Miami received a scare from its home confrontation with Virginia, but the Hurricanes regained their poise to come away with a 44-28 triumph Saturday.
The Hurricanes consequently held on to the No. 2 spot in the AP and Coaches' rankings, and they have their championship fate in their own hands.
But while all things are go for the surprising Hurricanes as a result of their 10-0 record, their crucial game is coming up Dec. 2, when they meet Clemson in the ACC title game. The winner of that showdown is fairly certain to take part in the CFP playoffs, while the loser is likely to be playing in one of the elite bowl games but not in the playoffs.