MIAMI HITS NO. 1 IN ESPN CFP PROJECTIONS — AND NOW IT’S FSU HATE WEEK

Don’t call it a fluke. Don’t call it smoke and mirrors.

Four weeks into the 2025 college football season, the Miami Hurricanes are sitting at the top of ESPN’s latest College Football Playoff projections. ESPN insider Heather Dinich put the Hurricanes No. 1 on her board, and for Miami fans who’ve been waiting two decades for the program to roar back to national relevance, this feels like validation.

It’s not hype. It’s earned.

Building the Resume

Mario Cristobal’s squad has strung together one of the strongest resumes in the country. Those early wins over Notre Dame, South Florida, and Florida looked solid when they happened — and they look even better now.

• Notre Dame blowing out Arkansas only made Miami’s Week 1 win shine brighter.

• South Florida and Florida holding steady in the polls has boosted the Canes’ strength of record, which currently sits at No. 4 nationally, a metric that has historically aligned closely with the CFP committee’s eventual selections.

The Hurricanes didn’t even play this past weekend, but their resume aged like fine Cuban rum while the rest of the top 10 shuffled around them.

BEAUTY PAGEANT VS. ACTUAL FOOTBALL

The AP voters bumped Miami from No. 2 to No. 3 because Oregon pulled out a double-OT win at Penn State. Cute.

But Heather Dinich and the playoff folks don’t care about AP beauty contests. They care about who looks like a playoff team.

Her logic: Miami is smashing teams, giving up just 11.5 points a game, and Carson Beck is throwing darts like he’s playing beer pong at the Rat. The guy has nearly 1,000 yards, 7 TDs, and a completion rate north of 70 percent.

The Canes aren’t hype merchants. They’re rent collectors.

Rivalry Spotlight

All eyes now shift to Florida State week — one of the most storied rivalries in college football, and one that almost always brings chaos.

The setup is juicy:

• Miami (4-0): Rested, ranked No. 3 in the AP, but sitting No. 1 in ESPN’s CFP projections.

• Florida State (3-1): Reeling after a gut-punch, double-overtime loss at Virginia, but still a top-20 program.

The Hurricanes are 6.5-point favorites heading into Tallahassee, a rare position of strength in a series that’s historically been razor-thin. For Miami, it’s another résumé-building opportunity. For FSU, it’s a season-saver. For fans? It’s hate week — pure and simple.

ESPN College GameDay may have bailed on the matchup after Florida State’s stumble, choosing instead to head to Tuscaloosa for Alabama-Vanderbilt, but this game still owns primetime on ABC at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night. Everyone will be watching.

The “Go 1-0” Mentality

Cristobal has drilled one phrase into his locker room all season: “Go 1-0 every week.” It’s the type of mantra that sounds cliché until you look at how Miami has played.

The Hurricanes aren’t just stacking wins — they’re dominating. They’re averaging 36.8 points per game on offense, while giving up just 11.5 per game on defense. They’ve forced six turnovers, racked up 26 tackles for loss, and notched 10 sacks through four outings. That’s not just winning football — that’s championship DNA.

Those numbers are why playoff projections have Miami in the driver’s seat. They’re the kind of stats that selection committee members scribble notes about in meetings.

Nobody’s declaring trophies in September, but make no mistake — Miami’s No. 1 slot isn’t charity. It’s respect.

For years, the Canes were chasing the glory days, begging people to say “Miami’s back.” Now? They don’t need to beg. They’re just winning.

Saturday in Tallahassee is the next test. Another chance to prove Miami isn’t just back — Miami’s built to last.

And if FSU misses another kick at the horn? Even better.