Stop pretending the playoff path is easier for teams like Indiana or Texas Tech just because they're ranked high in a spring list. The real separator is schedule strength, and Miami's ACC slate is a proven gauntlet that gets overlooked every year. Look at the data: the Hurricanes face three teams in that same top 25, including a non-conference trip to a Power Four opponent, while some of these other hyped squads play maybe one ranked team all season. Their 8.1 yards per play allowed last season shows the defensive foundation is there to navigate that schedule. The committee has always punished weak non-conference play, and that will catch up to the one-year wonders. Miami's consistent top-15 recruiting, including the #2 overall prospect this year, builds the depth needed for the long haul that a playoff run demands.