Can Miami still make the playoffs? How BYU, Alabama and Virginia losses impact Hurricanes' 2025 CFP chances

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Can Miami still make the playoffs? How BYU, Alabama and Virginia losses impact Hurricanes' 2025 CFP chances originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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For the second straight season, Miami is a 10-win team on the College Football Playoff fringe heading into conference championship weekend.

The Hurricanes (10-2) are at No. 12 in the CFP rankings and need to pass two teams to get into the field. Miami might be the best team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but the Hurricanes did not make the ACC championship game.

Miami got help on Saturday. No. 4 Texas Tech beat No. 11 BYU 34-7 in the Big 12 championship game helped Miami. No. 3 Georgia beat No. 9 Alabama 28-7 in the SEC championship game. The head-to-head argument with No. 10 Notre Dame could also resurface—perhaps prompting the committee to reconsider when the teams are ranked back-to-back.

Unless, of course, head-to-head results don't matter. Miami, Notre Dame and Alabama are going to be in a three-way debate for two spots. Here is a closer look at all of Miami's College Football Playoff scenarios heading into conference championship weekend.

MORE:SN's final College Football Playoff bracket predictions

Can Miami still make College Football Playoff?

The Hurricanes are ranked No. 12 in the next-to-last College Football Playoff rankings. There are a few results that make the Hurricanes' playoff case more interesting. Miami would need to move up to No. 10 to get an at-large berth.

Texas Tech beats BYU in the Big 12 championship game

Mission accomplished. With Texas Tech beating BYU, the Cougars will likely slip behind the Hurricanes in the CFP rankings. That would eliminate BYU.

Georgia beats Alabama in the SEC championship game

Georgia beat Alabama 28-7. Would a three-loss Alabama team fall behind Notre Dame and Miami in the rankings. Would the committee actually do that? It's going to be a three-way debate.

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Does the ACC championship game impact Miami's CFP chances?

It could launch an interesting last-minute campaign. Duke beat No. 17 Virginia 27-20 in the ACC championship game. No. 25 James Madison beat Troy 31-14 in the Sun Belt championship. At this point, the ACC is in danger of not having a team in the College Football Playoff. Would that sway the committee to put the Hurricanes ahead of the Irish in the final rankings? We think it might.

Miami College Football Playoff debates

If the above scenario unfolds, then Miami would have a compelling case to make the College Football Playoff, but it would still be entangled in two arguments over anything else.

Miami (10-2) vs. Notre Dame (10-2)

This debate has been the main talking point of the CFP rankings throughout November. The Hurricanes beat the Irish 27-24 on Aug. 31. Notre Dame's opponents have a combined record of 75-68. Miami's opponents have a combined record of 75-69. The Irish's two losses came to opponents with a combined record of 21-3. The Hurricanes' losses came to opponents with a combined record of 16-8. Is that going to be the justification for keeping Notre Dame out?

Miami (10-2) vs. Alabama (10-3)

This is a tough argument, too, because it will call into question whether the conference championship games should influence the final rankings. Would Miami make up a three-spot gap with the Crimson Tide if they lose? It's a controversial scenario where a team playing in the SEC championship game falls behind a team that doesn't play in the ACC championship game, but Alabama did lose by three TDs.

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Miami strength of schedule

According to ESPN, the Hurricanes rank No. 7 in the Football Power Index. Notre Dame is No. 4, and Alabama is No. 6. Miami and Alabama are separated by 0.7 points by that metric.

Miami strength of record

According to ESPN, the Hurricanes rank No. 14 in strength of record. That is one spot behind Notre Dame at No. 13 and six spots behind Alabama at No. 8.

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Will Miami make College Football Playoff?

Miami, Alabama or Notre Dame? This is the final decision the committee has to make. Texas Tech and Georgia won—but did they win by enough to knock the Crimson Tide out of the CFP?

Here's the tough question for Miami fans: If the committee was going to put Miami over Notre Dame, why didn’t they do it on Tuesday? We think the Irish stay ahead of the Hurricanes. Here is the surprise.

Miami gets in the College Football Playoff ahead of Alabama. We put the Hurricanes in the No. 10 seed, where they will play No. 7 Texas A&M, in our final CFP projections.

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