The Miami Hurricanes suffered a major blow after being left out of the first 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, falling to No. 12. The team’s ACC conference, led by commissioner Jim Phillips, expressed shock and disappointment at the decision, stating that the Hurricanes “absolutely deserve better from the committee.”
Miami’s coach, Mario Cristobal, had warned of this possibility before the rankings were released, urging the selection committee to “go to the facts” when making their decisions. The Hurricanes’ argument for inclusion is based on their impressive regular season, which included wins over Florida and undefeated home record.
However, the team’s defensive struggles are a concern, as they allowed at least 31 points in five of their final eight games. Despite this, Miami finished the season ranked among the top teams nationally in yards and points per game.
The Hurricanes’ exclusion from the playoff is all but assured, barring an upset in Saturday’s ACC championship game between Clemson and SMU. Alabama, which rose to No. 11, may be on its way back to the CFP for the ninth time in 11 seasons under coach Kalen DeBoer.
Source: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/42765322/acc-hoping-cfp-committee-reconsider-miami-ranking