showing in Week 2. The bump comes after a lopsided 52-3 win over Central Michigan on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium, a game that turned after Miami fell behind by three early in the first quarter.
From there, the Hurricanes controlled everything. They scored on seven red zone trips, finishing with six touchdowns and one field goal, while the defense shut Central Michigan out the rest of the way.
The latest poll shuffle pushed Miami past teams that had been ahead of it a week ago. Indiana and Ole Miss both dropped, though each remained in the top 10.
Indiana slid to No. 6 after a 29-23 win over Northwestern, a result that did not carry much weight because the Wildcats were unranked. The Hoosiers never trailed, but they also gave up 16 fourth-quarter points after taking a 12-point lead into halftime.
Ole Miss took a harder hit, falling five places to No. 9 after a 52-28 loss to Florida. The Gators moved into the rankings for the first time this season at No. 21, then exploded for seven touchdowns.
Junior running back Jadan Baugh did plenty of the damage, rushing for 142 yards on 29 carries and scoring three times. The Rebels had just beaten LSU 32-24, but that momentum didn’t carry into Gainesville, Fla.
Sitting between Miami and Indiana is Ohio State at No. 5.
The Buckeyes handled Illinois 42-19, with quarterback Julian Sayin and receiver Jeremiah Smith hooking up for all four passing touchdowns. Sophomore running back Ja’Kobi Jackson added the only other Buckeyes score, finishing with 56 yards on 10 carries.
Miami’s 4-0 start overall and 2-0 mark in the ACC have set the stage for a tougher stretch ahead. Seven of the next eight games count in the conference race, and the schedule also includes a non-conference primetime trip to face No.
3 Notre Dame at South Bend, Indiana. The push toward a return to the College Football Playoffs will keep building next Saturday, when the Hurricanes travel to South Carolina to face Clemson.
In Other News...
Clemson Just Got A Tougher Miami Test Than Expected
Miami got a welcome update heading into its matchup with Clemson, with coach Mario Cristobal saying running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr. are expected to be available. Both had been held out of the previous game after picking up minor injuries against Wake Forest, leaving the Hurricanes a little thinner than usual in two important spots.
Now, those absences appear to be short-lived, and that matters in a game where Miami will want as much stability as possible on both sides of the ball. Fletcher gives the Hurricanes another option in the backfield, while Motens presence up front helps a defense that will be tested in a big way, even as Cristobal says both players are healthy and ready to go. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Suddenly Has A Real RB2 Debate Before Clemson
Chris Wheatley-Humphrey gave Miami something to think about in the win over Central Michigan, turning 11 carries into more than 100 yards and a touchdown while Mark Fletcher Jr. was held out to get ready for Clemson. The timing matters because the Hurricanes have been searching for clarity behind their feature back, and the latest outing only sharpened the conversation. When a reserve back puts together that kind of performance, it changes how a depth chart looks heading into a much bigger stage.
Mario Cristobal said Fletcher was rested with Clemson in mind, and Miami appears headed toward a committee approach for the RB2 role anyway. Wheatley-Humphrey, Girard Pringle and Jordan Lyle are all in the mix, which gives the Hurricanes options but also leaves the pecking order unsettled. Against a defense like Clemsons, the question is not just who gets the next carry, but who can earn the staffs trust when the game gets tight. [Read more 🡒]
Cristobal Put Miamis Clemson Focus On Two Issues After Blowout Win
After Miamis 52-3 rout of Central Michigan, the focus inside the program quickly shifted from the lopsided final to the details that matter next. The Hurricanes piled up 572 yards and forced three turnovers, with Darian Mensah sharp through the air and Malachi Toney continuing to give the offense a big-play presence, but head coach Mario Cristobal spent his media time zeroing in on how the game was managed and how the roster was rotated.
Clemson is the real measuring stick ahead, and Cristobals message after the win centered on two issues that will shape how prepared Miami looks when that one arrives. The matchup is already looming as a major test for a team that handled Central Michigan with ease, and the attention now is on whether the Canes can keep the same edge while tightening the pieces that matter most in a bigger game. [Read more 🡒]