How The 12-Team Playoff Format Could Impact the Hurricanes
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Breaking news came out Friday from Pete Thamel of ESPN that the CFP Board of Managers has come to an agreement on a 12-team College Football Playoff format.
With an expected start date in 2026, there is still plenty of time before this format comes into play. However, it is never too soon to start talking about how this change could make seismic changes to the landscape of College Football, especially down in South Florida.
A notable matter to address is the sheer number of teams that will be included in the playoffs now. Making the jump from the four best teams in the country to a dozen changes the entire perspective of the playoffs themselves.
Will there now be three-loss teams making the playoffs? Will a conference like the SEC create a monopoly and make it appear more like a conference playoff? How big will the talent gap be from the best team to the worst team?
Not to mention, more games will only lead to more fatigue, injury risk, and chances for something to go wrong.
These questions could go on and on, but as more information comes out the future plans will become clearer.
Addressing this situation for the Miami Hurricanes, however, this new configuration makes it so that the Canes don't necessarily need to win the ACC in order to qualify.
With Clemson being at the forefront of the conference for almost a decade, the expansion to 12 teams means Miami won't need a top-four spot to have a chance for glory. This doesn't mean the path will be necessarily easier though: The lower the seed you are, the better the competition you'll be faced with.
However, head coach Mario Cristobal's early returns in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail suggest that he's building one of the most talented rosters in the country down in Coral Gables, one destined to compete on the national level.
But what would a successful season look like for the Canes with a 12-team format?
Under the assumption that Cristobal remains Miami's head coach come 2026, it can be deduced that Miami will have one of the deepest collections of talent in the nation with title aspirations.
With only needing to be a top 12 team in the country to qualify, however, will Miami fans be satisfied with just qualifying? Most definitely not, as expectations under this new format should make the goal to be at least semifinal participants. If Miami qualifies every season but can't win more than one game in the playoffs, wouldn't that be considered a failure?
Time can only tell how this format will shape out. It is bound to bring in underdog stories with shocking upsets, but those teams who finished in the top four might remain levels above the competition below them.
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