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3 reasons Miami Hurricanes won’t nab a spot in College Football Playoff bracket

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3 reasons Miami Hurricanes won’t nab a spot in College Football Playoff bracket


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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.

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“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?

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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 …

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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

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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.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.



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Miami, FL

Miami man accused of cutting roommate’s ear with scissors during dispute about rent

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Miami man accused of cutting roommate’s ear with scissors during dispute about rent


MIAMI – A Miami man was arrested over the weekend after he cut his roommate’s ear with a scissor, authorities said.

According to an arrest report from the Miami Police Department, the incident occurred Saturday night.

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Police said the victim and suspect, Felipe Cobo Brito, 30, have lived together for a year.

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According to the report, Cobo Brito admitted to police that he got into an argument with the victim about paying rent and moving out, but claimed that the victim grabbed him by his shirt as he was sitting on the bed and pulled him to the floor, causing him to scrape his knees.

Police said Cobo Brito repeatedly changed his story, however, going on to claim that he was sitting on the kitchen table when he was pulled to the floor and then that he was inside the bathroom when he was grabbed by the shirt and pulled.

According to the report, Cobo Brito claimed to not know how the victim’s right earlobe was cut.

Police said the victim told them he was by the front doorstep when Cobo Brito’s brother, Francisco Cobo, held his arms behind his back as Cobo Brito cut his ear with scissors.

The victim said he then went into the bathroom and laid on the floor as the brothers kicked him in the stomach while laughing.

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According to the report, Cobo fled the scene before police arrived.

Cobo Brito, however, was arrested on a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

As of Monday afternoon, he remained held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $7,500 bond.

Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.



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Titans ‘Love’ Miami QB as Possible First Pick

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Titans ‘Love’ Miami QB as Possible First Pick


The Tennessee Titans are officially on the clock. After the New England Patriots ended up winning in Week 18, the Titans will hold the No. 1 overall pick.

Landing the top pick could not have come at a better time. Tennessee badly needs to find a new franchise quarterback after it has become clear that Will Levis isn’t that guy and Mason Rudolph most certainly isn’t either.

At the top of the 2025 NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward appear to be the top two quarterbacks on the board. If the Titans want one of those two guys, they will have their pick.

With that being said, it sounds like Tennessee has heavy interest in one of them.

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According to a report from Benjamin Allbright, Tennessee is “rumored to love Cam Ward” and could make him the No. 1 overall pick.

Ward is coming off of a massive season with the Miami Hurricanes during the 2024 college football season. He took his game to a completely new level and has set himself up to be potentially be the top pick in the draft.

He ended up completing 67.2 percent of his pass attempts for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. He also picked up 204 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

Standing in at 6-foot-2 and just under 225 pounds, Ward has great size for an NFL quarterback. He has solid athleticism to extend plays and he has a big-time arm.

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On the outside looking in, he looks the part of a potential NFL franchise quarterback.

Of course, there are no guarantees in the NFL Draft. Taking any player is a gamble.

Passing up on Sanders for Ward would also put a lot of pressure on the young signal caller. A lot of people have been expecting Sanders to be the top pick, but the Titans might like Ward more.

Only time will tell, but the offseason is going to be wild. Fans should buckle up and get ready for a ton of rumors and speculation about what Tennessee could end up doing.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Miami, FL

Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill says he’s ‘opening the door’ to leave Miami

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Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill says he’s ‘opening the door’ to leave Miami


Tyreek Hill is willing to leave the Miami Dolphins after a disappointing 2024 season.

“I don’t even know,” Hill told reporters when asked what his message to his teammates was this offseason following their season-ending loss to the New York Jets. “This is my first time that I haven’t been in the playoffs, man. For me, I’ve just got to do what’s best for me and my family. Whether that’s here or whoever the case may be, I’m finna opening that door for myself. 

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“I’m opening the door. I’m out, bro. It was great playing here, but at the end of the day I got to do what’s best for my career. I’m too much of a competitor to be just out there.”

In a follow-up question, Hill was asked if that meant he could end up leaving Miami. He initially said, “If it is … ” before walking away.

Soon after, Hill went on social media and thanked Dolphins fans for their support, hinting at his possible departure. 

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel downplayed Hill’s comment when asked about it following Sunday’s game. 

“I’m not going to put too much weight on second-hand postgame disappointment statements,” McDaniel told reporters. “We will see how (the) next couple days progress in convos with him and I.”

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Hill has two seasons left on a three-year, $90 million extension he signed with the Dolphins in August. The 30-year-old had a relatively down year in 2024, but he was still productive in his ninth season despite Tua Tagovailoa missing six games due to injury. In 17 games, Hill recorded 81 receptions for 959 yards and six touchdowns. 

Outside of the 2019 season (when Hill played in 12 games with the Chiefs), those are his lowest yardage and TD numbers since he was a rookie.

“It is what it is,” Hill said when asked how it felt not to reach 1,000 receiving yards on the season. “It’s life, man. At the end of the day, there’s a lot of things that I need to reassess about my career — just seeing what I need to do to continue to get better as a player so I can continue to reach that 1,000-yard mark. So, it is what it is.”

Hill also didn’t play in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game. However, Hill and McDaniel pointed at the other on whose decision it was to pull him. While Hill said he was dealing with the right wrist injury that’s bothered him for much of the season, he added, “Coach kind of pulled me out.”

“I was informed he was unavailable right before a drive,” McDaniel said of Hill’s injury. “I was not informed that it was a new injury. Focus was on players on the field.”

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As Hill mentioned, this season was the first time in his career that he won’t play in the playoffs. Miami went 8-9, with the injuries to Tagovailoa playing a key role in the Dolphins’ inability to make it back to the postseason for a third straight year. 

“It was a tough season,” Hill said. “It sucks missing QB1. It really hurts a lot, not having him. [Tyler Huntley] did a great job filling in, whenever he learned the offense and getting us going. But whenever you’re missing your franchise player, it kind of sucks.”

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