The Miami Hurricanes have almost made it a tradition to start the season red hot, building up hype before collapsing. Last season, Cam Ward and the Hurricanes looked like the team to beat in the ACC and a clear College Football Playoff front runner to missing the ACC Championship and the Playoff with losses to Georgia Tech in Syracuse over the final 3 games of the season.
This Miami team was supposed to be different; they were supposed to be built where, even in the games against lesser opponents, they could win on talent alone. Instead, the Miami Hurricanes proved that a fatal flaw still exists for Mario Cristobal's group, which is disappointing.
Coming into the week, there was a serious debate that the Miami Hurricanes should be ranked as the Nation's top team, while it felt like it was the Buckeyes and Miami in a tier of their own. Instead, this team went out on Friday Night and proved they're not in that same conversation, and they're a team that still has a flaw, which concerns you, even with an easier schedule remaining.
To replace Cam Ward, Miami went out and brought in Carson Beck after what was a disappointing season at Georgia. In the first 5 games, Beck looked a lot like the player many thought he could be last season, with the potential to win the Heisman and go 1st overall in the Draft. Instead, the veteran who was supposed to be steady threw 4 interceptions, including one when Miami was in field goal range with a chance to win the game, sinking the Canes.
The offensive line is supposed to be one of the best in the Country with a potential Top 5 pick in Francis Mauigoa anchoring the unit. On Friday, the group couldn't open holes in the running game, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry, putting the pressure on Carson Beck to get the offense going.
The new and improved defense actually did its job for the most part, forcing a fumble late in the game to keep Miami in the game after a Carson Beck interception. The lone area you could knock this Miami team for is not creating enough negative plays, as they only racked up 5 tackles for a loss.
Miami is still vulnerable the rest of the season
When you look at Miami's schedule for the rest of the season, it's easy to say that this team should win every game. Stanford, SMU, Syracuse, NC State, Virginia Tech, and Pitt is one of the easiest stretches for any Power 4 team. The only team that could end up ranked at that time is SMU which is a great stretch on paper for Miami.
Given how Mario Cristobal's team has played in big games, the team would almost rather play ranked teams the rest of the way. Cristobal is going to have to find a switch to flip; otherwise, this team will come out flat in one of these games, and it'll be scary again if not a loss.