Win, and the Hurricanes are in the conference title game against SMU. Lose, and the Miami is holding its breath to see if it can somehow sneak in as an at-large for the 12-team College Football Playoff.

No. 8 Miami's trip to Syracuse headlines the final week of the regular-season schedule for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

SMU enters the last week of its regular season with some security, having already clinched a spot in the ACC championship game in Charlotte, N.C., on Dec. 7. The Mustangs became the first former Group of Five team to clinch a spot in a power-conference title game in their first year in the new conference.

There's no arguing it, the Miami Hurricanes need to win the ACC Championship and clinch a College Football Playoff bid to call the 2024 season a successful one.

Miami football has the inside track at reaching the ACC championship game in 2024. Here's what the Hurricanes need to happen:

There is no next week,” Miami quarterback Cam Ward said, “without this week.” No. 8 Miami (10-1, 6-1 ACC, No. 6 CFP) goes to Syracuse (8-3, 4-3) on Saturday in the regular season finale for both clubs.