Miami’s bye week paid off in the rankings.
After a quiet stretch that turned into a useful one for Mario Cristobal’s team, the Hurricanes moved up to No. 3 in both the AP and USA Coaches polls. Only No.
2 Notre Dame and No. 1 Georgia sit ahead of them.
That sets up an even bigger spotlight for Miami’s upcoming matchup with the Fighting Irish, a game that will keep carrying more weight and could wind up deciding the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
“They are only going to get healthier”😮💨 pic.twitter.com/t6QettLLXl
The polling movement also reflected a shifting ACC picture. SMU held onto its ranking despite being idle, while Wake Forest picked up enough wins to move into the top 25. Miami already has one ranked win and could add more over the next few weeks.
The Hurricanes’ place among the sport’s elite is nothing new, either. Miami now sits alongside Ole Miss (57), Notre Dame (63), Ohio State (103), Alabama (302), and the Bulldogs (155) with a streak of 41 straight weeks inside the top 25.
That consistency matches the way the season has felt in Coral Gables. Miami has been dealing with injuries, but the roster is getting healthier as the year moves along. At the same time, the ACC keeps looking stronger, and Miami could end up in a rematch with the Demon Deacons in the ACC Championship Game in a few weeks.
For now, though, the focus shifts to Florida State. The Hurricanes’ longtime rival is coming off a rough Friday night loss to Louisville.
With the buzz building again in Coral Gables, the expectation is simple: Hard Rock is going to feel like a party on Saturday, and the Canes are doing plenty to earn it.
Others Receiving Votes: Wisconsin 92, Oregon 86, Arizona 82, Nebraska 65, Oklahoma 44, James Madison 29, Florida 9, Duke 5, New Mexico 3, Oregon State 1
Schools Dropped Out: No. 15 Florida (4-2); No.
23 Duke (4-1); No. 24 Pittsburgh (5-1)
Others Receiving Votes: Northwestern (4-1) 107; Arizona (5-1) 92; Nebraska (5-1) 74; Oklahoma (3-2) 50; Wisconsin (4-1) 39; Duke (4-1) 35; James Madison (6-0) 33; Florida (4-2) 32; Pittsburgh (5-1) 25; New Mexico (4-1) 16; Texas-San Antonio (5-1) 10; Baylor (4-1) 9; Memphis (5-1) 6; Oregon State (4-2) 2; North Carolina (3-2) 1.
In Other News...
Miami Fans May Need To Reassess These Stalled Hurricanes Names
Jordan Lyle, Jackson Cantwell and Vandrevius Jacobs were supposed to be among the more intriguing names on Miamis 2026 roster, but this season has been more about expectation than production. Lyles path has been disrupted by injury setbacks and a team suspension tied to an arrest, which has left the junior running back with limited playing time and sliding down the depth chart. Cantwell arrived as a five-star freshman offensive tackle and has still been unable to lock down a starting job, while Jacobs, a redshirt junior receiver, has been given a larger role without the kind of impact Miami had hoped for.
For a program that has tried to build real momentum around talent acquisition, those stalled developments matter because they shape what this roster can become beyond the present week. Miami has clearly put a premium on upside with all three players, but the on-field returns have been uneven, and each case has its own pressure point: health and availability for Lyle, readiness for Cantwell, and production for Jacobs. As the season moves along, those are the kinds of storylines that can quietly define whether the Hurricanes feel like they are developing depth or just waiting on it. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Just Raised The Stakes On Its Unbeaten Start
Miamis unbeaten start has now come with even more national attention, as the Hurricanes moved up to a season-high No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 after Texas lost to Oklahoma. Under Mario Cristobal, Miami is still perfect and is carrying the kind of rsum that keeps getting stronger each week, even before the biggest tests on the schedule really arrive.
Florida State is next, and that rivalry game now carries the added weight of a team that has climbed into the sports top tier and has no intention of easing up. Around the rankings, Kentucky jumped to No. 15 and Florida dropped out after its loss to South Carolina, but for Miami the focus is on staying steady while the stakes around its season keep rising. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Could Get A Massive Rankings Boost Without Even Playing
Miamis rise in the latest projected top 25 is the kind of development every team would happily take on an off week. With several contenders around the country taking hits or strengthening their rsums, the Hurricanes are slotted into the No. 3 spot even without stepping on the field, a reminder that November rankings can move just as much by what happens elsewhere as by what happens in your own stadium.
Georgias win over Oklahoma is shaping the top of the board, with the Bulldogs projected at No. 1, but Miamis position is the one that will matter most inside the program. Being that high without playing only sharpens the margin for error from here, and it keeps the Hurricanes very much in the College Football Playoff conversation while the rest of the bracket picture continues to shift around them. [Read more 🡒]