Mario Cristobal bungled last year No. 1 NFL Draft pick, but his talent squandering is more egregious in 2025

Mario Cristobal has built some of the best rosters in college football over the past two years at Miami. But somehow, repeatedly, the Hurricanes just keep finding ways to lose. On Saturday against SMU, No. 10 Miami's 26-20 loss in overtime was just another disastrous finish in a game that "The U" should have won. 

After SMU missed a field goal by inches in the fourth quarter, Miami had a chance to put the game away. Instead, like they have been for years under Cristobal, the Hurricanes were undisciplined and lackluster in the most critical moments. 

Miami committed an ineligible man downfield, false start and holding during an eight-play drive. Then, after taking SMU to 4th-and-9, defensive lineman Marquise Lightfoot screwed the Hurricanes by hitting SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings after a timeout was called, resulting in a first down and game-tying field goal that sent it to overtime. It's a blunder that will haunt Miami for years. 

In OT, Miami was within the 10-yard line and could put pressure on with a field goal. Instead, quarterback Carson Beck lasered in on Malachi Toney, and Ahmaad Moses easily read the play to nab an interception. SMU was perfectly content to run and set up a game-winning field goal, but the Mustangs instead simply pushed their way into the end zone as the Miami defense gave up. 

After going on the road and beating No. 18 Florida State on Oct. 4, the path to the College Football Playoff was simple. The Hurricanes already had wins over No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 18 South Florida and No. 18 Florida State. There weren't any remaining matchups against ranked opponents, setting up a realistic shot of finishing the year undefeated. 

Instead, Miami's season is over on Nov. 1. The ACC has not produced a College Football Playoff team with fewer than two losses in the regular season. That's not likely to change this year. 

Additionally, a second loss likely pushes them out of ACC Championship game consideration. Last year, both teams that played for the ACC had fewer than two conference losses. There are still six teams in the ACC with one loss or fewer, including undefeated Georgia Tech and Virginia. Louisville and SMU both reached that mark, and have tiebreakers over Miami. The Hurricanes don't control their own destiny. 

Last year, Miami wasted the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in quarterback Cameron Ward, losing two of their last three games in close performances. However, this year's collapse is even worse, and is becoming painfully expected for Cristobal's teams. 

Miami had some incredible playmakers on last year's team, but they often played by the skin of their teeth. The offense was one of the best in the nation, but the defense was a known liability. Ward was called on to bail them out in many big spots, headlined by a Hail Mary against Virginia Tech. 

In 2025, though, there are no true holes on this team. Defensive ends Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor are thriving. The defense ranks No. 11 yards allowed and has held every opponent to 24 or fewer points in regulation under first-year coordinator Corey Heatherman. The Georgia transfer Beck has played well, while the offensive line rates among the best in the country. Toney has been the best freshman receiver in America, especially after his effort against Notre Dame. 

Miami reeled in the No. 3 transfer class in the country, hired one of the top defensive coordinator candidates on the market and picked up a proven quarterback. Mathematically, it's all worked. But because of poor execution and late-game mistakes, the Hurricanes are again wondering what could have been. 

Cristobal is one of the nation's best at assembling rosters, spending top dollar to get Miami back into relevance. But until his teams can finish in the biggest moments, the top echelon of the sport will remain out of reach.