Mario Cristobal's Reaction to Miami Making the College Football Playoff

It took some time, but the Miami Hurricanes (10-2) are in the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. The rebuilding process under Mario Cristobal has proven successful, and now he has a chance to prove it against a familiar SEC foe in the Texas A&M Aggies (11-1).

Cristobal was on ESPN's Selection Show after the reveal that his Canes had made it, and he was proud of the group but ready to retake the field.

The Hurricanes are now on there way to a playoff game, and Cristobal is preapring his team for war.

On Making the Playoff...

Overall, we felt really confident. We felt confident because as long as everybody just kind of abided by the criteria, that we would be in a good place, and thankfully, that was the case, and now we have this awesome opportunity.

On Dealing with Injuries later on in the season...

I mean, after you know, in the middle of the season, when we got banged up, we're playing at a high level, tour highest level, I should say. But nobody one ever made an excuse.  We just pick a lot of young guys. We't to actually starting four offensive freshmen. The last time we took the field long off.  Beside Carson and behind them, and our team just got better and better and better at the point where by the end of the season, those last four weeks, the data, of the team that's playing on the top five level just about every single category or so a lot of resilients, a lot of tremendous elementental and physical toughness and a tremendous dedication and commitment, they're doing it the right way.

On Carson Beck's Leadership to close the Season...

He's part of the most understood person I've ever been around. Since the day he got to the campus, and even though he couldn't participate, he was an absolute, elite leader. He was always engaged with his teammates. He found ways to get around it and make them better.  And even though he t throw off football, he took part in just about every other aspect of practice, all the walk news, the run game, protection checks. He quickly established himself as a guy that was respective because his low of football acumen and also his level of commitment.

On Texas A&M...

There're an excellent football team. We really don't have any weaknesses. They're big, they're fast, they're explosive.  They have playmakers all over the field. I know that they do some incredible work on third down, really exotic, but they play a lot of power up front. They knock people around really well, and if you watch them on the perimeter, again, they can hurt you on both sides.  They can play a man, they can play their own. The elephants decide to have so many guys that we run by, run through, just a team that is a very complete football team and we're looking forward to playing

2025 College Football Playoff Rankings

1. Indiana, 13-0
2. Ohio State, 12-1
3. Georgia, 12-1
4. Texas Tech 12-1
5. Oregon, 11-1
6. Ole Miss, 11-1
7. Texas A&M, 11-1
8. Oklahoma, 10-2
9. Alabama, 10-3
10. Miami, 10-2
11. Tulane, 12-1
12. JMU, 12-1

Miami in the College Football Playoff Ranking Through 2025

Week 1: No. 18
Week 2: No. 15
Week 3: No. 13
Week 4: No. 12
Week 5: No. 12
Week 6: No. 10

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.