The Associated Press poll voters dropped No. 4 Miami to No. 12 this week, a very dangerous place to be in the new 12-team College Football Playoff.
The lower Miami falls, the higher the chances are the Canes could lose a first-round bye that is awarded to the four highest-ranked conference champions. If Boise State runs the table and finishes as a one-loss Mountain West Conference champion, the Broncos will also be eligible to earn a top-four seed.
But the CFP instructs the 13 committee members to disregard all other polls.
"The conferences teams play in don't factor into our decision," selection committee chair Warde Manuel said, "as we don't look at the public polls.