Miami’s Friday night win over Wake Forest was good enough to keep the Hurricanes near the top of the national conversation, even if the second half left a little to be desired.
The Hurricanes beat Wake Forest 33-20 in Winston-Salem and built a 31-7 lead before things got much sloppier after halftime. Miami’s offense, in particular, stalled out late, going three-and-out four straight times and also missing a field goal. Still, the result stood, and that mattered in a weekend where several other ranked teams also had to sweat.
Texas A&M dropped 31-21 to Kentucky. Texas Tech, USC, and Alabama each had their own close calls against opponents they were expected to handle more comfortably. In that context, Miami’s uneven finish didn’t land as harshly as it might have in a quieter week.
The AP voters nudged the Hurricanes down one spot, from No. 5 to No. 6.
The Coaches Poll was more forgiving, leaving Miami at No. 5.
Ole Miss was the team that jumped ahead of Miami after one of the weekend’s biggest results, taking down LSU 32-24 in Oxford and getting revenge on Lane Kiffin’s old program. That win pushed the Rebels from No. 8 to No. 4 in the AP Poll and from No. 9 to No. 6 in the Coaches Poll.
At this stage, the polls are still just polls. They don’t decide anything yet. But they do show how the teams are being viewed week to week, and right now Miami’s perception remains pretty strong despite the second-half stumble against Wake Forest.
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The projected shakeup around them is being driven by what happened elsewhere, with teams such as Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Louisville positioned for notable movement. It is only a projection for now, not the official poll release, but it leaves Miami in an unusual spot: still undefeated, still in the mix, and still waiting to see whether the voters reward the record or the broader weekend results. [Read more 🡒]