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The No. 12 Miami Hurricanes knew they had to put together a dominant performance on the road against the No. 22 Pitt Panthers if they wanted to maintain their ACC title and College Football Playoff hopes.
Mission accomplished.
The Hurricanes controlled the Panthers all game en route to a 38-7 victory to improve 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 during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium on November 29, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
Miami still needs a few games to succeed, despite where it currently stands in the CFP rankings. The ACC champion, which will be determined 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 in sixth place in the ACC standings.
But now that their first goal has been completed by beating the Panthers, the Hurricanes will be watching the rest of the conference. There are many scenarios that could land Miami in the ACC title game, the most obvious being Virginia (No. 1 in the rankings), SMU (No. 2 and a team that beat Miami earlier this month) and Duke (5-2 in conference play despite a 6-5 overall record) all losing.
The Hurricanes should also watch the NC State-North Carolina rivalry game as it has some impact on the standings.
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If the Hurricanes were to get an at-large bid, a few teams would have to lose on Saturday. Among them is No. 10 Alabama, which fell to Oklahoma two weeks ago at home, falling in the CFP rankings. Auburn is expected to upset the Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl on Saturday, while No. 11 BYU is also expected to lose to UCF at home.
Miami did get some help from the No. 1 team in the country, though. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated 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 November 29, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (Justin Berl/Getty Images)
So how exactly did the Hurricanes go about their business Saturday afternoon in Western Pennsylvania? Carson Beck threw three touchdowns, going 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 score a touchdown. Malachi Toney, the team’s leading receiver in the game, scored first of the game for the Hurricanes. That happened in the second quarter when Toney found Elija Lofton for a nine-yard touchdown in the end zone.
Then, on the ensuing drive, Toney received a 22-yard strike from Beck for a score that began to give Miami some separation, making the score 17-7.
CJ Daniels and CharMar Brown also had touchdowns, while Mark Fletcher Jr. added a rushing touchdown for the Hurricanes.
Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney reacts to the Panthers student section after catching a touchdown pass against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium on November 29, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
The Hurricanes, including head coach Mario Cristobal, have said all year that the CFP should hold their team in higher regard, especially since Notre Dame is ranked higher than them 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.
