No. 6 Miami blows up 21-0 lead and loses at Syracuse to put Clemson in ACC title game vs. SMU

6. Miami lost a shot at the ACC title and could have fallen out of College Football Playoff contention with a 42-38 loss at Syracuse on Saturday.

The Hurricanes kicked a 27-yard field goal on fourth-and-goal to cut Syracuse’s lead to four with 3:42 left. However, Miami never got the ball back as Syracuse gained four first downs to run out the clock.

The third first down came via a brutal error. Defensive tackle Ahmad Moten jumped offsides to give Syracuse a first down with 1:52 left. The Hurricanes had just one timeout left at that point, and a wide receiver sweep by Trebor Pena for a first down two plays later sealed the win for Syracuse.

The Miami loss means Clemson will play SMU for the ACC title. The winner will be in the College Football Playoff.

The Hurricanes gave up 28 points in the second half after taking a 21-0 lead less than 18 minutes into the game. Syracuse scored two touchdowns before halftime, then outscored the Hurricanes 21-7 in the third quarter to take their first lead of the game on a fumble recovery TD by defensive back Devin Grant.

Syracuse QB Kyle McCord was 26-of-36 passing for 380 yards and three touchdowns on the day his former team, Ohio State, lost 13-10 to Michigan and threw for less than 200 yards. Miami QB Cam Ward was 25-of-36 passing for 349 yards and two scores, but his Heisman bid is now over. It’s hard to see Ward having a chance given Travis Hunter’s greatness and another November loss to the Hurricanes.

The field goal that took Miami out of the playoffs?

It’s hard to understand why Miami coach Mario Cristobal decided to kick the field goal instead of going for the TD with less than four minutes left. Yes, Miami needed 10 yards to score and had been pushed back due to an offensive pass interference penalty. But Ward has been the best quarterback in college football, and the Miami defense didn’t stop Syracuse’s offense in the second half.

The field goal didn’t do much strategic either. The Hurricanes still needed to score a touchdown to take the lead after the kick. A Syracuse field goal would have kept the lead at one possession, but a failed fourth-and-goal would also have put the Orange deep in their own territory.

There is no guarantee that Miami will score a TD if it goes for it on fourth down. But it’s a decision that could loom large for the College Football Playoff.

Miami now has to rely on a big berth to get into the field and doesn’t have a signature win. The Hurricanes’ best wins are over Duke, Louisville and Florida. The Blue Devils have the best record of any of these schools at 9-3.

If Clemson beats SMU in the ACC title game, the Mustangs could come in as an at-large team. If SMU is a big one, it’s very possible that Miami will miss the playoffs entirely after being the top-ranked ACC team since the first set of rankings were released in early November.