Miami Hurricanes Rise to No. 1 as Notre Dame Looms

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Game Time Decisions

Miami Takes the Top Spot as BYU, Notre Dame and Ohio State Face Questions

Miami is back at No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time since 2002, with BYU sitting at No. 2. The rankings are likely to change once the committee begins meeting, but the Hurricanes deserve credit for reaching the top spot.

This is Miami’s most dominant stretch since the era that included Sean Taylor, McGahee and coach Coker. However, the current team was not dominant against Florida State and arguably should have lost. Miami still found a way to win and deserves to be ranked No. 1, but its defense raised concerns after allowing multiple deep passes and two Hail Mary attempts to get through.

Miami’s trip to Notre Dame remains one of the biggest games of the college football season. Notre Dame will have an opportunity to avenge last year’s close loss to Miami, which knocked the team out and led it to decline a bowl game. The November matchup in South Bend is expected to create an extremely difficult environment for the Hurricanes.

BYU deserves credit for its win, while Darian Menza continues to prove his value as a Heisman candidate. Still, the end of the game featured a disputed no-call on a possible pass interference and a belief that one second should have been restored to the clock for another attempt at the end zone. Despite the victory, BYU was not viewed as one of the two best teams in the country.

Questions also remain about Ohio State without Julian saying and who would get the ball to Jeremiah Smith. Indiana was described as a team that is not close to last year’s level, with Hoover unable to match Mendoza and the team lacking the intangibles needed to finish the job. Its game against Ohio State was sloppy, including a fourth-and-two touchdown opportunity that was missed despite a strong play call.