Why No. 7 UM Deserved a Higher Ranking in the Latest AP Poll

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MIAMI, Fla. – The second edition of the 2026 Associated Press’ college football Top 25 poll was released on Tuesday and the Miami Hurricanes remained at No. 7; however, they should’ve been ahead of possibly one or two teams.

Each ranking is subject to change based a weekly performance.

The Hurricanes are coming off a dominant 45-6 win against Stanford, which is a Power Four conference opponent, in California. Quarterback Darian Mensah had a remarkable debut. He completed 27 of 30 passes (90 percent) and threw for 401 yards and five touchdowns (both new career highs in a single game). Mensah didn’t commit a single turnover and went eight-for-eight, including two touchdowns, when the Cardinal defense blitzed him. He finished with a 257.3 quarterback rating.

College football rising star and sophomore wide receiver Malachi Toney caught 12 passes on 13 targets and went for 234 yards and three touchdowns. He broke Eddie Brown’s 42-year-old program record for the most receiving yards (220) in a single game (Nov. 23, 1984, against the Boston College Eagles).

The Hurricanes’ defense allowed 299 total yards, but no touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the Oregon Ducks are coming off a 34-27 win over Boise State. There were four lead changes in the game. As the No. 2 team in the nation, the Ducks should’ve put on a dominant showdown. Dante Moore completed 28 of 37 passes (75.7 percent) and threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns. He finished with a 188.2 quarterback rating.

Oregon is ranked No. 6 on the latest AP poll.

The No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish had a 41-13 win over Wisconsin. They had a more dominant outing than Oregon, so it makes sense for them to be ranked so highly. CJ Carr completed 19 of 29 passes (65.5 percent) and threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns. He finished with a 157.5 quarterback rating.

Notre Dame is ranked No. 3 on the latest AP poll.

It’s understandable for the AP voters to lower Oregon, but for them to finish ahead of the Hurricanes is unjustified. Worth noting that Brian Fonseca, Rutgers beat writer for NJ Advance Media, completely left the Coral Gables program out of his top 25 rankings.

This wouldn’t be the first case of the Hurricanes not falling in favor of national media. Last season, there were numerous debates about whether they belonged in the College Football Playoffs. Regardless, Mario Cristobal and the team aren’t too concerned with outside noise, including media outlets. The Hurricanes are preparing for another “1-0” opportunity in their home opener against the Florida A&M Rattlers on Thursday.

Anthony Aguirre covers the Miami Hurricanes and Miami Heat for Roundtable Sports. Contact info for tips/info: alexagmu@gmail.com & 305-987-3290 | Follow on Instagram/X: @AnthonyA_Sports

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