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Miami, FL
3 reasons Miami Hurricanes won’t nab a spot in College Football Playoff bracket
What College Football Playoff fans (probably) think of new rankings
After the last CFP rankings before the field is set, Before The Snap shares a joking take on the latest rankings from the fans’ perspective.
The Miami Hurricanes aren’t making it to the College Football Playoff. How?
Miami lost to Syracuse on Saturday to miss out on the ACC championship game. The loss hurt in more ways than one, as now the Hurricanes are looking up at Alabama in the latest CFP rankings, even though the ‘Canes have two losses while the Crimson Tide have three.
“Winning 10 games is exponentially harder than winning nine,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said on The Audible podcast. “This whole, ‘This conference is better than that conference,’ some of the teams are, but not all the teams are. Never once were we in a blowout loss against a .500 team.”
Yes, Alabama did lose bad to a .500 team, and just a few weeks ago. But there are good reasons why Miami will be preparing for a bowl game instead of waiting to hear its place in the CFP bracket on Selection Sunday. We stated the case for Miami; now here’s the rebuttal.
Miami CFP predictions
Miami fell to No. 12 in Tuesday’s CFP rankings update, and because the Big 12 champion (either No. 15 Arizona State or No. 16 Iowa State) must be included in the 12-team field, the Hurricanes are on the outside looking in. Without another game before the final bracket is unveiled, Miami won’t be able to earn their way back into the mix.
Why Miami didn’t make College Football Playoff
Miami been in the CFP field since the rankings made their debut Nov. 5. Meanwhile, Alabama fell out of the field two weeks ago. So how did the Crimson Tide leapfrog the Hurricanes to still have a shot at the playoff?
Late losses to unranked Georgia Tech and Syracuse
Miami was looking good all season despite a relatively weak strength of schedule because they did the most important thing: win. The Hurricanes’ 9-0 start included some near slip-ups. They had a Hail Mary overturned against Virginia Tech. They rallied from 25 down to beat Cal. The Duke and Wake Forest wins were closer than the final score would indicate.
UM couldn’t flirt with disaster all season, and its two losses came in November, the worst possible time because of the flaws of recent memory. Georgia Tech gave rival Georgia a run for their money and had the 14th toughest schedule, but they did finish 7-5. The Yellow Jackets had a middle-of-the-road defense (ninth in the ACC, a shade worse than Miami’s) but held Cam Ward and the No. 1 offense in the nation to 23 points.
Losing to 9-3 Syracuse is more defensible, but it really didn’t help the narrative around the defense. Speaking of which …
Cam Ward can’t make up for porous Miami defense
The Hurricanes have a host of NFL talent on defense, leading with star pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. But since the start of conference play, they have struggled to let Cam Ward and the No. 1 offense in the nation run away with games. Even worse, they seemed incapable of adjusting throughout the season to limit the damage.
Louisville, Virginia Tech and Cal had their third-highest output of the season in their losses to Miami. Syracuse and Duke put up their second-most points of the season against the ‘Canes. That’s more than half of their conference schedule. Who knows how much SMU and Clemson (the No. 5 and 14 scoring offenses in the country, respectively) would have hung up on UM in a hypothetical ACC championship game?
In the four games mentioned above that resulted in Miami wins, Ward had some of his biggest games of his Heisman-caliber season: He has 105 of 164 (64%) for 1,499 yards and 15 touchdowns against just four interceptions in those shootout wins. When he was merely good (50 of 75 for 697 yards and five TDs), it wasn’t enough.
Alabama has SEC influence
The SEC is regarded as the best conference in college football, and for the most part, it lives up to that hype. But aside from the extra loss, the Crimson Tide have a huge blemish against them: their 24-3 loss at 6-6 Oklahoma on Nov. 23. The Sooners weren’t competitive in most of their conference schedule this year, and they struggled to beat a terrible Houston team early in the season.
But playing in the SEC gave Alabama plenty of opportunities to prove its mettle. Its signature win over Georgia and the narrow victory over South Carolina stand out, but so do the combined 76-13 shellackings the Crimson Tide put on Missouri and LSU. Showing out against so-so teams made it easier for the CFP committee to overlook that Oklahoma slip-up. Bama also lost at CFP shoo-in Tennessee by only a touchdown, and losing at Vanderbilt didn’t look as bad after Texas nearly met the same fate.
Miami handily beat its only SEC opponent this season, winning 41-17 to open the season at Florida. But that was when the Gators were starting Graham Mertz at quarterback: Freshman star DJ Lagway made his debut well after the game was decided. The Hurricanes didn’t have the high-ranking ACC teams (SMU and Clemson) on their schedule, and they lost to the only other team in the current CFP rankings (Syracuse). That’s not Miami’s fault, but it also doesn’t help their case.
- Date: Sunday, December 8
- Time: Noon ET
The final College Football Playoff rankings will be revealed starting at noon on Sunday, Dec. 8.
How to watch CFP bracket reveal
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stream: ESPN+ | Fubo
The College Football Playoff bracket will be revealed on ESPN. Streaming options include ESPN+ and Fubo.
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Miami, FL
Unlicensed contractor arrested after allegedly scamming Miami Catholic school out of $220,000
A Miami‑Dade County man is behind bars after authorities say he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Catholic school for repairs that were never completed.
Nestor Olivares, 50, is charged with grand theft of more than $100,000, organized fraud and operating without a contractor’s license, according to court records. Investigators allege the theft began in 2024 and involved money paid to repair the roof at St. Kevin’s Catholic School.
Court documents show the school paid Olivares more than $220,000 beginning last year for materials and labor to fix the roof. However, prosecutors say no work was ever done.
During a bond court hearing Monday, Olivares appeared before a judge and spoke through an interpreter.
“He doesn’t have a valid contractor license in the state of Florida or Miami‑Dade County,” Judge Mindy Glazer said during the hearing.
According to investigators, Olivares later tried to negotiate with the school after the work failed to materialize.
Court records state he ultimately promised to issue a full refund by Feb. 26, but the school never received a payment.
After his arrest, Olivares told investigators he was unable to repay the full amount at one time, the documents say.
Olivares remains in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $30,150 bond. As a condition of his release, he will be required to prove any money used to post bond comes from a legitimate source.
Miami, FL
Dolphins 7-Round 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Miami could catch the wave just right and get a monster draw in the top-50 picks
The Miami Dolphins will serve as one of the main characters for the 2026 NFL Draft. Mock drafts across the internet have propositioned countless player combinations for Miami’s seven-pick top-100 haul that is scheduled for the end of the month. I hope you’re ready for another one.
© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Miami Dolphins will serve as one of the main characters for the 2026 NFL Draft. Mock drafts across the internet have propositioned countless player combinations for Miami’s seven-pick top-100 haul that is scheduled for the end of the month. I hope you’re ready for another one.
Here’s my latest 2026 7-round Miami Dolphins mock draft, in which I used the new A to Z Sports NFL mock draft simulator to make my picks.
Miami Dolphins 2026 7-round NFL mock draft secures plug-in starters at several positions

11th overall – SAF Caleb Downs, Ohio State Buckeyes
I’d be willing to bet the Dolphins are eager to do as general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has alluded and build this roster from the inside out. But head coach Jeff Hafley did recently disclose just how important safeties are to how he calls a football game. I’d take 1+1 and accept that it equals two: Downs would have a strong argument for best player on the board and fits a vital position for the Dolphins.
Key players not on the board in this simulation: OT Francis Mauigoa (Miami), EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami), LB Sonny Styles (Ohio State), CB Mansoor Delane (LSU)
30th overall – EDGE TJ Parker, Clemson Tigers
I have long maintained that this draft will get interesting fast for the Dolphins. If Clemson EDGE TJ Parker is on the board, he’d serve as an excellent option for a pass rush room that needs more snap takers, more physicality, and more competition. Parker makes for an excellent foil in skills opposite Chop Robinson and Joshua Uche. The question isn’t if the Dolphins should draft Parker, but rather if he’ll make it to pick No. 30 overall. He did in this simulation and I gobbled him up.
43rd overall – OG Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M Aggies
The risk Miami is taking from a depth of draft position cannot be underestimated in this draft. There are 10 firm contenders in the offensive line group to hear their names called in the top-40 picks. If that entire group runs off the board, you could be on the outside looking in.
I took the risk at 11th overall because of Downs’ value, then the value at No. 30 because I got a high-volume player to rush the passer. Bisontis does not have offensive tackle flexibility but would likely present an upgrade at offensive guard. Seeing his name on the list of available players list at No. 43 made for a quick decision.
75th overall – WR Skyler Bell, Connecticut Huskies
Miami’s dream scenario in the top-50 still leaves four third-round selections to make and plenty of position groups that need attention. I’ll start with a double-dip at wide receiver to capitalize on the depth of the pass-catcher group in the 2026 NFL Draft with third round picks. Bell is a 2025 breakout player who thrived as a marquee option for the Huskies; he thrived with the ball in his hands and downfield thanks to his speed and explosiveness.
Bell is a little rough around the edges and drops were an issue prior to 2025, which is why he may end up on the board with Miami’s pick here.
87th overall – WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State Panthers
As promised, a double dip at wide receiver. There are still going to be major questions about QB Malik Willis’ supporting cast after drafting Bell and now Ted Hurst, but at least there’s youth, explosiveness, downfield ability, and potential for the Dolphins to embrace in a wide open competition for playing time. Hurst is a long-framed receiver who also flashes great open-field ability and vertical receiving as the Dolphins seek to build explosive plays off of their potential running game.
90th overall – CB Ephesians Prysock, Washington Huskies
There’s a certain DNA that many of the corners in Miami’s position room share this offseason. Big, physical, and long. Prysock is all of the above. He’s a legit 6-foot-3, has an 80.5″ wingspan (95th percentile for cornerbacks since 1999) and he offers the profile of a press corner to compete for playing time in Miami along with the other dozen corners the Dolphins have hoarded.
94th overall – LB/EDGE Jaishawn Barham, Michigan Wolverines
If you like players who are compared to the Tasmanian Devil, you’re in luck. Barham is an absolutely unhinged player in the best way possible. He’s aggressive, he punches above his weight class, and he could serve as a hybrid linebacker/edge defender player for a little front flexibility for Coach Hafley. His profile as an edge is only scratching the surface of his potential but slotting him into the room with Parker and the veteran group gives Miami a chance to see someone emerge.
130th overall – CB Hezekiah Masses, California Golden Bears
Masses isn’t big like Prysock. But man, is he a tenacious son of a gun out there on the perimeter. Masses is an “in your face” player at the cornerback position and I love his attitude on film. When Jeff Hafley says ‘put on the tape’ to determine if someone loves football, Masses is the kind of player that comes to mind.
151st overall – TE Dallen Bentley, Utah Utes
Bentley was a breakout player for the Utes offense in 2025. He’s a sure-handed, big-bodied receiving type at tight end who showcases sufficient ability to make plays underneath in the passing game. There’s some surprising “after catch” skills to work with here for Bentley in his bid to win a role in the tight end room.
227th overall – FB Max Bredeson, Michigan Wolverines
Miami does not currently have a fullback on the roster and it is probably safe to assume that they will add one. Bredeson fits the mauler play style that I suspect this team is after amid the talk of the tone and intensity they play the game with.
238th overall – QB Jalon Daniels, Kansas Jayhawks
Daniels is my mock draft quarterback of choice to join the quarterback room behind Malik Willis. Getting a signal caller with some similar traits, even if they aren’t the same caliber, should be an objective to allow the identity of the offense to stay the same if injuries arise in 2026.
Miami Dolphins News
Miami Dolphins News

Miami, FL
Miami teacher walks 120 miles in Spain to give students their first school dance
A Miami woman took a leap of faith on Easter Sunday.
As a teacher in Spain, she learned her students have never had a real school dance — so she decided to change that.
In 10 days, she walked more than 120 miles — all for a beloved group of teens who have never had a school dance.
Roxana Rauseo is a Miami native living in Guardo, a small mountain town in northern Spain, where she works as an English teaching assistant at a local public high school.
In her classroom, Rauseo teaches American culture alongside conversational English.
She told Local 10 News one topic always seemed to light her students up.
“We go through a lot of American culture,” Rauseo said. “So what do schools look like in the US, right? How does the day to day work? How is it different? What’s good? What’s bad? And one of the themes that kept coming up is prom and homecoming.”
So she decided to do something about it — taking on one of the routes in the Camino de Santiago, the ancient pilgrimage route across Spain, and turning every kilometer into a fundraising opportunity.
On Easter Sunday, Rauseo crossed the finish line at the iconic Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, raising roughly 2,500 euros so far.
“Although I’m mentally, physically, emotionally exhausted — it really means the world to me and to my students,” she said during her arrival.
And her students? They still don’t know any of this happened.
Rauseo plans to surprise them Tuesday and hopes to throw them a proper end-of-year dance by late June.
You can donate to the cause by clicking here.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
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