Miami Hurricanes Crack Top 15 in SI’s Preseason Rankings
Sports Illustrated has published their preseason top 25 for the college football season and Hurricanes fans have a little bit to smile about before the year kicks off.
Miami cracks SI’s top 15 and comes in at 14th on the list. It’s an ambitious starting point for a team that was 7-5 last year, but head coach Mario Cristobal and this revitalized Hurricanes program are ready for the challenge.
It’s two spots higher than The U found themselves in the season’s first AP Poll. The College Football Playoff may be a stretch with their schedule, but the Canes are still right in the thick of things in the ACC.
Miami is the third-highest ranked ACC team behind Clemson (7) and NC State (11), as was the case in the AP Poll, but still best in the conference’s Coastal Division. If all goes according to plan, an ACC title game berth is well within the realm of possibility.
From Alabama to Purdue, @ByPatForde runs down SI’s preseason top 25 for 2022 https://t.co/EY82ZtSG3E
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 16, 2022
For those ACC title dreams to come true, Miami will have to improve a lot on defense. Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde noted in his breakdown of the rankings that the Hurricanes only produced 11 turnovers last year, which was 119th out of 130 in the FBS. Luckily, they’ve added immediate impact transfers like ex-UCLA Bruins linebacker Caleb Johnson and defensive lineman Mitchell Agude, as well as former West Virginia corner Daryl Porter Jr.
The Hurricanes defense should be much sturdier in 2022 and the offense will be exciting behind Heisman candidate quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and a veteran offensive line. It will be key for the Canes to get out to a hot start against their weaker opponents early in the season as they prepare for their first top 25 clash with Texas A&M (#6 AP/ #8 SI) in Week 3 on Sept. 17.
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