No. 6 Miami takes a 21-0 lead and loses at Syracuse, sending Clemson to face SMU in the ACC title game

No. 6 Miami lost a chance at the ACC title and might have been eliminated from 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 had four first downs before time expired.

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

The loss in Miami 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 and then outscored the Hurricanes 21-7 in the third quarter to take its 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 previous team, Ohio State, lost 13-10 to Michigan and threw for fewer than 200 yards. Miami QB Cam Ward completed 25 of 36 passes for 349 yards and two scores, but his Heisman candidacy is now over. Given Travis Hunter’s size and the Hurricanes’ second loss in November, it’s hard to imagine Ward having a chance.

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 touchdown with less than four minutes left. Yes, Miami needed 10 yards to score and was forced back for an offensive pass interference penalty. But Ward was the best quarterback in college football and the Miami defense couldn’t stop the Syracuse offense in the second half.

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

There’s no guarantee Miami will score a touchdown if it manages in the fourth. But it’s a decision that could have major implications for the College Football Playoff.

Miami now has to rely on a big lead to get into the field and doesn’t have a signature win. The Hurricanes’ best wins come against 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 get in as an overall team. If SMU is an overall team, it is very likely that Miami will miss the playoffs entirely after being the top-ranked ACC team since the initial rankings were released in early November.