This isn’t your average college football ranking.
My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it’s my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list:
- Who do I think is good?
- Why do I think they’re good?
- What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations?
Here is a look at where Miami lands in my Ultimate 136.
Team ranking: 18
Last year’s ranking: 26
Top player: OT Francis Mauigoa: Started 26 games in two seasons for the Hurricanes, anchoring an offensive line that led the nation in scoring (43.9 points per game); projected to be the first OT drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft.
RJ’s take: Mario Cristobal lost Cam Ward but added the most eligible QB of the 2025 transfer portal cycle in former Georgia QB Carson Beck. The Hurricanes have not won a conference title in 22 years and fell one win short of competing for their first in the ACC since 2017.
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They’ve steadily improved under Cristobal, going from 5-7 in 2022 to 10-3 in 2024. With Beck behind center, the Hurricanes have yet another chance to earn entry into the CFP if Cristobal and his game-management don’t get in the way like it has in the past. It might take an ACC title for Miami fans to let go of how Cristobal’s team collapsed in the final four minutes of their loss to Syracuse last year.
Miami (FL) Win Total Odds: Over 9.5 (+124) Under 9.5 (-140)
Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school’s rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young, and I’ll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young.
[Check out RJ Young’s Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here]
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