MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Officially, the College Football Playoff field gets announced on Dec. 8 and the first game of the tournament is on Dec. 20.
Those dates don’t really apply to Miami. For the Hurricanes, the CFP may as well start now.
A win this week means Miami’s playoff chances live on and a loss this week means hope is almost certainly over for the Hurricanes. No. 11 Miami (9-1, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 8 CFP) plays host to Wake Forest (4-6, 2-4) on Saturday, now with little room for error after falling to Georgia Tech two weeks ago.
“We’re going to be locked in regardless,” Miami quarterback Cam Ward said. “We’re not really worried about no room for error. Play like that, you mess up. Even when you play good, you’re going to mess up at some point. So, that has no meaning to us.”
If Miami wins Saturday and again next weekend at Syracuse, the Hurricanes will be heading to the Atlantic Coast Conference title game in Charlotte on Dec. 7. But coach Mario Cristobal’s mantra all season has been that no good comes from looking ahead. It has become cliche at Miami: “go 1-0 this week” is the phrase that has been uttered by players and coaches countless times.
“There’s too much going on in the outside world,” Cristobal said. “There’s too much clutter, there’s too much coverage and hype and noise to really do anything else but make sure your guys are focused on the task at hand. … Without a doubt, that’s been emphasized and that’s not going to change.”
There’s much on the line for Wake Forest as well this week. The Demon Deacons aren’t going to the ACC title game or the CFP, but an upset win Saturday and then a victory over Duke next week would get Wake Forest to 6-6 and likely to a bowl. Wake Forest didn’t make a bowl last year, snapping a seven-year streak of reaching one.
Wake Forest quarterback Hank Bachmeier (9) looks to pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against North Carolina, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Chapel Hill, N.C. Credit: AP/Chris Seward
“Our practices are good. They’re lively. Guys are into it,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said. “We have a bunch of guys that are in their last year of football and they’re trying to, in the words of Warren Zevon, enjoy every sandwich. And then you have some young guys that are playing for the first time ever that are just excited to be playing.”
Calling Miami and Wake Forest “conference rivals” is a stretch, since the schools haven’t played since 2013. Clawson is in his 11th year at Wake Forest; he’s had more ACC games against Stanford (one) and Cal (one) than he has Miami (zero). The schools next play in 2026 in what’ll be Miami’s first trip to Winston-Salem in 17 years. “I thought about all those years that they were struggling, and then the year we get them they’re 9-1,” Clawson said.
A trio of injured Hurricanes — cornerback Damari Brown, defensive lineman Elijah Alston and offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez — are “close” to returning and could all be game-time decisions Saturday. Brown would be an especially key returnee, since Miami is getting very thin in the secondary. For Wake Forest, starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier is expected to play. He was knocked from last week’s loss to North Carolina because of an issue with his left shoulder.
The Hurricanes will pay tribute to 27 seniors before their final home regular season game, including Ward, WR Xavier Restrepo, K Andres Borregales and ninth-year TE Cam McCormick — now healthy after years and years of dealing with injuries. “I wouldn’t have changed my journey. If I could do it again, I would do it again,” McCormick said.
Wake Forest is 4-0 this season when holding teams under 31 points, 0-6 otherwise. Miami is 9-0 when scoring that many, 0-1 otherwise.
The Hurricanes entered this week leading the nation in yards per game, points per game and yards per play, all a big reason why Ward is considered the Heisman Trophy favorite. He says Miami’s offensive line deserves more credit. “If you don’t have an O-line, you can’t do anything,” Ward said.
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AP Sports Writer Aaron Beard contributed to this report.
NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – A warehouse went up in flames in Northwest Miami-Dade.
It happened before 2a.m.,Wednesday morning near Northwest 74th Street and 12th Avenue.
Flames were reportedly going through the roof of the building.
Crews were able to get the blaze under control.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A tropical oasis is taking over the docks of the old Shucker’s Bar and Grill. It’s been reimagined into a modern sunset brunch with late night party vibe. And celebs are already hittin’ up the spot.
It’s out with the old and in with the new. Palm trees and beautiful dock views go hand-in-hand at Palm Tree Club.
Alexandra Eichner: “You can arrive by boat or car and then enjoy an amazing waterfront dining experience. And then they get to hang out in their room with their friends and kind of sink in with the vibe.”
The welcoming hotspot attracts an A-list crew.
Alexandra Eichner: “You know Leonardo DiCaprio, Selena Gomez and it spans across industries. We’ve got football players, golfers, actresses, DJs, the mix of Palm Tree Crew kind of comes here to hang out and celebrate because they like hang out with each other.”
But you don’t have to dress to impress to hang out here.
Alexandra Eichner: “The vibe here is come as you are. There’s no attire. Everyone’s welcome, everyone mixes and mingles with each other. Come and have fun. Any celebrity that’s associated with Palm Tree, they are that vibe also. They are chill, nice. They want to hang out.”
The timeline was tight to transform this North Bay Village gem.
Alexandra Eichner: “It was six months and only one month for the restaurant. I lost a lot of sleep [laughs].”
Magenta pink and green take over this music venue location. Their next sunset party is with Diplo.
Alexandra Eichner: “The thing that makes Palm Tree Club, Palm Tree Club really is the music, is the center point of it all. On Saturday if you show up, starting at 3 p.m. we will have live music. You can kind of come for brunch, stay for the live music, and still get to bed at a normal time if you want or go out!”
As for the grub…
Alexandra Eichner: “The food is American coastal classics. Chicken tenders, salads, wagyu burger.”
The waterfront rooms also got a facelift with custom art pieces.
Alexandra Eichner: “Come stay at the room. Have an after-party with your friends. And then come hang out by the pool the next day.”
FOR MORE INFO:
Palm Tree Club Miami
1819 79th Street Causeway
North Bay Village, FL 33141
(786) 485-2020
palmtreeclubmiami.com
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish a fire in southwest Miami-Dade on Tuesday, authorities said.
It was 7:46 a.m. when Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) said a dozen units responded to a kitchen fire near the 15300 block of SW 106th Terrace at Hammock Trails development, according to the fire department and the Red Cross.
Crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the kitchen of an apartment, MDFR said.
One person was assessed at the scene and did not need to be taken to a hospital, according to the fire department. Four people total were impacted, and were being assisted by the Red Cross, the organization said.
“Firefighters quickly initiated a fire attack and placed the fire under control. Crews remained on scene to monitor and extinguish hot spots, while ventilation was established to clear the smoke,” MDFR said.
The exact cause of the blaze is under investigation, but MDFR Chief of Staff/PIO Erika Benitez offered advice for preventing a kitchen fire.
“Safety is the best recipe to protect yourself and others from fire,” she said. “If you experience a burn emergency, call 911, immediately. Remember to cool down the burned area by running cool water on top of the area. Remove your rings or any tight items. Never use butter, toothpaste or ice on the burn.”
MDFR also shared the following kitchen fire safety tips:
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