Miami is set to hang onto the top spot in the Week 10 AP poll, and that keeps the Hurricanes on a collision course for what would be a No. 1 vs. No. 3 matchup in South Bend next Saturday if the predictions hold.
The case for Miami staying put starts with the result at North Carolina. The Hurricanes had to grind through a road fight and pulled away late with a pair of fourth-quarter scores in a 38-35 win over the Tar Heels.
That kind of game can shake up a ranking, but the argument here is simple: conference road trips are hard, especially now that expanded leagues have turned travel into a bigger part of the challenge. North Carolina had talent, had nothing to lose, and pushed Miami all the way.
That’s college football.
Behind Miami, the biggest change in the projected Top 25 is Georgia moving into No. 2 after its 27-8 win over Florida. Indiana follows at No. 3 after beating Minnesota 23-16, while Notre Dame lands at No. 4 after a 35-13 win over Navy. Utah checks in at No. 5 after a 49-25 victory over Cincinnati, and UCLA comes in at No. 6 after blanking Nevada 27-0.
BYU sits at No. 7 after a 27-20 win over Arizona State, and Ohio State falls to No. 8 after losing 30-18 to USC. Kentucky is No. 9 despite not playing, with Alabama right behind at No. 10 after also not playing. Texas is No. 11 after a 31-3 win over Mississippi State, followed by Ole Miss at No. 12 after a 45-15 win over Auburn.
The rest of the projected field has Texas Tech at No. 13 after beating Arizona 34-26, Wake Forest at No. 14 after a 51-7 win over Virginia, LSU at No. 15 despite not playing, Tennessee at No. 16 despite not playing, and Houston at No. 17 despite not playing. Boise State comes in at No. 18 after edging Texas State 46-45, USC is No. 19 after knocking off Ohio State 30-18, and Missouri lands at No. 20 after a 34-10 win over Arkansas.
Duke is No. 21 after a 47-2 win over Boston College, Iowa is No. 22 after a 30-0 win over Wisconsin, South Carolina is No. 23 after beating Oklahoma 42-25, Arizona drops to No. 24 after losing 34-26 to Texas Tech, and New Mexico rounds out the list at No. 25 after a 21-16 win over San Jose State.
Ohio State’s slide is the most interesting part of the board. The Buckeyes are projected to tumble from No. 2 to No. 9 after the loss to USC, even though they still piled up more than 450 yards with backup quarterback Luke Fahey running the offense. The numbers suggest a team that did a lot right on the road - just not enough in the one area that mattered most.
There’s still confidence in Ohio State as a real threat if Julian Sayin is in the lineup, but the Buckeyes still have work to do over their final four games. Oregon may not be having a great season, but next week’s matchup is still expected to be a grind, and the Ducks have nothing to lose.
The AP poll is only part of the picture now. The first CFP rankings come out Tuesday, and that’s where the real attention shifts.
Ohio State should be in the top 12, but nothing is guaranteed, especially with the selection committee already showing it can hold an injury against a team, as it did with Florida State. Miami, meanwhile, is expected to be No. 1 when the AP poll is released this afternoon, though its place in the first CFP rankings is not locked in.
In Other News...
Miami Escaped North Carolina But One Problem Just Got Harder To Ignore
Miami survived a Halloween scare in Chapel Hill, edging North Carolina 38-35 to snap a five-game skid in the series and pick up its first win there since 2017. The No. 1 Hurricanes needed plenty of offense to do it, with Darian Mensah throwing for 274 yards and three touchdowns while completing 76% of his passes, and Malachi Toney adding seven catches for 75 yards and two scores.
Still, the bigger takeaway may have been on the other side of the ball, where Miami had to lean on a late defensive stand to finish the job. Marquise Lightfoot came up with two sacks and a forced fumble in the closing stretch, a reminder that even in a win, the Hurricanes are still searching for more consistent answers when games tighten up late. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Escaped North Carolina But One Problem Should Worry Hurricanes Fans
Miami left Chapel Hill with a 38-35 win, but it was the kind of victory that still gives a fan base plenty to chew on afterward. Darian Mensah threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns, and Mark Fletcher, Jr. found the end zone both on the ground and through the air, giving the Hurricanes enough offense to survive a night when the game never felt fully under control.
Miamis late key plays were enough to close it out, yet the defensive issues that showed up against North Carolina are hard to ignore. The Hurricanes did enough to protect the win, but the way they had to do it will linger as the bigger concern, especially with tougher tests still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Fletcher Jr. Just Reached A Miami Milestone Few Ever Touch
Mark Fletcher Jr. keeps adding to a Miami rsum that already looked sturdy, and his latest score against North Carolina pushed him into a place few Hurricanes have ever reached. The senior running back found the end zone on a 31-yard receiving play, a fitting way to claim the programs all-time lead in total touchdowns and move past a standard that had been shared by Stephen McGuire and Edgerrin James.
For a player who has been a steady part of Miamis offense across four seasons, the milestone says as much about durability and consistency as it does about one big play. Fletcher has been one of the offenses most reliable pieces, and now his name sits alone atop a list that carries real weight in Hurricanes history, with the rest of his final season still offering chances to add to it. [Read more 🡒]