Happy Monday, everyone, and yes, it is a victory Monday again, which is nice. Miami hammered the Cuse in the second half for a 38-10 win that hopefully will start to get the playoff committee thinking
a little bit differently about Miami starting Tuesday night.
Speaking of the playoff…
1) Yes, I’m going to go full Charlie-Brown-running-up-to-Lucy-holding-the-football all-in on the Canes again regarding making the 12-team field. And it’s going to bite me in the backside.
I really should know better by now, but the Hurricanes are in contention regardless of what many might say around the country. Playing out what the odds say, at 7-2, they SHOULD get to 9-2 and have a resume-worthy Pitt team at the end of the year for a final bump.
Meanwhile, a number of teams ahead of Miami still have some serious hurdles to clear, and many will stumble and fall. That includes Oklahoma, who has at Alabama, vs. Missouri, and vs. LSU. It also includes Texas who still has to go to Georgia and faces Texas A&M. I would be shocked if either ends up 10-2. Vanderbilt still has to go to Tennessee, which will be very tough for them. And Georgia Tech still hosts Pitt and Georgia, if they don’t end up winning the ACC. And, yeah, Notre Dame has those pesky Pitt Panthers as well on the road this Saturday. So, there is a true opportunity for Miami to win out, get to 10-2 and back door their way into the field.
2) But man, we know that’s not likely to happen because the Hurricanes still can’t put 60 minutes together for a game.
They haven’t yet this year, and therefore, they’ve told us who they are, or at least they’re trying to. This team started off hot early in games during September, and it was a beautiful sight. That has gone the way of the dodo, and now that teams have stopped the Canes from leaning on them with a plodding but gradual run game, Carson Beck and the passing offense has shown they’re not consistent enough to get the job done.
I hope it’s enough on Saturday against NC State. Miami is a 13.5-point favorite, which is a number of points too high in my honest opinion. Because a repeat of the first 27 minutes against Syracuse against NC State, particularly on offense, could put Miami in a hole that’s hard to climb out of. The Canes have to start playing 60-minute football games, or loss number three and the Pop Tarts Bowl is surely coming.
3) I am hopeful that the return of some key players, including Mark Fletcher, Jr. and CJ Daniels will help that cause out.
Both missed the game against the Orange, and there’s little doubt that Daniels’ impact has been felt with the struggles in the passing game. It’s been nice to see Keelan Marion take on an expanded role, and he made it count against Syracuse, but the Canes need their senior wideout in the game and making big plays if the passing game is going to do enough down the stretch.
It sounds like that might be a possibility this week for Daniels, per Cristobal on the Joe Rose Show this morning, who said he feels “great” about him, but likely not for Fletcher. Ahmad Moten and OJ Frederique are in “wait-and-see” mode, per Cristobal, and he said he’s “very hopeful” for Wesley Bissainthe, noting he felt good after limited snaps against Syracuse.
4) I’d also like to see a little bit more Girard Pringle, Jr. sprinkled in the rotation.
He’s given the team some real juice in the backfield, and while I don’t have the empirical data, it FEELS like he gets moving with the ball and to the hole perhaps a bit quicker that Miami’s primary options. I love seeing what he can do with the ball in his hands, and I would like to see him perhaps get an extended look in the coming weeks.
Anywho, we’ll see if Miami gets more love in this week’s rankings and get into more about NC State later in the week. Go Canes!
