SoFla Guide Editors
Pull out the old turnover chain memes and dust off whatever orange and green is in the back of the closet. The Miami Hurricanes are ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time since Dec. 8, 2002, according to the Associated Press via WSVN 7News. That is 24 years, roughly a generation of Canes fans who have only heard stories about the view from the top.
It took one of the wildest weekends in the poll’s history to get here. Five of the top seven teams lost, the Associated Press reported via WSBTV, the first time that has happened in the poll’s 90-year history dating to 1936.
How the Canes got to the top
Miami took care of its own business first. The Canes beat Florida State 43-35 in double overtime at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Oct. 17, a game that included two controversial fourth-down calls that nullified potential game-tying FSU touchdowns.
Then the rest of the top of the poll started falling. WPLG Local 10 reported that Miami took No. 1 in the latest AP Top 25 after a week of upsets, and the word “week” is doing a lot of work there. Texas fell 12 spots to No. 19 and Alabama dropped seven spots to No. 13 after their Week 7 losses.
BYU climbed to No. 2 after upsetting No. 2 Notre Dame, the Associated Press reported via WSVN. It is BYU’s highest ranking since its 1984 national championship season, so the Cougars are enjoying their own throwback moment this week.
This is also the fourth time this season the AP poll has had a new No. 1. The top of college football has been a revolving door in 2026, and for now Miami is the one standing in the doorway.
The full top 10 as of Oct. 18: Miami, BYU, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Georgia, Indiana, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, UCLA and Utah.
Why Coral Gables is losing its mind
WSVN 7News reported that fans in Coral Gables celebrated the No. 1 ranking on Oct. 18, and honestly, who could blame them.
Think about how long it has been. The last time the Canes sat at No. 1, in 2002, Miami spent 16 of 17 weeks at the top of the poll. The Canes were last ranked No. 1 on Dec. 8, 2002. That season ended with a loss to Ohio State in the BCS National Championship game, and Miami finished the year ranked No. 2.
Since then, nothing. Plenty of good teams, plenty of “is this the year” talk, but never the No. 1 next to Miami’s name on a Sunday.
The 2025 season came close. Miami finished No. 2 in the final AP poll with a 13-3 record, losing the CFP National Championship to Indiana 27-21. That near miss stung, and it is part of why this ranking hits differently in Coral Gables right now. The Canes are not sneaking up on anyone. They were already in the conversation. Now they are the conversation.
Cristobal is not here for the party
If you were hoping for a victory lap from the head coach, you do not know Mario Cristobal.
Asked about the ranking, Cristobal kept it short. “I’ll focus on the real one that’s important, 1-0,” he said, according to The Miami Hurricane.
Translation: the poll is nice, the next game is what matters. That attitude lines up with what he said the week before the FSU game, when he was asked about expectations around this team.
“If anyone is assuming that they should win or they’re entitled to winning, they’re out of their minds,” Cristobal said, according to Yahoo Sports.
Given that two controversial fourth-down calls stood between Miami and a very different outcome against FSU, the “nobody is entitled to anything” message probably landed a little harder in the locker room this week.
What comes next
Here is the thing about being No. 1 in a season where the top spot has changed hands four times already: it is a target, not a trophy. Five of the top seven teams just lost in one weekend. Miami fans know better than most how fast things can flip, because the Canes were on the right side of that chaos this time.
What is certain is the number. For the first time since Dec. 8, 2002, Miami is No. 1 in the AP Top 25, according to the Associated Press via WSVN 7News. Coral Gables celebrated. The coach went straight back to work.
Enjoy the week, South Florida. The Canes are back on top, and the rest of college football is now chasing Miami.
