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Heather Dinich explains scenario where Alabama, Miami both miss College Football Playoff

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Heather Dinich explains scenario where Alabama, Miami both miss College Football Playoff


Alabama and Miami came in at No. 11 and No. 12, respectively, in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday evening. That would make the Crimson Tide the last at-large school to make the 12-team field, while the Hurricanes would be the first left out.

However, that isn’t exactly set in stone with conference championship games still to be played. ESPN senior writer Heather Dinich pointed out it’s still possible that Alabama could be left out as well if enough chaos happens with the teams ranked below it.

“I want to take a minute to remind people that these first-round byes can change,” she said on ESPN’s rankings reveal show. “I also want to point out down at the bottom, we have 11 Alabama and 12 Miami. We keep talking about the 12th team getting left out for that fifth-highest ranked conference champion, which is absolutely correct, Arizona State. But if you have multiple conference champions ranked outside the committee’s top 12 — and you see down lower in the ranking where you have Clemson, you have Iowa State, you have Arizona State, you have UNLV.

“If you have two of those that still need to get into this bracket on selection day, guess who’s out? Not just Miami, Alabama too. So you could have the 11th and 12th team bumped out for the fourth and fifth-highest ranked conference champion.”

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No. 8 SMU is set to play No. 17 Clemson in the ACC Championship. Most project the Mustangs to win, securing the lone bid from the conference.

However, if the Tigers pull of the victory, it would force a situation where they earned the automatic bid and give the committee a decision to make with the Mustangs. It could drop SMU below Alabama and keep the Crimson Tide in the playoff, that isn’t a guarantee.

If the Mustangs play a close game and lose, the committee may still decide to grant them an at-large bid ahead of Alabama.

Dinich also mentioned the possibility that UNLV could beat Boise State in the Mountain West Championship. However, in that case, one would have to imagine the Crimson Tide would jump ahead of the Broncos.

Regardless, it’s still far from a sure thing that Alabama punches its ticket to the Playoff. The Crimson Tide will be big SMU fans on Saturday and as long as the Mustangs win, should feel good about their chances.

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Miami, FL

Hundreds of Caribbean flights canceled, leaving travelers stranded at Miami International Airport

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Hundreds of Caribbean flights canceled, leaving travelers stranded at Miami International Airport


Travel disruptions continued Sunday at Miami International Airport after hundreds of flights to and from the Caribbean were canceled, leaving passengers stranded, separated from their luggage, and scrambling to salvage vacation plans.

The Federal Aviation Administration closed airspace in and around Venezuela following the reported capture of Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, triggering a ripple effect across Caribbean travel routes.

By Sunday, long lines had formed inside MIA as travelers waited hours to track down luggage that had been sent ahead — even though their flights never took off.

“As you can see, there’s a lot of people, and apparently thousands and thousands of bags,” said Jennifer Heimann, who was traveling from Tampa.

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Heimann and her family were scheduled to sail on a catamaran in the British Virgin Islands. Their flight to St. Thomas was canceled, but their luggage still made the trip.

“They said, ‘Your bags are in St. Thomas,’ and I said, ‘Wait — our bags are there and we’re not?’” Heimann said. “We can’t even get a flight until Thursday, and they just sent the bags ahead.”

The family is now renting a car to drive back to Tampa and hoping their luggage eventually finds its way home.

Similar frustrations were echoed by other travelers across the terminal.

The Cookson family, traveling from Tyler, Texas, had their flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico canceled just before they were set to board a cruise.

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“They’re shipping our bags out to the Caribbean and not allowing us to retrieve them,” said Pamela Cookson. “We don’t know when we’re going to get our luggage.”

American Airlines says it added six additional flights out of Miami, bringing the total to roughly two dozen extra flights and nearly 5,000 additional seats to help impacted customers. Even so, many passengers told CBS News Miami the earliest rebooking available wasn’t until Thursday.

Susan Daniel, traveling from Little Rock, Arkansas to St. Croix, said the delays forced her family to make last-minute arrangements.

“We had to Uber, leave our bags, get an Airbnb, then come back today, take another Uber, and stand in this long line just to hopefully get our bags and our computers — everything we need,” Daniel said.

Some travelers reported waiting hours in one line, only to be directed into another long wait for their luggage. Others tried to make the best of the situation.

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“Guess we’re vacationing in Miami now for three days or something like that,” said Jake Boylin, who was traveling from St. Louis. “Then going back home and rescheduling the trip.”

The next unanswered question for many travelers: whether they’ll be reimbursed for canceled trips, hotels, and cruises.

Travel experts advise passengers to keep all receipts and documentation in case refunds or reimbursements become available.



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Miami, FL

Venezuela supporters join Cuban Americans in Miami show of solidarity

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Venezuela supporters join Cuban Americans in Miami show of solidarity


In Little Havana, Cuban and Venezuelan Americans gathered outside an iconic restaurant to show solidarity following the removal of Nicolás Maduro. Crowds waved Cuban and Venezuelan flags throughout the afternoon and evening, describing the moment as one they had hoped for over decades.



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Miami, FL

Miami-Dade sheriff’s deputy opens fire on vehicle after altercation during traffic stop, officials say

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Miami-Dade sheriff’s deputy opens fire on vehicle after altercation during traffic stop, officials say



An investigation is underway in Northwest Miami-Dade after the sheriff’s office said a deputy opened fire after an altercation occurred during a traffic stop on Sunday night.

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According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, a deputy received an alert about a stolen vehicle Sunday evening and eventually located the vehicle in the area of NW 17th Avenue and NW 95th Street in West Little River and conducted a traffic stop.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said that as the deputy approached the vehicle, an altercation began, and the deputy opened fire, striking the vehicle.

That vehicle then fled the scene and was located nearby.

The sheriff’s office said a gun was located inside the vehicle, and the driver fled the scene.

That person is still at large as of early Monday morning, officials said.

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The deputy was not injured in the incident, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has taken over the investigation.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).



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