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The No. 12 Miami Hurricanes knew they had to put on a dominant performance on the road against the No. 22 Pitt Panthers if they wanted to keep their ACC title and College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Mission accomplished.
The Hurricanes controlled the Panthers all game on their way to a 38-7 victory to move to 10-2 on the season. They are now 6-2 in conference play, while the Panthers, despite being 8-3, also share that 6-2 record.
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Miami still needs some games to fall its way despite where the CFP rankings currently place them. The ACC champion, which will be determined next Saturday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, is expected to claim an automatic berth in the CFP. Miami entered Week 14 in sixth place in the ACC standings.
But now that their first goal was complete by beating the Panthers, the Hurricanes will watch the rest of the conference. There are many scenarios that could get Miami into the ACC title game, the most obvious being Virginia (No. 1 in the standings), SMU (No. 2 and a team who beat Miami earlier this month) and Duke (5-2 in conference despite a 6-5 overall record) all losing.
The Hurricanes should also be watching the N.C. State–North Carolina rivalry game because it has some impact on the standings.
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If the Hurricanes were to get an at-large bid, though, a few teams would have to lose on Saturday. Among them is No. 10 Alabama, which fell to Oklahoma two weeks ago at home, dropping in the CFP rankings. Auburn would have to upset the Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl Saturday, while No. 11 BYU would also have to lose to UCF at home.
Miami did get some help, however, from the No. 1 overall team in the country. The Ohio State Buckeyes took down No. 15 Michigan, a result that should end Michigan’s chances of reaching the CFP.
So, how exactly did the Hurricanes take care of business on Saturday afternoon in western Pennsylvania? Carson Beck threw three touchdowns, going an efficient 23-for-29 through the air for 267 yards. He also threw an interception.
But Beck wasn’t the only Hurricanes player to throw a touchdown. Malachi Toney, the team’s leading receiver in the game, had the Hurricanes’ first of the game. It came in the second quarter when Toney found Elija Lofton for a nine-yard touchdown catch in the end zone.
Then, on the ensuing drive, Toney was the recipient of a 22-yard Beck strike for a score that began to give Miami some separation, making it 17-7.
CJ Daniels and CharMar Brown also had touchdown catches, while Mark Fletcher Jr. added a rushing touchdown for the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes, including head coach Mario Cristobal, have been saying all year that the CFP should be taking his squad in higher regard, especially considering Notre Dame is ranked higher than it despite the Hurricanes opening the season with a win over the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame has the same record as Miami heading into its final regular-season game against Stanford Saturday night.
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