For the first time since December 2002, the Miami Hurricanes are officially the No. 1 team in college football.
Sunday’s AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll both placed Miami at the top following their dramatic double-overtime victory over Florida State. The Hurricanes received 40 of 70 first-place votes in the AP poll, ending a 24-year wait to return to the summit.
For a programme with five national championships and a history built on dominating college football, that feels significant.
Miami have spent much of the past two decades trying to recapture the standards set by their great teams. There have been promising seasons, coaching changes and plenty of false dawns along the way.
Now, at 6-0, Mario Cristobal has the Hurricanes back where supporters have wanted them for years.
From chasing the best to being the benchmark
What interests me most about Sunday’s announcement is how it changes the conversation around Miami.
For years, we’ve asked whether the Hurricanes could compete with the very best programmes.
Now everybody else is looking at Miami.
The ranking is deserved. The Canes have won three ACC road games, beaten Clemson convincingly and survived a difficult rivalry battle against Florida State.
But being No. 1 also means expectations change.
A narrow victory that might have been celebrated as progress a few seasons ago will now invite questions about whether Miami are playing well enough to stay on top.
We saw that after Saturday’s 43-35 double-overtime win. The result maintained Miami’s unbeaten record, but the defensive lapses and momentum swings left plenty for Cristobal to address.
That’s the challenge of being ranked first. Winning is expected, and performances face greater scrutiny.
A fitting weekend to celebrate Miami’s history
There is something particularly appropriate about Miami carrying the No. 1 ranking into Saturday’s home game against Pittsburgh.
Hard Rock Stadium will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the legendary 2001 national championship team.
That squad remains the standard against which modern Miami teams are measured, so having the current Hurricanes return to the top of the rankings during the same week feels rather fitting.
The game also brings a welcome change for those of us following from the UK.
No. 1 Miami vs Pittsburgh
Saturday 24 October | 5pm UK
After the late nights and Sunday’s four-hour sleep, a Saturday evening kick off sounds fantastic.
Pittsburgh will be the first team to face Miami since their return to No. 1, and the Hurricanes will need to handle that attention alongside the celebrations.
The Last Word from Across the Pond
Seeing Miami at No. 1 again is something worth enjoying, especially for supporters who have spent years waiting for the programme to return to national relevance.
But I think the real measure of this team will be how comfortably they handle their new position.
It’s one thing to chase the teams above you. It’s another to become the team every opponent wants to knock off.
Miami have proved they can climb to the top.
Now we get to find out whether they can stay there.
