The Miami Hurricanes’ promising 2024 season got here to an finish in disappointment, because the workforce finds itself ranked No. 12 within the ultimate School Soccer Playoff rankings forward of Sunday’s choice present. A late-season collapse, marked by two losses within the ultimate three video games, has all however sealed Miami’s destiny: the Hurricanes are on the surface wanting in as the primary workforce out of the playoffs.
Miami entered the ultimate week of the season in a robust place, ranked No. 6 within the CFP standings and aiming to safe a spot within the 12-team playoff. With a win over Syracuse, the Hurricanes would have clinched a spot within the ACC Championship Recreation, incomes a shot at one of many 4 first-round byes. However a stunning 42-38 loss to the Orange in Week 14 eradicated Miami from the ACC title race, concurrently ending the Canes’ playoff goals. This defeat, mixed with earlier losses to an unranked Georgia Tech, dropped the Canes to No. 12 behind Alabama, who secured the ultimate spot within the bracket at No. 11.
Choice committee chair Warde Manuel defined that the choice got here all the way down to Miami’s late-season struggles in comparison with Alabama’s stronger efficiency towards ranked opponents. “What it got here all the way down to is that we evaluated each groups and checked out how they rank,” Manuel mentioned. “Alabama is 3-1 towards present top-25 groups, and Miami is 0-1. Miami has misplaced twice in its ultimate three video games, and we felt Alabama obtained the sting based mostly on their total physique of labor.”
Regardless of the Hurricanes’ explosive offense, led by Heisman hopeful Cam Ward, and their top-10 rating in whole yards and factors per sport, the committee cited their inconsistent protection and lack of key victories over ranked groups as vital components of their exclusion from the playoffs. Miami head coach Mario Cristobal had argued that the Hurricanes’ 10-2 document, coupled with their slim losses, ought to warrant consideration. “We received 10 video games this yr, and never many groups have,” Cristobal mentioned on WQAM, the Hurricanes’ flagship station. “Our losses got here down to at least one possession, which is a really completely different résumé than the 9-3 groups.”
ESPN analysts weighed in on the committee’s choice, with Booger McFarland questioning the equity of rating Alabama forward of Miami regardless of the latter’s fewer losses. “Miami is 10-2 and Alabama is 9-3, so placing Alabama in over Miami looks like a slippery slope when these schedules are unbalanced,” McFarland mentioned. Joey Galloway, nevertheless, defended the committee’s alternative, citing Miami’s poor end to the season. “Once you lose to unranked groups, now regardless of the committee says, I’m okay with,” Galloway mentioned.
Now, the Hurricanes’ postseason hopes hinge on a bowl sport. Whereas their playoff goals have been dashed by late-season struggles, Miami nonetheless has an opportunity to cap off what has been a promising season. The chance stays to finish the season with beauty, setting the stage for a future that, with the appropriate changes, may as soon as once more see the ‘Canes competing for faculty soccer’s greatest prizes.