Week 13 College Football Playoff rankings are out, and once again, Miami finds itself in the playoff picture. The Hurricanes are seeded 11th and set to play on the road against Ole Miss. But before fans get too excited, it’s important to understand why Miami holds such a high seed. The new playoff format gives automatic bids to the five highest-ranked conference champions. For example, Tulane is ranked 24th but is seeded 12th because they lead the American Athletic Conference. Miami, ranked 13th overall, is the highest in the ACC, which temporarily boosts their playoff position.
Here’s the catch, Miami currently sits sixth in the ACC standings with slim chances of winning the conference. So, is Miami’s playoff seeding a true reflection of their season, or is it, as some say, a bit of a hoax?
The revamped playoff system aims to promote diversity by rewarding conference champions. While this sounds fair, it often inflates teams’ seeds based more on conference affiliation than on-field performance. Under the old format, Miami would likely be seeded much lower or even excluded at this point. This creates a gap between where a team is ranked and how well they actually played during the season.
Miami’s actual performance this year hasn’t matched playoff expectations. The Hurricanes have faced inconsistency, including growing pains from their transfer quarterback. Injuries and key losses to teams such as SMU and Louisville have put them behind multiple ACC teams. Their resume just doesn’t scream playoff contender, which fuels the argument that their current seeding doesn’t reflect reality.
Miami isn’t alone. Other teams with average or even losing records benefit from the automatic bid system by leading weaker conferences. This raises concerns about playoff integrity and whether the system truly rewards the best teams or simply conference champions.
Many fans and analysts have criticized Miami’s seeding as a loophole, calling into question the credibility of the playoff rankings. This “hoax” seeding risks alienating fans and impacting how college football’s championship system is viewed nationally.
For Miami to shed this “hoax” label, they need to prove themselves on the field by climbing the ACC ranks and winning the conference. Until then, their playoff spot feels more like a technicality than a true championship-caliber position.
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