The Miami Hurricanes are moving on to play for the National Championship for the first time since the 2001 season after knocking off Ole Miss. It wasn't the prettiest showing from Miami, and they're going to need to clean a ton up to beat Oregon or Indiana, but there was one clear theme from Miami on Thursday Night.
Mario Cristobal's vision unfolded perfectly vs Ole Miss
The Canes took the punishment to Ole Miss, dominating the game at the point of attack as the Rebels were no match in the trenches. How do you slow down the explosive Ole Miss offense? You keep them off the field as Miami dominated the time of possession, eating up 41:22 of the game, allowing the defense to stay fresh and get stops.
The final score didn't tell the story of this game, as self-inflicted wounds like false starts and dropped interceptions helped keep the Rebels in this game.
Miami's plan of attack was to wear down Ole Miss and control the ball as they ran the ball 51 times for 191 yards and 2 touchdowns. Anytime Miami started to roll, it was because the offense was running the ball as Ole Miss was gassed, and the Canes Offensive Line was more than happy to take advantage.
If Mario Cristobal could play a clip on repeat in the facility showcasing his vision, he was given the perfect example in the second half as Mark Fletcher rumbled for 19 yards on 2nd and 10 with help from the guys up front.
Miami’s O-Line & Mark Fletcher going for a ride 😂 pic.twitter.com/7F4tsr6fte
— WeAreBigGuys (@WeAreBigGuys) January 9, 2026
Wearing down the Ole Miss defense proved to be especially key when Miami needed to drive down the field to take the lead. The Hurricanes drove 75 yards down the field on 15 plays continuing to lean on Ole Miss until the Rebels broke allowing Carson Beck to run in the game winning touchdown.
The Hurricanes haven't played pretty the entire College Football Playoff, and if you ask Mario Cristobal, he probably wouldn't have it any other way. The Canes were the tougher team, and for all the talk about the toughness of the SEC, they made Ole Miss' defensive front look like High School players at times.
Miami has now dismantled Texas A&M, Ohio State, and Ole Miss, all in the same fashion, and Mario Cristobal's team has one last mountain to climb to bring this program back to the top of the sport.