Perfection always comes with a disclaimer. And that’s exactly what’s happening with the No. 22-ranked Miami (OH) RedHawks.

In the 2025–26 NCAA season, the RedHawks are currently sitting at 27–0 and 14–0 in the MAC. Yes, you read that right, twenty-seven wins without a single loss. As of February 21, they’re the only unbeaten team left in Division I men’s basketball.

But while on paper, it reads like a Cinderella script, in reality, it has sparked one of the most polarizing debates in college hoops.

Because while Miami (OH) keeps stacking wins, much of the NCAA community keeps asking the same question: How real is it?

However, that skepticism hasn’t slowed them down. If anything, the RedHawks have responded by erasing pieces of history.

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What started as a hot stretch quietly turned into the best opening run the MAC has ever seen as they blew past Western Michigan’s long-standing 19–0 mark from 1975–76. But they didn’t just stop there, as the wins kept piling up, even Kent State’s 21-game conference streak from 2001–02 became another number in the rearview mirror.

And they’re not even just surviving games; they are dominating every opponent who has faced them so far.

Miami (OH) ranks second nationally in scoring at 92.3 points per game, while leading the country in two-point shooting at 64.1%. Moreover, six players on their roster hover around double figures.

• Peter Suder (G) – 14.8 PPG
• Brant Byers (G) – 14.7 PPG
• Evan Ipsaro (G) – 13.9 PPG
• Eian Elmer (G) – 11.9 PPG
• Almar Atlason (F) – 10.8 PPG
• Luke Skaljac (G) – 10.0 PPG

“It is the elephant in the room,” head coach Travis Steele said in an interview with ESPN on Tuesday after a win over UMass. “I tell our guys to enjoy the ride, enjoy the moment, be present. Not very often are you going to be in this position.”

But then, where is the skepticism coming from? For many critics, the numbers feel inflated. For them, the MAC isn’t the Big 12. It isn’t the SEC. And Miami’s non-conference slate hasn’t featured a gauntlet of top-10 matchups.

So, in a year where power conference teams are beating each other up, the RedHawks’ clean record stands out, and not everyone sees it as proof of dominance.

Fans question Miami (OH)’s Never-Seen-Before Unbeaten Run

As the RedHawks continue stacking win after win, not everyone is convinced. For many fans, the dominance feels hollow, with critics pointing to a schedule that lacks elite opponents.

“27-0 is impressive until you realize their toughest opponent so far has been a 10-minute delay at a Wendy’s drive-thru,” a Nick Wright parody account wrote. While another fan added, “We need to have a serious conversation about the reality of this 27–0 record. Miami (OH) has played zero Quad 1 games, and three of their wins came against Division II opponents. While staying undefeated is a feat of consistency, their NET ranking is still hovering around 50th because they haven’t been tested by elite talent.”

However, coach Steele has heard all of it, and he isn’t giving a second worth of attention to all the noise.

So when he was asked about people who discredit the RedHawks’ undefeated record back in January, he said, “People are going to say, ‘Well, who did they play?’ You still got to win. We’re 19-0 — haven’t lost any games. We’ve won on the road, we’ve won (on) neutral (sites). We’ve won (at) home. Listen, we’ve got a really good team. Don’t penalize us for people (who) aren’t willing to play us.”

That’s the push and pull surrounding this team right now.

Furthermore, one fan added, “The MAC used to be full of dogs, man, what happened?” Whereas another fan wrote, “I’ll be undefeated if I had their cupcake 🧁 schedule 😂. Easiest schedule in history.”

Despite their perfect record, Miami (OH) hasn’t always dominated every game; several of their wins have required late runs or overtime to escape with the victory. Still, they haven’t played a single game so far against a highly-ranked opponent.

One fan summed up the feeling and wrote, “They will be defeated when they play a real team next month.”

Whether the critics are right or not, one thing is undeniable: a 27–0 record is just surreal. The RedHawks have handled every team placed in front of them. But until they face a power-conference heavyweight under March lights, the debate won’t quiet down.