After just barely gaining inclusion into the College Football Playoff—a decision that some believed was not warranted—all Miami has done is knock off Texas A&M in College Station and thoroughly outplay Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. They are now just two wins away from capturing a national championship and considering their recent performances, there's plenty of reasons to believe they can provide the selection committee with some enormous validation.
Did many believe that 10th-seeded Miami would be in this position? It doesn't matter because here they are and the state of play has obviously changed. So much so that ESPN college football analyst Joey Galloway now believes the Hurricanes are the team to beat.
Not sold? Consider that quarterback Carson Beck followed up a 103-yard passing performance against Texas A&M with 138 yards against Ohio State. And Miami has still won two enormous games against some of the best teams in the country.
"It wasn't the 138 yards, it was the way it was done," Galloway said on the first Get Up of the year. "It was the timely fashion of when he needed to make a play to move the chains. The way he played in that game now makes Miami look like a team that can win it all."
.@Joey_Galloway says the Miami Hurricanes are CFP title favorites after last night 👀 pic.twitter.com/ffJZJegQ7t
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 1, 2026
"The weak link when you watch them play when they lose games was Carson Beck turning the ball over. Now he's gone two straight games without turning it over. They've won those football games. The way he's playing makes them look like a favorite."
It turns out all that handwringing about Miami making the 12-team tournament may have been a bit excessive. Or perhaps Notre Dame would have done the same thing had they made the field and the snub is actually worse now.
What's less debatable is that the Hurricanes are capitalizing on the opportunity.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
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- Oregon Shuts Out Texas Tech to Clinch First CFP Semifinal Berth Since 2014
- Northwestern to Hire UCLA Interim OC Jerry Neuheisel as Quarterbacks Coach
- How Title Favorite Ohio State Unraveled As Ryan Day Was Outcoached
This article was originally published on www.si.com as ESPN College Football Analyst: Miami CFP Title Favorite After Ohio State Stunner.
