That means, barring an upset in Saturday's ACC championship game between Clemson and SMU, Alabama might be headed back to the CFP for the ninth time in the past 11 seasons -- despite losing three times under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer -- while the Hurricanes get left out of the first 12-team tournament.

Miami's hopes of an undefeated season crumbled over the past few weeks after the Hurricanes lost to Georgia Tech and Syracuse, but there was still belief

Said losses over the last three weeks—a 28–23 defeat at the hands of Georgia Tech and a 42–38 barnburner of a loss to the Syracuse Orange—were part of the reason why Miami (10-2) was ranked behind the Alabama Crimson Tide (9–3).