The first College Football Playoff rankings of 2026 put Miami exactly where the Hurricanes wanted to be: No. 1 in the country.
That gives Mario Cristobal’s team a clear lane to control its own path from here, and the top seed comes with a major perk if Miami can keep winning. The No. 1 team gets to pick its quarterfinal bowl game, then the No. 2 seed chooses from what remains, followed by No.
- The No. 4 seed is left with the bowl game nobody else selected.
And if Miami advances as the top seed, the Hurricanes would also get to choose their semifinal site.
Cristobal, though, isn’t spending much time on the rankings themselves. He said he’s not watching the first reveal and wants his players focused on the routine instead.
"We’ve been on both sides of that thing, so we certainly respect the processes that go with it," Cristobal said. "But for us right now, the most important thing is, we’re the only team that’s played all away night games in the entire country. Actually, the most important thing for us is to use that time to get to bed.
"Right, really, at this time of year when it’s flu season, right, virus season, is protect our preparation. Eat the right stuff, put the right stuff in your body.
Get all the preparation, all the recovery work you need because we practice hard, and get to bed. And that’s the best thing you can do."
Miami has spent three weeks as the No. 1 team in the country, even with some lingering questions on defense. Now the Hurricanes have the playoff ranking to match, and the Notre Dame game looms large in shaping where they land when it’s all said and done.
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Notre Dame Suddenly Hands Miami A Huge Opening In South Bend
Notre Dames injury report ahead of its matchup with Miami gives the Hurricanes a little more reason to believe they can walk into South Bend and make things uncomfortable. The Irish are dealing with a cluster of absences on both sides of the ball, including defensive tackle Francis Brewu, who is questionable with a left knee injury, and captain linebacker Drayk Bowen, who has already been ruled out with a right ankle injury. Add in the loss of multiple other defensive linemen and a pair of offensive linemen, and the depth chart suddenly looks a lot thinner than it did a few days ago.
For Miami, the timing matters. Any trip to Notre Dame Stadium is a major test, but the Hurricanes now have a clearer path to attacking a front that may not be at full strength and a defense missing one of its most important leaders. The full picture still depends on how Notre Dames questionable players respond closer to kickoff, but the opening is real, and Miami will know it has a chance to press an Irish team that is already shorthanded in some critical spots. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Faces Its Toughest Test Yet With Everything On The Line
The stage could hardly be bigger for Miami, which heads to South Bend on Nov. 7 with the No. 1 ranking and a matchup against No. 4 Notre Dame that carries the feel of a season-defining November night. It is the kind of game that brings the rivalrys history back into focus, while also putting the spotlight on the players who have driven both teams into the national championship conversation.
For the Hurricanes, Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney will be central to whatever they do offensively, and Notre Dame has its own answer in quarterback CJ Carr. With both teams arriving highly ranked and playing with plenty on the line, this one has the ingredients of a playoff-caliber measuring stick, even before a single snap is taken in South Bend. [Read more 🡒]
Elija Lofton Is Giving Miami A New Reason To Feel Dangerous
Elija Lofton has quietly become one of the more interesting pieces in Miamis offense over the last six games, and the junior tight ends expanded role has started to show up in the kind of moments that matter. Against UNC, he caught three passes for 48 yards and helped keep a key drive alive with a 12-yard grab that extended the lead, a sequence that fit the growing sense that Miami has found another reliable option in the passing game.
Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson singled out Loftons work on that scoring drive, a sign that the Hurricanes are beginning to trust him in bigger spots. For an offense looking to keep defenses honest, having a tight end who can step into a pivotal role changes the picture a little, and Loftons recent usage suggests Miami may have found another matchup problem to lean on as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]