There are quite a few teams that might be considered darkhorses or sleepers to make the CFP Playoff this year with most of them coming from the major conferences. That includes ESPN's latest prediction that a team from the ACC will make it in that isn't Louisville, Florida State or Clemson.
ESPN's KC Joyner says that coastal runner-up Miami will be the team to break through and find itself in the playoff hunt. From ESPN:
After a long dry spell, Miami may be returning to the group of teams with the ability to claim a national championship. The Hurricanes finished 2016 with five straight wins, the first Miami team to do so since 2001, and notched their first bowl since 2006.
It might seem difficult for the Hurricanes to keep that momentum going since quarterback Brad Kaaya declared for the 2017 NFL draft, but Miami is trending upward in a variety of ways that should allow it to more than offset the loss of Kaaya.
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Kaaya left the school as the all-time passing leader, but Joyner is convinced that there are six able and willing QBs waiting in the wings to take his place. It's hard to believe that all six have the ceiling or potential for talent that Kaaya did and the Hurricanes still have to find a good running back Mark Walton in case of emergency (although that may be coming soon in the form of a graduate transfer). The Canes also have Stacy Coley leaving, who was probably their best receiver.
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While it helps that Miami plays a relatively weak schedule, there are still so many questions that have to be answered to really find out if the team will be any good. They play at Florida State in the third week of the season, but any other games people might believe to be tough are at home like Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. If the Canes come away unscathed outside of the FSU game then there is a good chance they could go to the playoffs if they can beat the Atlantic's team in the ACC Championship.
