For the first time in more than two decades, the Miami Hurricanes will play for a national championship. Miami defeated Ole Miss Rebels, 31-27, in the Fiesta Bowl and will now compete for the biggest prize in college football.
The Hurricanes navigated one of the most treacherous paths to reach this point. As the final at-large bid and the No. 10 seed, Miami was ultimately ranked ahead of Notre Dame in the final College Football Playoff standings. From there, the Hurricanes won at Kyle Field against Texas A&M, knocked off Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, and then put away Ole Miss, ending their Fiesta Bowl woes.
The run comes after years of failed expectations and missed opportunities, including last season, when Miami finished 10-2 in the regular season but landed just outside the final 12-team CFP field.
Head coach Mario Cristobal has now rebuilt “The U” back into a national power, even if the journey is not quite finished. In fact, the transformation looked familiar to ESPN analyst Ryan Clark.
ESPN’s Ryan Clark Says Miami Is Built Different
During the January 9 episode of ESPN’s “First Take,” Clark explained to fellow analyst and former NFL quarterback Cam Newton why Miami was able to outlast Ole Miss.
“The Miami Hurricanes are the most traditionally SEC football team in all the country,” Clark said. “It ain’t Florida. It ain’t LSU. It ain’t Auburn. It ain’t Alabama. It ain’t Georgia.
“This is the first time Ole Miss this season has faced a team that plays like we historically believe SEC teams play.”
Clark went on to highlight key contributors on Miami’s roster, including running backs Mark Fletcher and CharMar Brown, who were instrumental throughout the playoff run. The two combined for 187 rushing yards and one touchdown in the Fiesta Bowl.
“This team absolutely dominated from a physicality standpoint, from an athleticism standpoint,” Clark said. “Malachi Toney, without question, the most talented person on the field — and he just turned 18.
“Carson Beck, executing in the biggest moments, when you’re supposed to, like the best players from that conference do. Now Miami, The U, is part of that change.”
Mario Cristobal Used Nick Saban Blueprint
As Miami continued its march through the playoff, one theme consistently emerged among analysts: Cristobal built the Hurricanes “from the inside out.”
A former assistant under Nick Saban at Alabama, Cristobal leaned heavily on lessons learned during his time with the legendary coach. Over the past four years, he constructed a roster designed to control both lines of scrimmage, placing heavy emphasis on the offensive and defensive fronts.
Saban acknowledged that approach following Miami’s win over Ohio State, prompting Cristobal to credit his former mentor.
“Well, I mean, it was one of the greatest lessons under you at Alabama, right,” Cristobal said. “You used to tell us all the time: Mass kicks a**. We did get some big, massive guys.”
Defensively, Miami dominated throughout the season with a relentless pass rush led by Akheem Messidor and Rueben Bain Jr. Offensively, the Hurricanes shortened games by controlling the clock with the run game, while giving quarterback Carson Beck time to make plays downfield when needed — just as he did on the game-winning drive in the Fiesta Bowl.
Whether built like a traditional SEC team or not, the reality is clear: the Miami Hurricanes are playing for a national championship on January 19.
ESPN Analyst Says Miami Is Built Like an SEC Power After Fiesta Bowl Win