MIAMI HURRICANES FOOTBALL LOOKS FOR ITS 2nd 10+ WIN SEASON IN 22 YEARS IN 2024

“I feel like we have an NFL quarterback at Miami now. He’s great. Like, that’s the quarterback everybody would ask for and we have him.”

– Miami Hurricanes HC Mario Cristobal to Miami Hurricanes dot com (Christy Cabrera Chirinos, Canes Camp Report, 8/8/24)

REASONS TO BACK MIAMI:

• OVERALL ROSTER TALENT: This roster is as potent and as depth-friendly as any roster UM Football has had in 20 years. In preseason media scrums, Cristobal himself has discussed (paraphrasing) how there has been profound improvement in such, especially along both the OL/DL. He has stated the Front Seven and Skill Positions are commensurate to where a major, winning college football program should be.
• CAM WARD: Very simply, he is an impact player in this sport who will make Miami better. He’s certainly been monetarily incentivized to produce sterling results in these times of the times.
• RUEBEN BAIN JR: The Sophomore DE (6’3″, 275 lbs., Miami, FL (Miami Central) and reigning ACC DROY is back to spearhead the UM DL and give opposing quarterbacks and offenses fits in 2024. Get to know the name. Bain. It’s Bain. You better call Batman or put out the bat signal because it’s Bain. I’ve been a UM Football fan circa 1987. This student-athlete (are they still called such?) plays with the destructiveness, skill, fitness/compete level, football intelligence (IQ) and team-orientation of which you would expect from a Miami DL during its glory days. In fact, if you can find Bain in Heisman Trophy betting markets, then why not dream the impossible dream? Surely, a sophomore defensive plyer would command huge odds. If you have to take a FIELD wager, inspect for big odds. The vision I have for UM having a huge season this year not only includes Ward. It includes Bain at the same full rate.

• UNDERLYING METRICS/RETURNS: Look, let’s just cut the BS and go there. Miami was coached out of cohesion and success last season. But, UM still was 39th nationally (of 133) in PPG/F (31.5 per). Miami was 45th nationally in PPG/A (22.8 per). Not great, but not poor either. UM returns 6 starters on both sides of the ball with 79% offensive produce and 53% of its defensive produce returning, per Athlon Sports. Now factor in Ward and newly-transferred power back Damien Martinez (Ore. St). Francis Mauigoa and Jalen Rivers at OT is as solid a pair UM has had at the position in (insert years here). Xavier Restrepo is class and returns as does Jacolby George. One should be bullish on this offense. Refer to above verbiage regarding Bain. Wesley Bissainthe and Francisco Mauigoa return to a formidable LB group. Ahkeem Mesidor was a player before attrition (injury) and he returns. Miami added a transfer in Elijah Alston to fortify EDGE rush and added transfers to the Secondary and DT group. The Canes were 4-2 at Hard Rock Stadium last season, including the atrocity committed against Georgia Tech which really hurt its season. Surely, for the Canes to experience the desired success in ’24 a renewed focus on defending The Rock has to be a priority. Has to.

• CRISTOBAL’S RENAISSANCE?: We’ll discuss the cons to Coach Cristobal later. Lets focus on the good now. Full disclosure, I wanted Cristobal at UM long before it became a reality. I’m not reversing course now. Mario Cristobal is very successful at recruiting, mentoring, overseeing physical/nutrition standards, stewarding the UM Football brand, previous playing CV, community engagement and media responsibility. This is now the crucial Year 3 of his tenure. I have to believe he will have learned from last season’s calamities in which he turned wins into losses. He cant be that bad again, right? Right?

• THE SCHEDULE: If there isn’t 10 wins on this schedule then when are they? UM will be a betting favorite in essentially every game. Miami is even (depending where you play) a two-point choice AT Florida. Rare. The Canes get classic rival Virginia Tech and forever archrival, wretched Florida State at The Rock. I’m not seeing a road game which presents the same level of fear as the Florida joust. Bottom Line? IF UM takes care of business versus its rivals — the way it should be — (FSU, UF, VT) 10+ wins are right there.
• SUNSHINE STATE VIBES: One should like to back teams in good situations. Miami is coming off arguably its best offseason in a while. Recruiting. Transfers. NIL. Maybe this is a year where it comes up roses for the Canes? I also look at this like the Hurricanes ae the best team in the state this season. A accomplishment in and of itself one could argue. Annually, the best team in Florida is usually relevant in the college football power discussion.

REASONS TO FADE MIAMI

• MARIO MISCUES: See Georgia Tech from last season. UM was heading for a 5-0 start when the absence of a victory formation derailed the Canes season. For all of Cristobal’s strengths in the HC position discussed earlier, reservations lie in areas of gameday management and, especially, in the in-game, down-to-down management where this coach throughout the total of his career has struggled. Some would say he has struggled mightily and is graded as poor in this regard. Maybe he hasn’t had a Come to Jesus. Maybe he still makes the same mistakes. Maybe he coaches UM out of wins. Maybe he turns more wins into losses thus losing the locker room. 12-13 in the first two seasons of a 10yr/$80M pact isn’t good enough.
• BAD CREDIT RATING: College Football programs don’t have credit ratings but if they did nobody would hand UM an American Express card anytime soon. There won’t be any Markers Issued, sadly. I can’t think of too many CFB programs over the years who have handled credibility worse than Miami. The Canes have done zip to warrant presumption of 10+ wins, a possible ACC crown and/or a possible CFB playoff berth. But here we are.
• 20+ YEAR YEILD: One (1) 10+ season in 22 seasons. That’s it. 10 wins in 2017 and aside from that, Miami’s last 10+ win season came in 2003 (11 wins). People can say what they will about the relevance of historical trends in sports gaming (betting), I’m just saying 2 10+ win seasons in over 20 years is an awfully elongated period of time to then one day instantly expect a 10+ win season, as we sit here today. Kinda a big ask.

“You have guys that have been here, have been through a lot, are driven to compete and win. Then you have some transfer portal guys at some positions that need bolstering that are driven, that want to win, want to be at Miami. They’re sandwiched in there with some uber-talented freshman classes.” — Miami Hurricanes HC Mario Cristobal at this past ACC Media Days (via College Football Network)

FINAL TAKE

Let me be very clear: Anything less than a 10+ win season and a major bowl bid is wholesale unacceptable. By major bowl, I specifically mean a CFB Playoff 1st Round game and/or a classic bowl from the NY6 collection. UM should contend for an ACC Title. I think the Canes are better than FSU and Clemson is descending in my eyes during the portal/NIL era. It’s there for the taking. It’s there.

I feel Miami has the roster and overall quality to make it happen. The Canes hit the Royale w/ Cheese landing Ward and Martinez. This UM squad should like what it likes and get a lot of it.

If not now, when?

I must say, this reminds me of the famous professional wrestling rivalry between Sting and Ric Flair. In the late 1980s, Sting joined The Four Horseman only to be double-crossed. Some years later, Sting would tag up with Flair — for the kids, famously — only for The Nature Boy to double-cross The Stinger yet again. I am Sting. Cristobal is Flair. Is Cristobal going to double-cross me here lol?

RECC’D ACTION/PERSONAL PLAY

• Miami over 9 season wins (EV, -25). Recc to -50.
• Miami CFB Playoff berth (2:1). Recc to +75. Should be a season long investment as one doesn’t know where number will go during ebb and flow of a CFB season.
• Lean/Pass: Miami ACC Title (4;1). Endorse the play but want no part of the irony of UM finally wining an ACC Title at this stage of the game. I feel like UM will be good enough for playoff qualification regardless and in the era of the SEC/B1G Industrial Complex, I’m not even sure what winning the ACC actually means?

As per usual, Good Luck & Play Responsibly

REFERENCES

• ESPN
• Miami Hurricanes dot com
• Getty Images
• Athlon Sports
• Team Rankings dot com
• Fansided
• Ourlads
• College Football Reference
• ACC Media
• College Football Network
• World Championship Wrestling
• The Sportster
• Wikipedia
• Google

Creator’s Note: This is my first legit foray into content creation. This is my first official writing since 2015 and the end of a sabbatical from sports writing I took in 2006. To anybody who took the time to read this: Thank you. I have more in store, more around your door, more of what you’re looking for. -T

GO CANES!