Written by: invinceable
So, I just spotted something that I thought was extinct or out of a fairy tale…a top 10 University of Miami football team. The U, as some so effortlessly like to refer to the team as, is hitting on most cylinders at this point in the season and have found themselves at the #7 spot in the College Football Playoff Rankings. The 8-0 (6-0 ACC) Hurricanes are off to their best start in almost a decade and are looking to keep things churning this Saturday against the #3 team in the land, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Unfortunately, this year’s edition of the Miami squad doesn’t quite tip the scale like some of years past, but they’ve got themselves in the driver’s seat to a college football playoff birth.
I’ve caught a few of their games this year and, to be honest, didn’t find myself being impressed. As usual, the team is full of athletes at the skill positions, but as a huge believer in “the eye test,” so far, this team hasn’t passed it. Their biggest win to date has to be their most recent, a 28-10 win over a top 15 Virginia Tech team…just another reason not to be as impressed. But all that doesn’t matter and all that changes this weekend with a win. A one loss Notre Dame team rolls into Miami looking to add to their already solid resume. Notre Dame is rocking an impressive 8-1 record, with all their games being 2 score wins, except for the 1 point loss they suffered at the hands of the now #1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs. The revamped rivalry has the stage this weekend and hopefully doesn’t disappoint.
Miami will be led by Malik Rosier, the Junior QB that has probably been their most impressive asset. In recent years, I’ve seen teams that this program has fielded that have been physically and athletically more impressive than this year’s team, but what makes this team different, is their QB play. Rosier does a fairly good job at not turning the ball over, with only 7 thrown picks at this point in the year, but does a better job at managing game situations. I saw this kid manage a nine play, 75-yard drive and throw a TD to come back and beat a rival Florida State team earlier in the year. Considering Miami was on a seven-game losing skid to FSU, it’s safe to say that they hadn’t found a QB who could do that in quite a while. Miami is always equipped with talent at the skill positions, and this year is no different. Guys like Braxton Berrios, their top pass catcher, and Travis Homer, their lead back, will need to make plays to keep this game close…because as they say, BIG-TIME PLAYERS, MAKE BIG-TIME PLAYS, IN BIG-TIME GAMES. These guys are the big-time players, so hopefully those big-time plays follow suit. Their defense is pedestrian, ranking 66th in the country in rushing yards allowed per game, which just so happens to be the strength of the Notre Dame offense, but their front seven flies to the ball. I’m not sure how this game will go, but what I do know is that if Miami can pull it off, they’ll be a top 5 team next week and a favorite to go to the playoff. Hopefully they show up and show out, because when Miami football is good, college football is even better.