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What are Miami's keys to reaching the big dance in 2024?
Alex DonnoFeb 26, 2024 5:31 PM EST
The Miami Hurricanes are considered a team to watch when forecasting the first 12-team College Football Playoff next year.
The Hurricanes are ranked 24th in ESPN's Way Too Early Top 25. Miami has a manageable schedule. Their annual matchup against Florida State will be at home this year. Their other most difficult games on paper will be at Florida and at Louisville. If Miami can win the ACC they'd be guaranteed a spot in the playoff. The top five conference winners are guaranteed a spot, while the next seven seeds go to the highest remaining teams overall.
ESPN's Heather Dinich examined the way too early Top 25 and explained the path to the playoffs for each team.
On Miami:
How to impress the committee: Take a knee? Just kidding. No really, though, Miami can't lose to Georgia Tech again, or suffer an upset because of self-inflicted wounds. If the Canes are going to take the next step, they have to win convincingly against unranked, subpar teams and they have to earn a few statement wins against ranked opponents. There might only be two such opportunities during the regular season -- Oct. 19 at Louisville and Oct. 26 vs. Florida State. While the schedule is challenging with six road games -- including the Oct. 5 trip to Cal -- there isn't a blockbuster game that's going to help separate the Canes from another contender that doesn't win its league. Miami likely needs to win the ACC -- or hope a win at Florida and a handful of other opponents means more to the committee on Selection Day than it appears to now.
Dinich isn't wrong about avoiding self-inflicted wounds. Even before the Georgia Tech debacle, Miami earned a reputation in recent years of sometimes not showing up against lesser opposition. While it's too early to truly handicap the strength of schedule, she's correct in the idea that winning the ACC would provide the safest path. You can expect most of the 6th through 12th spots to go to teams from the SEC and the Big 10.