The Miami Hurricanes have decisively claimed the title of best team in college football after their road victory over Florida State in Tallahassee. While the final score of 28-22 may appear close due to garbage time scoring by the Seminoles, Miami’s performance was one of total domination, leading 14-3 at halftime and holding a commanding 28-3 lead for much of the game. On a snap-by-snap basis, this was the Hurricanes’ best performance of the season, earning an 87.0 overall Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade against a quality opponent that was desperate for a victory and threw its entire playbook, including multiple trick plays, at Miami.
Sometimes a massive victory is the product of a single player’s stellar performance. This was not the case Saturday evening. The Hurricanes won on superior coaching, fundamental soundness, and complementary football. Quarterback Carson Beck delivered an efficient performance with four scores and 241 yards, and while the running game was not spectacular, it was enough to keep Florida State honest. Overall, Miami executed big plays when they mattered most. This included a fourth-down touchdown and multiple interceptions. The defense set the tone early, stopping FSU on their opening drive in the red zone and holding them to a field goal, which were FSU’s last points until the end of the second half. From then on, Miami dominated.
To illustrate how dominant Miami was, consider that after the long flea-flicker touchdown to Malachi Toney in the second quarter that FSU never again had the football in a one-score game. This kind of game is usually the result of a lop sided matchup. Not against two quality teams in a rivalry game. Especially when the dominant team was on the road.
The true difference-maker for this Miami squad, compared to prior teams, is their consistent ability to win against high-level competition and their adaptability. The Hurricanes are already battle tested, having secured wins against Notre Dame, a frisky South Florida squad, a Florida team that just beat Texas, and now FSU. They have demonstrated they can beat opponents in a variety of ways: with balanced passing and rushing attacks, by leaning on the power running game, or by turning to efficient, managed passing coupled with dominant defense. This defense has been outstanding for the most part of the season, and the offense no longer needs a magical (ie Cam Ward in 2024) quarterback performance to win. Instead they can rely on Beck to be ruthlessly efficient and deliver in big moments. Every challenge Miami has faced this season has been answered, proving their current status as the head-and-shoulders best team in college football, a sustainable level of effort that great teams maintain.
Disclaimer: The content of this article was originally published as a YouTube video on the SMI College Football Show YouTube channel. With AI assistance, the publisher of the video created this article based on the content of that video.
