Despite taking a tough upset loss against Georgia Tech, the Miami football team still has its sights set on reaching the College Football Playoff. The Hurricanes' first loss of the season takes away their margin for error, but it doesn't knock them out of pole position to reach the ACC Championship and play for an automatic bid into the bracket.
Miami will have two weeks to recover from that stunning defeat against Georgia Tech, as it is on a bye week in Week 12. During the week off, star quarterback Cam Ward got a custom diamond chain for each of his offensive linemen, according to Nick Schultz of On3 Sports.
Ward knows that he couldn't do what he does without his guys up front, and he rewarded them nicely for it. As of now, Ward is still right in the mix for the Heisman Trophy despite the loss on Saturday. He is competing with Colorado's Travis Hunter, Boise State's Ashton Jeanty and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel for the award.
For the season, Ward is completing nearly 67% of his passes for 3,494 yards and 32 touchdowns with just six interceptions. He also has added three touchdowns on the ground, showcasing his dual-threat ability in the process.
Miami out of room for error after Georgia Tech loss
For a few months, it looked like Cam Ward and Miami were on cruise control through the ACC. It looked like the Hurricanes were destined to finish 13-0 with an ACC title before they got to test themselves in the College Football Playoff.
Now, however, Miami's margin for error is completely gone, and it has shown plenty of vulnerabilities of late. Ward covers up a lot of problems offensively, but he is still prone to a bad turnover at times, such as his fumble in the fourth quarter on Saturday. Despite that, any perceived problems with this offense come purely from nitpicking.
The defensive side of the ball is a different story. This Miami defense is a huge problem that has nearly cost it multiple games, including close wins against Virginia Tech, Louisville and Cal. Four teams have scored 30 or more points against this Miami defense this season, and some of them (Duke and Cal) aren't exactly juggernaut offenses. That is a major cause for concern for Miami moving forward.
After Saturday's loss, Miami now is in a bit of a tenuous position in the standings. They are in a tie for second place with Clemson with one conference loss, as both trail SMU who is unbeaten in ACC play. Miami and Clemson don't play each other during the regular season, so another loss by the Hurricanes could leave them on the outside looking in for the conference title game.
If Miami picks up a second loss and misses the conference title game entirely, it surely will not make the College Football Playoff. Even if it loses in the ACC title game, and 11-2 Miami would be right on the cut line. Miami can't afford another slip-up if it wants to reach its lofty goals this season.
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