By Matthew Davis
Miami beat in-state rival Florida convincingly, 26–7, on Saturday and got rewarded extra for it on Sunday.
The Hurricanes (4–0) received the No. 2 ranking in the latest Associated Press poll, the program’s best ranking since 2017. Miami achieved the No. 4 ranking earlier this season and last year.
With the Hurricanes’ ascent, Penn State (3–0) dropped to No. 3 with a bye week, and LSU (4–0) slipped to No. 4 despite a 56–10 win over Southeastern Louisiana. Ohio State (3–0) remained No. 1 in the country, while also being idle for the weekend. Fifth-ranked Georgia (3–0) also didn’t play.
Miami opened the season with a 27–24 win over formerly No. 6-ranked Notre Dame (1–2), and the Hurricanes then beat Bethune-Cookman and former No. 18 South Florida before Saturday’s win. Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal explained the significance of the rivalry with Florida after the second game of a home-and-home series. The two have only met twice since 2008, and the matchup is not expected to continue because of the SEC’s expansion.
“We don’t get to play these guys again. This game should be on the schedule every year. It is a shame that it isn’t,” Cristobal told reporters after the game. “We want to make sure we took advantage of the opportunity.”
Miami quarterback Carson Beck only went 17-31 for 160 yards and an interception on Saturday, but running back Mark Fletcher Jr. stepped up with 116 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Fellow running back CharMar Brown had 80 yards and two touchdowns on just 18 carries.
Oregon Dominates at No. 6
Oregon (4–0) looked dominant again as the No. 6 team in the country with a 41–7 win over in-state rival Oregon State. Ducks quarterback Dante Moore shined with 21-31 passing for 305 yards and four touchdowns.
Oklahoma Moves Up to No. 7
Oklahoma (4–0) returned to the top 10 for the first time since 2023 after Saturday’s win over Auburn. Sooners quarterback John Mateer went 24-36 for 271 yards and a touchdown, and he rushed for 29 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
No. 8 Florida State Dominates
The Seminoles (3–0) dominated Kent State 66–10 on Saturday. FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos impressed again with 10-13 passing for 205 yards, and he rushed for two touchdowns.
Indiana, Texas Tech Climb Toward Top 10
While No. 9 Texas A&M (3–0) sat idle and No. 10 Texas (3–1) blew out Sam Houston 55–0, Indiana (4–0) and Texas Tech (4–0) achieved the No. 11 and No. 12 rankings, respectively. Indiana dominated No. 9 Illinois 63–10, and Texas Tech pounded No. 16 Utah 34–10. Illinois plummeted to No. 23 in the process.
No. 13 Ole Miss Stays Put
Ole Miss (4–0) dominated Tulane 45–10 on Saturday but stayed put at No. 13. Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss threw 17-27 for 307 yards and two touchdowns in the blowout win.
Tennessee Can’t Catch Iowa State
While Tennessee (3–1) blew out UAB 56–24, it did nothing for the Volunteers’ ranking. The Volunteers couldn’t pass No. 14 Iowa State (4–0), which remained idle for the weekend.
Georgia Tech Moves Up
With a dominant win over Temple, Georgia Tech (4–0) moved up from No. 18 to No. 16. The Yellowjackets won big, 45–24 as quarterback Haynes King threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns on 13-18 passing.
Vanderbilt Lurking Behind Bama
Vanderbilt (4–0) moved up to No. 18 from No. 20 after a 70–21 blowout of Georgia State. Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia went 18-24 passing for 245 yards and a touchdown.
Michigan Rises
The Wolverines (3–1) edged Nebraska 30–27 and moved up to the No. 19 ranking, up from No. 21 in the process. Michigan had to hold off the Cornhuskers, however, after a late touchdown.
Missouri Grabs No. 20
Missouri (4–0) held off South Carolina 29–20 and moved up from No. 23 to No. 20. Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy impressed with 138 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.
USC Grabs No. 21
The Trojans (4–0) beat Michigan State 45–31 and moved up from No. 25. Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava went 20-26 for 234 yards and three touchdowns in the offensive show.
No. 22 Notre Dame Rebounds
After two tough losses, Notre Dame pounded Purdue 56–30 on Saturday. Irish quarterback C.J. Carr went 10-12 passing for 223 yards and two touchdowns in the process.
TCU Moves into Top 25
The Horned Frogs’ blowout win over Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels wasn’t enough, but a win over SMU was. TCU downed SMU 35–24 and moved into the top 25 as the No. 24 team with a 3–0 mark.
BYU Joins Top 25
The Cougars (3–0) earned the No. 25 ranking with a 34–13 win over East Carolina. BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw for 246 yards and a touchdown, and he rushed for another score in the win.
