Where the Miami Hurricanes rank in the final AP poll of the season
The Miami Hurricanes finished a 2024 season that started with nine consecutive wins by losing three of their final four games, including a 42-41 loss to Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
But the Hurricanes nevertheless still had one of their highest season-ending rankings over the past two decades.
Miami checked in at No. 18 in the final edition of the AP Top 25 poll released Tuesday. It’s the Hurricanes’ first time finishing a season ranked in three years under coach Mario Cristobal and the team’s highest finish since ending the 2017 season at No. 13. Prior to that, one has to go back to 2005 to find a higher finish for UM when the Hurricanes ended the season at No. 17.
The Hurricanes began the season ranked No. 19 in the AP poll. They moved up to No. 12 after their Week 1 win over the Florida Gators and continued to rise throughout nonconference play — No. 10 after a blowout win over Florida A&M, No. 8 following a shutout of Ball State and No. 7 after their road win over USF.
Miami then fell to No. 8 after its ACC opener against Virginia Tech, a game in which it overcame multiple 10-point deficits. UM then moved up to No. 6 after a Week 6 win over Cal in which it rallied from a 25-point deficit. T he Hurricanes stay at that spot for two week two weeks — through its bye and a road win over Louisville — before being bumped up to No. 5 after a win over Florida State and then up again to No. 4 following a victory against Duke that moved the Hurricanes to 9-0.
After falling to No. 12 following their first loss of the season to Georgia Tech, the Hurricanes moved up to No. 11 after their second bye week and then to No. 8 after beating Wake Forest. Miami fell again, this time to No. 14, after losing to Syracuse and then dipped once more to No. 15 after conference championship weekend.
Ohio State, which won the national championship Monday with a 34-23 win over Notre Dame, was the unanimous vote for No. 1 in the final poll.
The full AP top 25
No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes
No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
No. 3 Oregon Ducks
No. 4 Texas Longhorns
No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions
No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs
No. 7 Arizona State Sun Devils
No. 8 Boise State Broncos
No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers
No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers
No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels
No. 12 SMU Mustangs
No. 13 BYU Cougars
No. 14 Clemson Tigers
No. 15 Iowa State Cyclones
No. 16 Illinois Fighting Illini
No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide
No. 18 Miami Hurricanes
No. 19 South Carolina Gamecocks
No. 20 Syracuse Orange
No. 21 Army Black Knights
No. 22 Missouri Tigers
No. 23 UNLV Rebels
No. 24 Memphis Tigers
No. 25 Colorado Buffaloes
This story was originally published January 21, 2025 at 10:16 AM.
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