Projected final 2020 College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings after Week 16

Miami plummeted after they lost to North Carolina in Week 15, falling from the top 10 all the way to No. 18 in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s Top 25. The chance to rebound more completely was lost when the ACC canceled their make-up game against Georgia Tech on championship weekend. It won’t matter, as the Hurricanes remain outside the New Year’s Six picture but firmly locked into the final set of College Football Playoff rankings for 2020.

Despite the loss to the Tar Heels, Miami finished third in the ACC standings this season with a 7-2 conference record. Bringing in D’Eriq King from Houston to start at quarterback helped rejuvenate the offense in Rhett Lashlee’s first season as offensive coordinator. The defense was more of an issue for the Hurricanes this year, as they gave up 26 points and more than 400 yards per game — about six more points and 100 more yards than teams averaged last year on Miami.

The Hurricanes will land somewhere in the mid-teens when the final set of Top 25 rankings come out, too far outside the top tier to land in a New Year’s Six bowl game. With the chance to play at home in the Orange Bowl now effectively out the window, Miami must wait and see where they land in the ACC bowl pecking order.