Summertime is just about here, which means all the college rags will roll out their previews for the 2012 football season. Most of the magazines are yet to hit shelves, but some of the websites are slowing rolling out their takes, starting with CFN.com, which gives a pretty solid breakdown, courtesy of their long-time columnist, Richard Cirminiello.
Some quality points made by CFN:
– Acknowledgement that Miami went through hell year one due to the timing of the scandal. First-year head coach Al Golden walked into a nightmare and the more impact he has on this program over time, the better off UM will be.
Cirminiello also credited Golden for doubling-down his commitment to ‘The U’, when he could’ve justifiably bolted after the debacle that was the 2011 season.
– Miami’s hard work this off-season was noted, as were all the departures, courtesy of graduation or NFL money. Cirminiello also pointed out that Golden is looking for and is promoting competition at every position.
Though he didn’t point out that this is a page straight out of The Book of Jimmy Johnson, he did realize that Golden is the type of coach who will use the depth disadvantage to his advantage regarding getting the right kids on the field.
– CFN.com doesn’t believe Miami will compete for a Coastal Division crown this season, due to the question marks at quarterback. Cirminiello talks about the battle between Ryan Williams and Stephen Morris under center, as well as Morris’ injury that kept him out of spring ball … but no talk about the job Morris did as a true freshman in 2010, giving him a leg up on the Memphis transfer.
– Regarding the job Golden is doing, Cirminiello wrote: “The shoe has yet to finish dropping, as Miami awaits the final verdict from the NCAA infractions committee. In the meantime, Golden is gradually changing the culture in South Florida, one player at a time. The coach has the blueprint and the determination to turn things around for the Hurricanes. Patience, though, is going to be a must for a fan base that is still at least a year away from backing a champion, a goal shared by everyone associated with this once-powerhouse program.”
– Cirminiello is spot-on when saying the departure of linebacker Sean Spence opens the doors for new playmakers and leaders and the two he mentioned – Anthony Chickillo and Denzel Perryman – are bar-none the guys UM needs to step up to get something done on that side of the ball.
– Cirminiello states that to be “far better” the Canes need to win the turnover battle. In 2010 Miami had more interceptions than any other program in the FBS and last year UM was a respectable 32nd in turnovers but only created a measly fifteen takeaways, finishing at 105th in the country.
– The early road schedule is again brutal, playing away for three of four weeks in September, going to Boston College (9/1) and Kansas State (9/8) in back-to-back weeks and the road trips to Georgia Tech (9/22) and Notre Dame (10/6) with a home game against NC State (9/29) sandwiched between.
– Regarding key players, Cirminiello lists guard Brandon Linder as Miami’s most important offensive player, safety Ray-Ray Armstrong as the guy on defense and calls running back Mike James the key player to a successful season. (No mention of running back Eduardo Clements, who coaches have praised this off-season for work ethic, or true freshman Randy ‘Duke’ Johnson, who will definitely get his reps as the year rolls on.)
– Cirminiello says this season will be a success for ‘The U’ if Miami can return to a bowl this season (barring there is no NCAA-imposed bowl ban). He states that the extra December practice and longer season as a year-two goal to prep this squad for 2013.
– The key game of the year is listed as the road trip to that “neutral” site at Soldier Field to take on Notre Dame early October. While it has no bearing on the ACC race, it’s a nationally-televised NBC primetime showdown and all eyes will be watching – a great chance to showcase Golden’s Canes to the world and something that could jump start the second half of the season, which is an impossible point to argue.