No. 10 Miami Hurricanes make College Football Playoff, playing No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies in first round
The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes are officially in the 2026 College Football Playoff and will play the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies in the first round, ESPN announced during the CFP Selection Show on Sunday.
This is the Canes' first trip to the CFP, leaping over Notre Dame in the rankings despite both teams having the week off. The results are likely due to the Week 1 head-to-head win by Miami, according to the Associated Press.
"We are excited to be making our first appearance in the College Football Playoff," said Vice President/Director of University of Miami Athletics Dan Radakovich. "Congratulations to Mario Cristobal, our coaching staff and our student-athletes on a terrific regular season that was justly rewarded by the CFP Committee."
Miami's season in review
Miami started its season hot with that win over Notre Dame, along with wins against South Florida and Florida to rise all the way to the No. 2 spot in the AP Top 25; however, midseason losses to Louisville and SMU dampened their playoff chances for a while.
The Canes went on to close their season with four-straight, dominant wins to narrowly slide in as an at-large team thanks to the Alabama Crimson Tides' 21-point loss to the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, CBS Sports reported.
Miami closed the regular season as one of the most complete teams in the country, with a 10-2 record. Despite not making it to the ACC Championship game, the Hurricanes ranked second in the conference in scoring offense at 34.1 points per game while leading the league in scoring defense at just 13.8 points allowed per contest, according to UM Athletics. Miami also led the ACC in total defense, surrendering just 277.8 yards per game.
On offense, Miami averaged 425.8 yards per game, with the Hurricanes posting 5,110 total yards with 50 touchdowns across 12 games, including 27 passing touchdowns and 23 rushing scores.
In its passing game, Miami led the ACC in passing efficiency at 165.47 while completing 73.88% of its throws for 3,310 yards, according to UM Athletics. Defensively, the Hurricanes held opponents to just 86.8 rushing yards per game, the best mark in the ACC, while allowing ony 190.9 passing yards per contest.
When and where to watch the Canes take on the Aggies
Miami will play at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, on Dec. 20 at noon on ESPN & ABC.
"We look forward to facing Texas A&M in the opening round, and I know Miami fans will make their presence felt in College Station," Radakovich said.
The winner of that game will play the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, at 7:30 p.m. New Year's Eve on ESPN. If the Hurricanes make it to the National Championship, they could be playing at home in Hard Rock Stadium on Jan. 19, 2026.