How Close Is Miami to Making it in the College Football Playoff after Latest Rankings?
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The latest rankings are in, and the Miami Hurricanes have climbed two spots since last week. The Hurricanes are now ranked as the No. 13 team in the country, but need all the help in the world to either reach the ACC Championship game or get close to No. 9 Notre Dame to get into the same tier, so the head-to-head can matter.
With the latest rankings, there is still something missing from the Canes. They don't have the numbers just yet to compare their resume to Fighting Irish just yet, according to new committee chair Hunter Yuracheck.
"So we really haven't had to compare those two teams," Yuracheck said. "They haven't been in similar compared pools to date. But Miami is creeping up into that range, where they're moving, compared to their name, if something happens above them. "
The Hurricanes are going to need some help to get inside the top schools in the country. The best way for them to get in at an at-large bid is to be the No. 10-ranked team in the country. They have three teams to get ahead of to get next to the Fighting Irish.
2025 College Football Playoff Rankings
1. Ohio State, 10-0
2. Indiana, 11-0
3. Texas A&M, 10-0
4. Georgia, 9-1
5. Texas Tech, 10-1
6. Ole Miss, 10-1
7. Oregon, 9-1
8. Oklahoma, 8-2
9. Notre Dame, 8-2
10. Alabama, 8-2
11. BYU, 9-1
12. Utah, 8-2
13. Miami (FL), 8-2
14. Vanderbilt, 8-2
15. Southern Cal, 8-2
16. Georgia Tech, 9-1
17. Texas, 7-3
18. Michigan, 8-2
19. Virginia, 9-2
20. Tennessee, 7-3
21. Illinois, 7-3
22. Missouri, 7-3
23. Houston, 8-2
24. Tulane, 8-2
25. Arizona State, 7-3
2025-26 College Football Playoff round-by-round schedule
- First round | Week of Saturday, Dec. 20
Location: the home field of the higher-seeded team or another site designated by the higher-seeded program.
One game | Friday, Dec. 19
Three games | Saturday, Dec. 20 - Quarterfinal sites:
Cotton Bowl | Wednesday, Dec. 31 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Orange Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 1 | 12 p.m. | ESPN
Rose Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 1 | 4 p.m. | ESPN
Sugar Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 1 | 8 p.m. | ESPN - Semifinal sites:
Fiesta Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 8 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Peach Bowl | Friday, Jan. 9 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN - CFP National Championship Game:
Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 (in Miami, Florida) | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
The 2025 College Football Playoff Committee
Hunter Yuracheck - Committee Chair - Arkansas Athletic Director
Chris Ault - Former College Football Head Coach
Troy Dannen - Nebraska Athletic Director
Mark Dantonio - Former College Football Head Coach
Jeff Long - Former College Football Playoff Committee Chair
Ivan Maisel - Sportswriter
Chris Massaro - MTSU Athletic Director
Mike Riley - Former College Football Head Coach
David Sayler - Miami (Ohio) Athletic Director
Wesley Walls - College Football Hall of Famer (Ole Miss)
Carla Williams - Virginia Athletic Director
Mark Harlan - University of Utah Athletic Director
Miami in the College Football Playoff Ranking Through 2025
Week 1: No. 18
Week 2: No. 15
Week 3: No. 13
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.