At ACC Kickoff in July, Cristobal delivered perhaps the clearest version of his philosophy entering this season: last year’s run doesn’t mean Miami has accomplished the ultimate goal.
Miami went from 5-7 in 2022 to 13-3 in 2025, reaching the CFP National Championship Game before falling to Indiana. Cristobal’s message entering 2026 was essentially that the team can’t live off what it accomplished last season.
His most important theme:
Don’t listen to the outside world. Work on what’s happening inside the building.
That means:
Don’t worry about preseason rankings.
Don’t worry about championship odds.
Don’t worry about being the ACC favorite.
Don’t worry about whether people think Miami is overrated.
Don’t worry about whether Miami is being disrespected.
Don’t worry about being called the hunted.
Work. Practice. Develop. Improve. Win.
Cristobal was particularly dismissive of the idea that Miami should worry about being “hunted,” calling that type of talk essentially meaningless and emphasizing that the organization is focused on getting the most out of its players every day.
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