No. 12 Miami Sends Message to CFP Committee Dismantling No. 22 Pitt

The Miami Hurricanes finish the season 10-2 and have strengthened their College Football Playoff chances.

Nov 29, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10) runs after a catch as Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Kyle Louis (9) and safety Kavir Bains-Marquez (23) chase during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

No. 12 Miami (10-2, 6-2) has finished the season with a dominant victory over No. 22 Pitt 31-7. This was the win they needed to solidify why they are one of the best teams in the country and why Mario Cristobal has raised the Hurricanes' floor this season.

This is the first back-to-back 10-win season for the Hurricanes since 2002-2003. This is also a message that Mario Cristobal has been waiting to state for the past few weeks.

The Hurricanes are one of the best teams in the country and Cristobal knows it.

"This is a College Football Playoff team," Mario Cristobal said. "We've all seen it. We know it. Proud of the way our guys came out, dominated from start to finish. We left a lot of points on the board as well. We're really starting to click. Complete dominance. We've got great players in all phases, and we're playing great football in all phases. The best part about football is you get to settle it on the field, where head-to-head is always the No. 1 criterion."

It was a complete team effort against the Panthers, starting with Malachi Toney breaking a freshman record that had been held for nearly a decade. The record used to belong to Ahmmon Richards back in 2016, when he piled up 934 receiving yards as a freshman.

Nov 29, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10) reacts after catching a touchdown pass against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Toney has finished the season with 941 yards, seven touchdowns, and 81 receptions. He nearly broke Xavier Restrepo's single-season receiving record (85), but the game was over by the halfway point of the third quarter.

Against the Panthers, he accumulated over 165 yards, including a passing and receiving touchdown. He was everything this team needed, once again leading the Hurricanes on offense

It also helps when the Hurricanes have one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the country. Carson Beck finished his regular season with the Canes, throwing for three touchdowns on 79 percent completion.

Nov 29, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Juelz Goff (8) dives but falls short of the end-zone against the Miami Hurricanes during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

It also helps when the offense is clicking, when the Defensive side of the ball is making plays day after day. The team finished with four sacks, six tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and an interception, keeping the hot Panthers offense to seven points.

The Hurricanes sent a message to the CFP Committee. Now they wait for the final results of the rest of the game to see if they get an opportunity in the ACC Championship game or if they get an at-large bid for the College Football Playoff.

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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