The College Football Playoff committee’s second rankings of the 2026 season landed Tuesday night, and Miami is still very much in the mix - just not where it started.
After opening the year at No. 1 for the first time ever, the Hurricanes took their first loss, a 31-24 setback to then-No. 11 Notre Dame, and slid to No. 7 in the latest CFP release. Miami is No. 5 in the AP poll and No. 6 in the Coaches poll, so the committee’s placement keeps the Canes in the conversation without giving them the benefit of the doubt.
CFP chair Hunter Yurachek pointed to the way Miami started the game when explaining the drop. He said Miami’s fall in the rankings was based upon the Canes going down 24-3, basically. He also said, “Miami didn’t look great early in the game” and referenced “without Malachi Toney” multiple times.
The committee’s decision also put Miami behind 2-loss Texas, a spot that drew plenty of reaction.
Even with the loss, Miami’s route to the playoff remains straightforward. Win the final three ACC games, win the ACC Championship Game, and the Hurricanes are in.
They are still unbeaten in conference play and have Duke, Virginia Tech and Boston College left at home to finish the regular-season ACC schedule. If they get to 11-1, the Canes should be in the playoff picture no matter what happens in the ACC title game.
And with the final year of the ACCCG on deck, there’s still a clean shot for Miami to win the league outright and lock up an automatic bid.
The Notre Dame loss did ding Miami’s championship outlook, too. FanDuel had the Hurricanes fourth in title odds at +850, and that number has since moved to +950.
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