After a wild Saturday that knocked the top of college football off its hinges, Miami is back where it hasn’t been since Dec. 8, 2002: No. 1 in the AP Top 25.
The Hurricanes claimed the top spot after their 43-35 double-overtime win over Florida State at Hard Rock Stadium, a result that arrived in the middle of a day when several heavyweights fell hard. Miami finished with 1,697 total points and earned 40 of 69 first-place votes.
The shakeup started in Austin, where unranked Florida stunned No. 7 Texas 27-24 at Darrell K.
Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Gators sophomore quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. made his first collegiate start, and the Gainesville program snapped a long drought against a top-10 road opponent that dated to Nov.
24, 2012. Texas had a chance to escape with a win, but Arch Manning fumbled as the game hung in the balance and Florida recovered to seal it.
Georgia briefly moved into the No. 1 spot in Athens for the first time since Week 3 of the 2024 college football season, but that stay figures to be short. Unranked Auburn came in and left with a 27-24 upset.
The Tigers led 24-14 heading into the fourth quarter before Georgia answered with 10 straight points to pull even. Then, with about a minute remaining in regulation, quarterback Gunner Stockton ran into fifth-year center Drew Bobo and lost the ball.
Auburn safety Sylvester Smith-Reed came up with the fumble at the Tigers’ 44-yard line, and after a couple of runs, kicker Alex McPherson drilled a 34-yard winner.
Elsewhere, No. 2 Notre Dame was beaten by No.
8 BYU 28-24 at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. The Irish have not won a road game against a top-10 opponent since Oct.
27, 2012. With less than two minutes left, CJ Carr had a chance to flip the result, but his final throw - intended for senior wide receiver Jaden Greathouse - fell incomplete as time expired.
The rest of the updated top 10 also shifted after the carnage: No. 2 BYU, No.
4 Notre Dame, No. 5 Georgia, No.
6 Indiana, No. 7 Ole Miss, No.
8 Texas Tech, No. 9 UCLA and No.
10 Utah.
In Other News...
Miami Survived FSU But The Ending Will Fuel Rivalry Debate
Miamis win over Florida State had all the ingredients of a classic rivalry game, from the points to the tension to the kind of late drama that gets replayed for years. The Hurricanes came away with a 43-35 victory, but the closing minutes became the main talking point after a holding penalty on Florida States Xavier Chaplin wiped out what would have been a game-tying touchdown catch by Micahi Danzy.
What followed only added to the frustration in Tallahassee, as the Seminoles Hail Mary on the next play was ruled an interception after review. ESPN rules analyst Steve Shaw backed the decision, but that is unlikely to quiet the debate anytime soon, especially in a rivalry where every close call tends to linger long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Escaped Florida State But One Problem Should Worry Hurricanes Fans
Miami survived one of its toughest tests of the season, outlasting Florida State 43-35 in double overtime at Hard Rock Stadium to stay unbeaten at 6-0 and move to 4-0 in the ACC. It was the kind of rivalry game that can tell a team plenty about itself, and Miami got major offensive contributions from Javian Mallory, who ran for 108 yards and two scores, and Malachi Toney, who piled up 154 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Still, the bigger takeaway for Hurricanes fans might be on the other side of the ball. A defense that had carried a top-ranked reputation gave up 35 points and 443 yards, including a late 75-yard touchdown that forced overtime in the first place. Miami eventually finished the job on a two-point conversion in the second overtime, but after a night like this, the standard on defense suddenly feels a little less secure. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Beat FSU But One Trouble Spot Just Got Harder To Ignore
The comeback win over Florida State gave Miami plenty to feel good about, especially after a double-overtime battle that ended 43-35 and showcased just how dangerous the offense can be when it finds rhythm. Malachi Toney was a constant problem for the Seminoles with 11 catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns, while Javian Mallory added 108 rushing yards and two more scores to help carry the Hurricanes through a game that demanded every bit of their depth and composure.
Still, the victory came with another concern that has been building in plain sight: the secondary. Miami dealt with multiple injuries in the defensive backfield, including Bryce Fitzgerald and Zechariah Poyser, and that kind of attrition makes an already important part of the defense even more fragile. The Hurricanes escaped with one of their biggest wins of the season, but the health of that group is shaping up as a storyline worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]