First off, this is a hypothetical. Please be kind. There’s no reason to be snarky or nasty to us or each other in the comments. I’m genuinely curious to know the fans’ pulse on this, and please feel free to chime in here – in a respectful way.
The Miami Hurricanes take on the Notre Dame fighting Irish this weekend in the first of a pair of marquee early season non-conference matchups for UM against two of their most notable rivals. The Canes will have the nation’s attention on Sunday night, when the Irish invade
Hard Rock Stadium for a top 10 battle. It will be a true tone-setter for the season, and it’s one where Hard Rock should be rocking – and hopefully at a level we saw in 2017.
The Canes also get a return match with Florida on September 20 at Hard Rock Stadium. As everyone knows, the Canes blew the absolute doors off the Gators last year 41-17 in the season opener, handing the Gators their most lopsided loss in their home opener ever. So, Florida will be coming to town looking for revenge, and HRS should be an electric environment with plenty of fans from both schools.
Obviously, it would be ideal for Miami to win both. However, for the purpose of this article, hypothetically let’s say Miami goes 1-1 and you get to pick which team Miami gets that win (and obviously loss) against.
For a win over Notre Dame
This is going to be one of the biggest chances a team gets to notch a marquee non-conference victory this season, and especially early in the year. It’s Notre Dame. We’re Miami. We hate them. They hate us. It’s a historical rivalry that’s carried so much meaning over the years that Mario Cristobal was even asked about Cleveland Gary’s “fumble” in the 1988 game this week leading up to this year’s clash.
From the perspective of rankings and playoff meaning, this game should carry a ton of weight if both teams indeed are CFP contenders. If one or the other has a head-to-head win, that should be big come early December if both are in the running. I have a feeling both schools could be in contention for an at-large spot, so that very well could be vital.
For a win over Florida
But man, to me, there are few if any rivalries that compare to Hurricanes-Gators. Miami-Florida State has gotten plenty of publicity over the years, and rightfully so, but for me, beating Florida is as big as it gets for the program.
Personally, I have a feeling that Florida is going to have a tough time getting to the at-large field with their SEC schedule, which includes games against Texas, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. As such, a win over Florida might not have as much gusto as far as being a top 10, top 15, etc. win for the resume.
But being the best in the state of Florida still means something, and these schools often battle for the same recruits, so being the best in this state still matters plenty. And it matters to the fans of these schools massively, who interact constantly and often share roofs over their heads.
Verdict: give me a win over Florida.
A win over Notre Dame would be huge for early season momentum and especially with a ton of top 100 players who will be in attendance at the game, including Calvin Russell, Derrek Cooper, James Johnson, and several others (flip szn, please). It would be a major trump card to play in December if Miami is sitting in contention for an at large spot with 2 or 3 losses. It also would be great to send Notre Dame fans home with their tails between their legs.
But beating Florida and taking step one to claiming the state (again) is still something I will never, ever turn down if given the chance. It’s still my favorite rivalry that Miami has, and the most important game (to me) that they play when the schools line up against each other.
But that’s just me. If you had to choose, which are you picking? (And hopefully this will all be moot once September 20 has come and gone and Miami is 4-0.)
