The Miami Hurricanes dropped in the College Football Playoff rankings following their 28-23 upset loss to Georgia Tech, but their postseason hopes remain intact. In Tuesday’s updated rankings, Miami landed at No. 9, a five-spot drop from their initial No. 4 position. Despite this setback, the Hurricanes hold the top spot among Atlantic Coast Conference teams, securing the No. 4 seed in the projected 12-team playoff field and a first-round bye under the new format.
Miami, now 9-1 overall and 5-1 in ACC play, is still on track to reach the ACC Championship Game on Dec. 7 if they win their final two games—against Wake Forest on Nov. 23 and at Syracuse on Nov. 30.
This year marks the debut of the expanded 12-team playoff, with the top four seeds reserved for the highest-ranked conference champions, who also receive first-round byes. Currently, these seeds would go to Oregon (No. 1, Big Ten), Texas (No. 3 in the rankings but No. 2 seed as the SEC champion), BYU (No. 6 but No. 3 seed for the Big 12), and Miami (No. 9, ACC).
The fifth-highest-ranked conference champion also earns an automatic playoff spot, even if ranked outside the top 12. This week, that spot would go to Boise State of the Mountain West, ranked No. 13 and seeded No. 12. The remaining seven spots in the playoff are filled by the highest-ranked teams not already qualified, with seeds 5-8 hosting first-round games at home on Dec. 20-21.
First-round matchups based on the current rankings are:
– No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Boise State
– No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 Ole Miss
– No. 7 Indiana vs. No. 10 Alabama
– No. 8 Tennessee vs. No. 9 Miami
Quarterfinal games will be hosted by the Fiesta, Peach, Rose, and Sugar Bowls between Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Semifinals are set for Jan. 9 (Orange Bowl) and Jan. 10 (Cotton Bowl), with the national championship on Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
**Current Top 10 Rankings:**
1. Oregon
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. Penn State
5. Indiana
6. BYU
7. Tennessee
8. Notre Dame
9. Miami
10. Alabama
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