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The No. 12 Miami Hurricanes knew they had to put on a dominant performance on the road against the No. 22 Pitt Panthers if they wanted to keep their ACC title and College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Mission accomplished.
The Hurricanes controlled the Panthers all game en route to a 38-7 victory to move to 10-2 on the season. They are now 6-2 in conference play, while the Panthers, despite being 8-3, also share that 6-2 record.
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Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck passes against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium Nov. 29, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
Miami still needs some games to fall their way, despite where the CFP rankings currently place them. The ACC champion, which will be decided next Saturday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, is expected to claim an automatic berth in the CFP. Miami entered Week 14 ranked sixth in the ACC standings.
But now that their first goal was accomplished by beating the Panthers, the Hurricanes will see the rest of the conference. There are many scenarios that could get Miami into the ACC title game, the most obvious being Virginia (No. 1 in the standings), SMU (No. 2 and a team that beat Miami earlier this month) and Duke (5-2 in the conference despite a 6-5 overall record) all losing.
The Hurricanes should also watch the rivalry game between NC State and North Carolina because it has some bearing on the standings.
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If the Hurricanes were to get an at-large bid, however, a few teams would have to lose on Saturday. Among them is No. 10 Alabama, which fell to Oklahoma two weeks ago at home and fell in the CFP rankings. Auburn was scheduled to upset the Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl on Saturday, while No. 11 BYU was also slated to lose to UCF at home.
However, Miami did get some help from the overall No. 1 team in the country. The Ohio State Buckeyes took down No. 15 Michigan, a result that should end Michigan’s chances of reaching the CFP.
Elija Lofton of the Miami Hurricanes celebrates with teammate Alex Bauman (87) after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Acrisure Stadium on Nov. 29, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (Justin Berl/Getty Images)
So how did the Hurricanes take care of business Saturday afternoon in western Pennsylvania? Carson Beck threw three touchdowns and went an efficient 23-for-29 through the air for 267 yards. He also threw an interception.
But Beck wasn’t the only Hurricanes player to throw a touchdown. Malachi Toney, the team’s leading receiver in the game, had the Hurricanes’ first of the game. It happened in the second quarter when Toney found Elija Lofton for a nine-yard touchdown catch in the end zone.
Then, on the ensuing drive, Toney caught a 22-yard Beck strike for a score that started to give Miami some separation, making it 17-7.
CJ Daniels and CharMar Brown also had touchdown catches, while Mark Fletcher Jr. added a rushing touchdown for the Hurricanes.
Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney reacts in the Panthers student section after catching a touchdown pass against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium on Nov. 29, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
The Hurricanes, including head coach Mario Cristobal, have said all year that the CFP should take his team higher, especially considering Notre Dame is ranked higher than it despite the Hurricanes opening the season with a win over the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame has the same record as Miami heading into its final regular-season game against Stanford on Saturday night.
