The Season was not a Failure for Miami, Just Very Disappointing
If you were told at the end of last season that Miami Hurricanes would finish 10-2, losing those two games by a total of nine points and only one game short of the ACC Championship game then many would call it a successful step in the right direction for the program that had been 12-13 in the past two season. However, the circumstances that got them to this point are what make this season disappointing.
The schedule was heavily in the favor of the Hurricanes all season long. By the time they finished their 12th game, they had not played a ranked team (some of those teams will be ranked by the end of the year) and likely wasted a generational offense and a potential Heisman Trophy winner.
Having the No. 1 offense in the country with the best quarterback the program has likely ever seen was one of the best things to watch in all of college football. Cam Ward turned himself into a superstar in the sport and broke almost every single single-season record set by any Hurricanes quarterback.
Senior wide receiver Xavier Restrepo put himself on the mount rushmore of the greatest Hurricanes receivers to ever play in the green and orange by breaking the all-time passing yards record, and receptions record, finishing second all-time in touchdown catches while also being the first Hurricanes receiver to have back-to-back 1000-yard seasons.
The greatest offense the program has ever seen but they had more than one opponnet each week.
Statistics might say that the Hurricanes had a top 25 defense but watching the games and film, this could have been one of the worst defenses in the country. paring an 11/10 offense with a 2/10 defense will force the offense to play perfectly every single game. Sometimes perfect wasn't good enough.
After 10 games they were able to get away with some close wins thanks to the offensive output but the two losses against Georiga Tech and Syracuse caused them a spot in the ACC Championship game and likely a spot in the College Football Playoff.
This is not to say they are completely out of it. Per ESPN, the Hurricanes have a 40-percent chance of making the playoffs but they will be on the road for their first playoff game. They would likely be the 11th or 12th seed and if they miss out, they will be placed as one of the first times to miss out.
Still, 10-2 is a great season but this was the year that the Hurricanes wanted to make a statement to the ACC and the college football world that the "U" is back. In some way they are, but can they continue this momentum into next season now that the conference is proving that they are not far behind anyone as parity becomes more apparent in this new era of college football? Only next season will tell.
