This take completely misses how schedule strength actually works in the playoff era. Miami's ACC slate is not a gauntlet, it's a known commodity that consistently fails to produce a top-tier contender. Facing three teams from a spring top 25 list is meaningless when the ACC's recent playoff track record is abysmal. The real separator is elite wins, and Miami hasn't had one in years. Their 8.1 yards per play allowed last season ranked outside the top 100 nationally, that's not a foundation, it's a liability. Meanwhile, a team like Florida plays in the SEC where even mid-tier opponents are tougher than most of Miami's schedule. The committee doesn't just punish weak non-conference play, they reward brutal conference slates, which is why the SEC gets multiple bids. Miami's recruiting is good, but translating that to on-field success against a weak schedule hasn't happened. Their path requires going undefeated, because a one-loss ACC champion gets left out over a one-loss SEC or Big Ten team every single time. Depth doesn't matter if you never face the requisite quality of opponent to prove it.