Miami plummets but hangs on in AP Top 25 poll after disastrous decision
Many, maybe most, will find it amazing that the Miami Hurricanes are still ranked in the AP Top 25 poll.
The University of Miami plummeted eight spots Sunday to No. 25 in the AP Top 25 poll after losing in the last second to 20-point underdog Georgia Tech because of a disastrous coaching decision to run a play instead of kneeling with 33 seconds left on the clock late Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.
UM running back Don Chaney Jr. lost a fumble on UM’s ill-fated final final offensive play, the Yellow Jackets took over with 26 seconds left and Miami went on to lose 23-20 on a 44-yard Yellow Jackets touchdown pass with one second left in the game.
The USA Today LBM Coaches poll on Sunday dropped the Hurricanes, who were previously ranked No. 17 as well by the coaches, out of the rankings to the first team “receiving votes’’ — basically No. 26.
Before Saturday, Miami (4-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) began the season with four consecutive victories and went from unranked in the AP poll in the preseason to begin its climb to No. 22 on Sept. 11 after upsetting then-No. 23 Texas A&M.
The Canes then rose two spots to No. 20 on Sept. 17 after dominating the FCS’s Bethune-Cookman University. They rose again to No. 18 on Sept. 24 after their win at Temple.
UM had a week off after defeating Temple 41-7 on the road Sept. 23, but still climbed one spot to No. 17 on Oct. 1 after other ranked teams lost.
The Yellow Jackets (3-3, 2-1) are unranked.
The top 25: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Florida State, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 Washington, No. 8 Oregon, No. 9 Texas, No. 10 Southern Cal, No. 11 Alabama, No. 12 North Carolina, No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 14 Louisville, No. 15 Oregon State, No. 16 Utah, No. 17 Duke, No. 18 UCLA, No. 19 Washington State tied with Tennessee, No. 21 Notre Dame, No. 22 LSU, No. 23 Kansas, No. 24 Kentucky, No. 25 Miami.
This story was originally published October 8, 2023 at 2:13 PM.
