Miami, Florida – For the first time since December 8, 2002, the Miami Hurricanes are ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 Poll after edging Florida State. The hard-fought victory was part of college football’s wildest week in years. Half of the Top 10 teams lost. Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Alabama, and Texas were all defeated, with more chaos down the list. Per the intrepid folks at ESPN, the last time Bama, Georgia, and Texas lost on the same day was 2006. In 1990, No. 1 teams fell to unranked opponents in back-to-back weeks. The last time three AP No. 1 teams had lost by October 17? Again, 1990. This is the first time an ACC team has been ranked No. 1 since Clemson in 2020. At 6-0, the Miami Hurricanes are one of six undefeated FBS teams, joining BYU, Texas Tech, UCLA, Utah, and James Madison.
.@CanesFootball has been unstoppable this year 🙌🔥 pic.twitter.com/LnJLH84vET
— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) October 19, 2026
The win is part of head coach Mario Cristobal’s ongoing efforts after landing his dream job in Coral Gables. Although a worthy achievement, coach Cristobal has stressed that the job’s not finished. The players must block out the noise in their pursuit of going 1-0 every week. As seen in the triumph over FSU, there’s plenty to work on and a lot to clean up. The victory was also crucial for recruitment. Miami won in front of several high-profile recruits, building significant momentum in recruiting front.
Glimpse into the past
The 2002 National Championship game featured the Miami Hurricanes defending their title against the Ohio State Buckeyes, who were eager for their first championship since 1968.
Drama, controversy, and unforgettable moments culminated in an Ohio State victory, securing their… pic.twitter.com/gy7vSCXjUU
— College Football Hall of Fame (@cfbhall) January 17, 2025
Let’s go back to December 2002. The Hurricanes were the defending champions, defeating Nebraska 37-14 under coach Larry Coker. That team was stacked. Ken Dorsey, Willis McGahee, Andre Johnson, Kellen Winslow Jr., Jonathan Vilma, D.J. Williams, Sean Taylor, and Antrel Rolle were on the roster. Despite the talent, the team’s run at a repeat fell short. Miami lost to Ohio State 31-24 in double overtime on a controversial pass interference. It broke the Canes’ 34-game winning streak and knocked them off the top spot for more than two decades. Carson Palmer won the Heisman that season. This was also the year of the famous “Wide Left” game. Florida State kicker Xavier Beitia missed a 43-yard field goal, sealing Miami’s 28-27 win.
24 years ago, WIDE LEFT I gave the Canes another unforgettable victory over fsu 🙌🔥
(🎥: @ABC) pic.twitter.com/7f321uYvIf
— Ibis Media (@IbisMediaCo) October 13, 2026
Crazy to think this was all almost 24 years ago. Not to date myself, but I was a sophomore at Coral Gables High School trying to pass the FCAT (If you know, you know). 9/11 had already changed the world, and George W. Bush was president. MySpace wasn’t released yet, and memes weren’t mainstream. AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), MSN Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger were your online social interactions. In fact, here’s a window into that time:
Biggest movie worldwide: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (released December 18)
Number 1 song: “Lose Yourself” by Eminem
Top Video Game Console: PlayStation 2
Top Video Game: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Most popular phones: Nokia 6100, Nokia 6610, T-Mobile Sidekick
Top shows: American Idol and The Osbournes
For those who have lived long enough, this is a dream. It’s a callback to when The U reigned supreme. For everyone else, it’s the Cristobal Era when the team has been competitive for three years now. I won’t ever say The U is back because the point is to go forward and create new, exciting chapters in the storied program. And thus far, Miami is doing that. The boys earned their way here; the real question is: heading into Week 8, can they stay here?
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