The Miami Hurricanes upset the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes yesterday, 24-14. The Mario Cristobal-led team ground out the game defensively, allowing just 45 rushing yards against a team that averages 145 per game. Now, with the favorites toppled, many are wondering if the Canes are the new favorites to win the CFP.
Advertisement
To be honest, almost everyone expected Ohio State to handle business against Miami. When they were down 17-7 going into the fourth quarter, many could not believe what they were seeing. After all, the Buckeyes reportedly spent around $35 million on their roster this season. They were supposed to be an unbeatable powerhouse.
Now, Miami will move on to face the winner of Georgia vs. Ole Miss. Some believe that if Carson Beck continues to play as he has, the Canes can win the national title.
Former NFL wide receiver turned analyst Joey Galloway said about Beck, “It wasn’t the 138 yards, it was the way it was done… 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.”
Beck was outstanding on Wednesday. As mentioned, he only threw for just 138 yards, but he added 23 on the ground, didn’t turn the ball over, and finished with a 95.2 QBR. He was a major reason why Miami pulled off the upset.
.@Joey_Galloway says the Miami Hurricanes are CFP title favorites after last night pic.twitter.com/ffJZJegQ7t
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 1, 2026
As of now, Miami has moved up to become the third-favored team to win it all, according to sportsbooks. First place belongs to the Indiana Hoosiers, with the Georgia Bulldogs in second. But who knows what they will look like after being away from the field for almost a month?
Perhaps the most interesting part about Galloway’s proclamation was that he was adamantly against Miami making the CFP in the first place a few weeks ago. He thought that Notre Dame deserved a spot over them and questioned the Canes’ inclusion. But now, here he is arguing that they could win the title.
Naturally, fans made fun of Galloway for his sudden change of heart.
“I’m old enough to remember him say the Canes didn’t deserve to be in the CFP,” one wrote.
“It pained him to say this out loud. He cried on the way home last night,” another joked.
“I know he was hurting saying that,” someone else piled on.
I’m old enough to remember him say the Canes didn’t deserve to be in the CFP.
— Sonny (@Sonny4173) January 1, 2026
One fan even related this year’s Miami team to a throwback Super Bowl-winning team.
“Joey, Joey—you finally got it. Now you understand what we knew all along. We’re this year’s version of the Super Bowl-winning Baltimore Ravens—with Trent Dilfer at quarterback, backed by Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Defense wins championships,” they wrote.
Defense certainly does win championships, especially in college football. But Miami still has a long and tough road to becoming crowned as national champs. The good news is that they just passed two of the toughest tests that any team in the country has faced this year.
On the road at Texas A&M, at what some call the toughest place to play in college football, they survived 10-3. Then, they took down the goliath that was Ohio State, shaking up the CFP picture in the process. Who’s to say they can’t continue to surprise us?
