The Miami Hurricanes, for the first time since December 2002, have been voted the No. 1 team in the AP and Coaches Poll. The Canes defeated archrival Florida State on Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium 43-35 in double overtime. It was a wild and wonky game that saw FSU match Miami score for score in the first half before taking a lead, giving it up, and answering late to send the game to overtime. There, Miami’s offense was one play better to escape with a cherished rivalry win.
And that matters,
bigly, on a day where top 10 teams fell like flies. FIVE AP top 10 teams lost, completely turning the rankings on its head. And when everything finished shaking and settled in place, Miami was No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches Polls.
Georgia lost to unranked Auburn at home 27-24, Texas lost to unranked Florida 27-24, Notre Dame lost at BYU 28-24, Indiana lost to Ohio State 19-14, and Alabama lost to Tennessee 26-10.
The last time Miami was ranked, it was weeks before the Hurricanes took on Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl/BCS National Championship game. And we all know how that went, unfortunately, thanks to Terry Porter.
As far as being at the mountaintop now, well, Mario Cristobal addressed a question about it after the game, and it’s not of any meaning to him or his team.
“Just has no value or our processes and whatnot,” Cristobal said. “But I’ll focus on the real one that’s important and that’s the one and (zero).”
That’s the right mentality to have, and hopefully Miami will do a better job of being the hunted than previous teams have done in that spot this year.
