Miami coach Mario Cristobal downplays Hurricanes' first No. 1 ranking since 2002
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The gist
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal's Hurricanes beat Florida State 43-35 in double overtime and rose to No.
Cristobal calls the ranking insignificant, with ACC foe Pittsburgh next on the schedule.
Background
Mario Cristobal is head coach of the Miami Hurricanes and a former Miami player who is now 3-2 as coach against Florida State. Miami's double-overtime win over the Seminoles came on a weekend when several other top-10 teams lost, lifting the Hurricanes to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 (the main US college football media poll) for the first time since 2002. Cristobal has spent the following days deflecting the ranking and shifting focus to Miami's next game, at home against ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) opponent Pittsburgh.
How it unfolded
- Oct 17, 2026Miami beat Florida State 43-35 in double overtime at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, after trailing 21-14 early in the fourth quarter.
- Oct 18, 2026In his postgame press conference, Cristobal thanked the sell-out crowd, credited Florida State and said his team "just kept playing."
- Oct 19, 2026Miami was ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25, the first time since 2002, after No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 5 Texas and No. 6 Alabama all lost that weekend.
- Oct 19, 2026On The Joe Rose Show on WQAM, Cristobal said DB Bryce Fitzgerald and RB Mark Fletcher are "fine and good to go" for Pittsburgh, while JaBoree Antonie is "still going to be out for a significant amount of time."
- Oct 19, 2026Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi, asked about Miami allegedly pursuing QB Mason Heintschel after the 2025 season, said Cristobal is "playing by his rules."
- Oct 20, 2026Reports said Cristobal downplayed the No. 1 ranking and turned the team's attention from Florida State to Pittsburgh.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Cristobal called the No. 1 ranking "absolutely insignificant and irrelevant" and said he focuses on "the one and (zero)" — the team's record.
- Caution
- Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said of Miami's pursuit of his quarterback, "He's playing by his rules and we'll try to play by our rules."
Still unverified
Miami is alleged to have pursued Pitt starting quarterback Mason Heintschel after the 2025 season; Narduzzi was asked about it at his press conference.