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How Miami can make the college football playoff?

ESPN's Heather Dinich provided her take on how Miami (who ranks 24th in the network's way-too-early top 25 poll) can make the first 12-team playoff:

24. Miami Hurricanes

How to impress the committee: Take a knee? Just kidding. No, really, though, Miami can't lose to Georgia Tech again or suffer an upset because of self-inflicted wounds. If the Canes are going to take the next step, they have to win convincingly against unranked, subpar teams, and they have to earn a few statement wins against ranked opponents. There might only be two such opportunities during the regular season -- Oct. 19 at Louisville and Oct. 26 vs. Florida State. While the schedule is challenging with six road games -- including the Oct. 5 trip to Cal -- there isn't a blockbuster game that's going to help separate the Canes from another contender that doesn't win its league. Miami likely needs to win the ACC -- or hope a win at Florida and a handful of other opponents means more to the committee on Selection Day than it appears to now.

How the path will be different in the 12-team field: The ACC no longer has to worry about its conference champion being excluded. It's possible Miami could face the same opponent three times, though, as the Canes could see Louisville or FSU during the regular season, again in the ACC title game and again in the CFP.

My Take:

Miami can make the CFP if Cam Ward stays healthy and is not turnover prone like Tyler Van Dyke was last season. Miami has enough in every unit to make a championship run. An interesting point that Dinich brings to light is that Miami must hope its rivals (Florida, Florida State, and Virginia Tech) have above-average seasons to boost its resume. Miami travels to Florida for game one, but get FSU and Virginia Tech at home.

According to VegasInsider, Miami has the 21st-best odds of winning the College Football Playoff. FSU is the only team that ranks above Miami with the 12th-best odds. Other scheduled opponents, Louisville (23rd) and Florida (26th) have the next best odds. Miami travels to Louisville on October 19th.
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Miami closing in on naming Chevis Jackson as new DBs coach

Reports are surfacing that Miami will name Marshall cornerback coach Chevis Jackson as its cornerbacks coach. The familiarity with former defensive coordinator Lance Guidry is proving to be the difference here over other candidates. The two worked together while at the Thundering Herd and it seems the two will reunite at the University of Miami.

The job became available with Jahmile Addae leaving Miami to take the cornerbacks coach position with the Buffalo Bills.

Jackson played five seasons in the NFL drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers.

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Here's his bio from Marshall Athletics:

Chevis Jackson will be in his second season with the Thundering Herd, but the first with the title of Co-Defensive Coordinator to go along with his role as Cornerbacks coach.

The 2022 season was a memorable one for Jackson’s group as the Marshall secondary finished with two players in the top-50 in all of FBS in interceptions. Micah Abraham tied for third in the nation with six interceptions and Steven Gilmore added three more, giving Marshall two of the most potent cornerback tandems in the nation.

Both Abraham and Gilmore recorded interceptions in Marshall’s 26-21 upset at No. 8 Notre Dame. Gilmore’s pick-6 late in the fourth quarter provided what proved to be the game-winning score.

In addition to the interception success, Marshall was ranked No. 1 in FBS in third down conversion percentage defense, allowing just 23.5 percent conversions and the pass efficiency defense ranked No. 3 in FBS and No. 1 in the Sun Belt as well. Marshall also ranked No. 8 in FBS in first downs defense, allowing just 200 total in 13 games.

Jackson joined Marshall’s coaching staff as the Cornerbacks Coach in February 2022 after three seasons at Kansas.

In his first two seasons at Kansas, Jackson made his impact felt, guiding Hasan Defense to All-Big 12 honors in 2019 and Karon Prunty to Freshman All-American honors in 2020.

In addition to coaching at Kansas from 2019-21, Jackson coached at Ball State (2016-18), LSU (2015) and South Alabama (2014-15).

He earned his undergrad in Communications from LSU and his Master's in Education from South Alabama. Jackson is originally from Mobile, Alabama.
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