Miami football: How the Hurricanes can still make the College Football Playoff

Miami football isn’t out of the running to sneak into the College Football Playoff but the Canes do need to catch a few breaks before they secure a spot in the four-team field.

Yes, there is a pathway for Miami football to make the four-team College Football Playoff field.

By no means do the Miami Hurricanes control their own playoff destiny, but they are the third team in the ACC who could get in. We are just not considering them, and for good reason. However, this is 2020 and we have seen so many unbelievable things happen. So it would be so 2020 if Miami were the team to represent the ACC in the College Football Playoff. Like, how?

Miami football’s pathway to College Football Playoff

First off, Miami needs to win its three remaining ACC games vs. the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. That will get the ‘Canes to 10-1 on the season and an impressive 9-1 in ACC play. Too bad that will not be enough to get them to the ACC Championship game in Charlotte on their own. They need one of two things to happen.

With their only loss on the season to the Clemson Tigers, Miami would need Clemson to lose for a second time this year to take their spot in the ACC Championship game. Clemson is not likely to lose to the Florida State Seminoles, the Pittsburgh Panthers or the Virginia Tech Hokies the rest of the way, but this is college football and anything can happen on any given Saturday.

It does not matter if Miami’s loss to Clemson was by blowout fashion. A 10-1 Miami team would take the Tigers’ spot in the ACC title bout where they would face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. If Notre Dame wins two of their next three games vs. the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Syracuse Orange or the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, the Irish will make the conference title bout.

The big key for Miami is to be able to get a spot in the conference championship game with only one loss. That requires Clemson to lose one more time or for Notre Dame to drop two of three. Admittedly, do not count on it to happen, but no game is an absolute certainty this year. Who saw Florida State upsetting North Carolina this year in ACC play? Once again, these things do happen.

Miami must win out and get some extra luck to go their way win the ACC and make the playoff.

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