Where Miami Ranks in the First College Football Playoff Rankings of 2026, CFP Outlook
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Before, the AP and the USA Today Coaches polls were the standard of what teams looked like heading into the season and the be-all and end-all of how others viewed teams.
However, that changes in the first week of November. The College Football Playoff Rankings are here, and the Miami Hurricanes have a favorable path to becoming the No. 1 seed in the country.
Miami has been on both sides of the coin with the rankings. That's why Mario Cristobal is opting out of watching the first rankings and advising his players to do the same things.
"We've been on both sides of that thing, so we certainly respect the processes that go with it," Cristobal said. "But for us right now, the most important thing is, we're the only team that's played all away night games in the entire country. Actually, the most important thing for us is to use that time to get to bed.
More of what Cristobal said:
"Right, really, at this time of year when it's flu season, right, virus season, is protect our preparation. Eat the right stuff, put the right stuff in your body. Get all the preparation, all the recovery work you need because we practice hard, and get to bed. And that's the best thing you can do."
Miami has been the No. 1 team in the country for three weeks now, and while the Canes still have some questions on the defensive side of the ball, the College Football Playoff rankings are here, and they are sitting at the top.
Rank | Team |
|---|---|
1. | Miami |
2. | Georgia |
3. | Utah |
4. | Indiana |
5. | Alabama |
6. | Kentucky |
7. | Texas |
8. | UCLA |
9. | BYU |
10. | Ole Miss |
11. | Notre Dame |
12. | Ohio State |
13. | Tennessee |
14. | LSU |
15. | Texas Tech |
16. | Wake Forest |
17. | Houston |
18. | Missouri |
19. | Iowa |
20. | USC |
21. | South Carolina |
22. | Arizona |
23. | Oregon |
24. | Florida |
25. | Boise State |
CFP Outlook:
The Hurricanes are a highly ranked team, and this also gives them the chance to win out and choose where they want to be geographically if they remain the top seed.
The No. 1 seed gets to choose which quarterfinal bowl game it will play in, followed by the No. 2 seed, which then picks from the remaining three bowl games. Then the No. 3 seed selects from the two bowl games left. The No. 4 seed is assigned to the bowl game that wasn't chosen.
If Miami wins its playoff game as the No. 1 seed, it will also choose the semifinal game location. This game against Notre Dame has massive implications for this outcome and for where the Hurricanes could be seeded at the end of the year.
TV Schedule for the Rankings Releases:
Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Sunday, Dec. 6 at 12 p.m. ET, ESPN
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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.
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