Mario Cristobal used Miami’s big rivalry win to take a shot at every other Florida school

If you're the type of fan who wants coaches to be more honest in press conferences, then Miami head coach Mario Cristobal might be your guy. After stomping in-state rival Florida State 36-14, the Hurricanes head coach was very direct in his post-game message to future recruits about which direction Miami is headed versus Florida State (and other schools in Florida.) "All recruits, in-state, out of state, can now clearly see the trajectory of this program versus the other programs," Cristobal said.

After beating the Seminoles, the Hurricanes are up to number five in the AP Top 25 and its spot in the College Football Playoff seems all but guaranteed, as long as the Hurricanes don't crumble in miraculous fashion in the final month of the seaon. Miami can probably drop a game and still make it in as long as the team earns a trip to the ACC Championship Game — a win in that game would assure a spot in the CFP, but just making it there probably gets the job done.

Florida State, meanwhile, is having a nightmare season after one of the best (regular) seasons in program history, currently sitting at 1-7 and 1-6 in ACC play, above only Cal in conference standings. Everything that could of gone wrong has gone wrong for FSU this season. So, yes, Cristobal has a point when he asks us to look at the trajectories of these two teams.

University of Florida might be in a little better spot than FSU at this juncture, but things aren't going great in Gainsville, either. The Gators are 4-3 and got walloped by Miami, 41-17, earlier this year. They're also responsible for Florida State's lone win, so it's really just a misery competition for both of Florida's state schools.

Miami's future recruiting classes might keep them at the top of the CFB world

Things continue to look promising for Miami beyond this year, too. Quarterback Cam Ward will depart the program for the NFL, but Miami has the 10th-ranked recruiting class in 2025 and can build on this marvelous season under Mario Cristobal. Twenty-two players have committed to the Hurricanes for next year, including 15 four-star recruits. Recruiting rankings certainly aren't an exact science, but there's reason to believe Miami is building something legitamate.

After a 2023 season that started so promising then derailed in the second half, it appears that Miami is on the right path going forward. And Mario Cristobal isn't holding his tongue about it.