Despite loss to Syracuse, 10-2 Hurricanes make their case for College Football Playoff
Cam Ward doesn’t care what seed the Miami Hurricanes get if they are able to sneak into the 12-team College Football Playoff following No. 6 UM’s 42-38 loss to Syracuse.
He just wants the opportunity.
And he is adamant Miami is one of the teams deserving to get into the field.
“If we get the chance to go in the playoff, we’re gonna make the most of it,” quarterback Cam Ward said. “We don’t care if we’re a top-eight seed or we’re the 12th seed. In the playoffs, it’s anybody’s chance. We just hope we can get a shot.”
That shot took a major hit Saturday when Miami blew an early 21-0 lead at the JMA Wireless Dome en route to its second loss of the season. That defeat dropped Miami to 10-2 on the season and 6-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. It eliminated Miami from a chance to compete in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday, where the winner between No. 9 SMU (11-1, 8-0 ACC) and No. 12 Clemson (9-3, 7-1 ACC) will receive an automatic bid into the field.
Instead of controlling their chances like they have all season, Miami now has to wait to see how games unfold during conference championship weekend and how the 13-member CFP selection committee chooses to organize the field.
“We’ve got to focus on the next opportunity we have,” offensive lineman Jalen Rivers said.
As for Miami’s case to be in the field, the Hurricanes can point to the following:
▪ They are one of just 13 power teams with no more than two losses. Oregon is undefeated. Penn State and Indiana of the Big Ten, Texas of the SEC, SMU of the ACC and independent Notre Dame all have one loss. Miami, Ohio State of the Big Ten, Georgia and Tennessee of the SEC, and the trio of Arizona State, Iowa State and BYU of the Big 12 have two losses. Iowa State and Arizona State play in the Big 12 Championship Game, so the loser of that game will have three losses.
▪ Both of Miami’s losses are one-score defeats on the road in conference play. The other was a 28-23 loss to Georgia Tech on Nov. 9.
▪ The Hurricanes boast the top offense in the country in terms of yards per game (538.3), yards per play (7.60), points per game (44.2) and third-down conversion rate (56.46 percent)
“If they knew what was up, they’d put us in the playoffs,” Ward said of the 13-member CFP selection committee. “We are that team.”
The obvious knocks on Miami are its defense and its schedule.
The Hurricanes have allowed 23.9 points per game this season and that number balloons to 30.75 when looking solely at their ACC slate. Miami also did not play a team that was ranked at the time of the matchup and needed three double-digit, second-half comebacks in league action.
“We can control what we can control,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said, “so we have to wait and see. But certainly, this team is has really worked hard and busted its butt to put its best foot forward.”
Now, they wait.
Defense doesn’t adjust
On Saturday, the Hurricanes’ defense seemed to have things figured out early against the Orange. Miami held Syracuse to just 42 yards in the first quarter as it jumped out to a 21-0 lead. This included forcing a turnover on downs on Syracuse’s opening drive and a three-and-out on their second possession.
After that? It was all Syracuse. Miami’s defense ultimately gave up a season-high 479 yards on Saturday, with Orange quarterback Kyle McCord picking apart Miami’s defense to the tune of completing 26 of 36 passes for 380 yards and three touchdowns to lead the comeback. He took advantage of one-on-one matchups and soft zone coverages. He evaded pressure to extend plays. He found holes and executed.
“They just beat us,” Hurricanes linebacker Francisco Mauigoa said. “I mean, those guys came out and played. They’ve got really good players, a really good quarterback that puts it right in the spot. You saw that today. We gave it our best out there. We came up short.”
Penalties stymie key drives
The Hurricanes on Saturday committed nine penalties for 90 yards, with three in particular proving costly.
Rivers was called for a hold on what would have been a 55-yard Damien Martinez run in the third quarter with the game tied 28-28. Ward was sacked on the next play and then threw an incompletion that led to a punt.
True freshman cornerback OJ Frederique was called for a pass interference on a third-down incomplete pass in the fourth quarter that set Syracuse up with a first-and-goal. The Orange scored the go-ahead touchdown two plays later.
And on Miami’s final offensive possession, with a chance to tie the game, Jacolby George was charged with an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty that backed UM up from the Syracuse 8 yard line to the 23. Miami gained 13 yards on its next two plays to set up a fourth-and-goal from the 10. Instead of going for it with a chance to tie, Miami instead settled for a field goal to cut the deficit to four points with 3:42 left to play and hoped the defense would get a stop.
The stop never came.
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