Miami's Unfathomable CFP Run Continues with Title Berth
The Miami Hurricanes are one win away from doing the unthinkable: winning the College Football Playoff this season. After an astonishing victory in the quarterfinal on Thursday night, the Hurricanes, led by transfer QB Carson Beck, are now awaiting either Indiana or Oregon. Either one should avoid underestimating the Canes.
Miami shocks Ole Miss en route to NCAA title game
Last year, Miami hung around the CFP bracket for a while before ultimately missing. That was with eventual number one overall pick Cam Ward, so losing him figured to sting. Bringing in Carson Beck, the fizzled-out former Georgia QB, to replace him didn't inspire the most confidence.
However, Beck played well, Miami snuck into the playoff, and now they're in the title game against all odds. Fans will remember that there was major controversy over their very inclusion in the field. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish were ranked ahead of the Canes for most of the year.
However, when the final ranking came out, the committee seemed to recognize the error in their ways and flipped them. This was probably the right result, but it's strange that it only changed once neither team had played a title game. They didn't win or lose, but they flipped, leaving Notre Dame out.
The Hurricanes then started an improbable path. They won a defensive battle with Texas A&M. They went on to shock the world by upsetting number two Ohio State, the defending national champions. Then, they came back and beat Ole Miss, who is playing without Lane Kiffin. They're one win away from an unprecedented title.
Miami heads home
What is most shocking about this is that Miami will now play at home. The venue of the national championship was set at Hard Rock Cafe. This, like the Super Bowl, is predetermined. It almost never happens that any team has a home championship in the NFL or the NCAA. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did it once, but otherwise, it hasn't happened.
"When I saw everybody running on the field, it felt like a dream, like I was waiting on somebody to wake me up or something," said linebacker Wesley Bissainthe per ESPN. "I'm a Miami guy, so playing in front of my peers, from where I'm from? It's going to mean everything."
Former Hurricane Edgerrin James said, "It has been a long time coming. Once Coach Cristobal got here, we brought back the old Miami ways. To get into the playoffs and then end up in the championship in Miami, there's nothing better than that. It's laid out for us."
Miami legends Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, Greg Olsen, Gino Torretta, James, and others were all in attendance. Beck needed to orchestrate some magic late to give those fans what they wanted to see. Trinidad Chambliss, who's been the CFP breakout, gave the Ole Miss Rebels a late lead.
After a controversial pass interference penalty, the Rebels took a 27-24 lead. Carson Beck calmly led the Hurricanes on a 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that left very little time on the clock. That score would hold despite some late drama, and the Hurricanes survived.
In a way, the simple fact that the Canes and Rebels were both in this game is a shock. Miami didn't project as a legitimate title contender and technically only barely made the field in the first place. Because of the Group of 5 teams, they were the last team in and only got in over Notre Dame by a last-minute choice.
The Rebels were firmly in, but then Lane Kiffin bolted for LSU before the CFP began. The Rebels didn't. miss a beat, marching through the bracket until they came up just short against the Cinderella Hurricanes.
