Miami's College Football Playoff hopes are over, despite a strong appeal from head coach Mario Cristobal to the selection committee this week. Cristobal's Hurricanes are out of the running after being surpassed by a three-loss Alabama team in the latest rankings, CBS News Miami reported.
The Hurricanes, ranked 14th by the Associated Press, landed at 12th in the CFP rankings, just behind an Alabama squad poised to take the final at-large spot in the field, explaining this predicament, CFP selection committee chairman Warde Manuel told ESPN, "Any team that is not playing right now, we don’t have a data point to rearrange where we have those teams ranked," adding that “And so, that is set in terms of how we see them. ... There’s nothing that’s going to change,” as noted by AP News.
Earlier, in a statement obtained by CBS News Miami, Cristobal had underscored the Hurricanes’ accomplishments, saying "We won 10 games this year and not many teams have," and pointing out that in their two losses, they came down to one possession; he argued this created a far different resume from the 9-3 teams, combined with the team's high-scoring offense and top rankings in both yards per game and yards allowed per game, Miami seemed to have crafted a compelling case, yet the committee's latest rankings told a different story—a story where prior wins and close losses weren't enough to edge over Alabama's own narrative.
Regarding this weekend's pivotal games, including matchups like Clemson vs. SMU in the ACC, which hold significant weight for playoff decisions, Manuel has indicated that teams like Miami with no games remaining won't see their positions improve, and with Clemson at No. 17 in the CFP rankings, a win against SMU could seal their fate, shutting the door on the Hurricanes and any other teams "currently on the outside looking in," as described in a report by AP News.
The highs and lows of Miami's season, including the strong opening win at Florida, leading the nation in yards and points per game, and Heisman Trophy hopeful quarterback Cam Ward's performance, were apparent, Cristobal emphasized stating "Go to the facts. Award football teams for winning football games," a sentiment reflected in his earlier interviews with the Hurricanes’ flagship station WQAM. Despite positives like an undefeated home record, the defense's tendency to allow at least 31 points in several games couldn't be overlooked. This, combined with the lack of ranked opponents during their matchups, likely influenced the committee's tough but final decision, according to AP News.
