Anyone. Anytime. Anyplace. It was a mindset that put the Miami Hurricanes on the map in the 1980s—taking on all comers and knocking down top-ranked competition, which led to wins and birthed “swagger”.
Three decades later, “The U” must embrace more conventional methods as it attempts to claw its way back to the top.
Much to the chagrin of the purists, modern day college football has become all about conference supremacy, reaching the BCS, putting oneself in position to play for championships and using all the above as a recruiting tool, keeping the machine churning year after year.
For Miami, a run at the ACC Championship game fell short, so it’s all about the next best thing—a bowl victory and a 10-win season.
The Hurricanes haven’t won double-digit games since 2003 or prevailed in a postseason showdown since 2006. Head coach Al Golden went 13-11 his first two seasons after taking over a program that went 28-23 the previous four.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports Running back Dallas Crawford needs to channel his North Carolina mojo when Miami takes on Louisville.
A 10-3 final record sounds better than 9-4 and knowing that perception is reality, the more “beatable” bowl opponent and manageable matchup should be embraced as another season comes to a close.
On paper, Louisville in Orlando is a better scenario for Miami than Texas A&M in Atlanta. Both the Cardinals and Aggies boast offenses that can absolutely give the Hurricanes fits, but there’s no debating the overall talent level in the American Athletic Conference can’t touch the mighty SEC.
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