The Miami Hurricanes are off to a blazing 2-0 start. They destroyed the Florida Gators at the Swamp in Week One, 41-17, and then took care of business in their home opener against Florida A&M, emptying the bench and winning 56-9.
With these wins, the Canes are now ranked #10 in the AP Poll for the first time since 2020.
It’s early, but already Miami is the talk of the ACC. They are seen as the outright favorites to win the conference for the first time ever and make a deep playoff run.
National and local media have praised quarterback Cam Ward as possibly the best in the country and a top Heisman contender. Miami has also seen players such as Tyler Baron (ACC Defensive Player of the Week), Zach Carpenter, Jaden Harris, and Francis Mauigoa receive praise and recognition from either the ACC or PFF College.
The media is really feeling Miami right now, and the Canes have a favorable schedule ahead. They will play Ball State, the University of South Florida, Virginia Tech, and Cal before their October 19th showdown against Louisville.
What Miami cannot do is overlook any of the upcoming games, no matter how “easy” they may look. The FAMU game, for example, saw Miami play a very sloppy second quarter, botching multiple scoring opportunities and allowing big plays to an opponent they clearly outmatched. Miami went into halftime leading only 25-6 before running away with the game and cleaning things up in the second half.
If there was a lesson for Miami to learn in week two, it’s that in today’s college football, any team is capable of taking you down on any given Saturday.
For example, Miami is going to face South Florida in two weeks. That South Florida team went toe-to-toe with #4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, with the Tide leading just 14-13 before pulling away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Bulls 28-3.
Or take Nicholls, who at one point was giving #18 LSU a run for their money, trailing only 23-21 before LSU pulled away in the third quarter.
Even #7 Oregon, considered by many to be a juggernaut this year, struggled for the second week in a row against unranked teams. The Ducks survived by kicking a late field goal to hold off Boise State 37-34. #8 Penn State was also caught in a dogfight, surviving 34-27 over Bowling Green. #15 Oklahoma was only able to score a safety in the second half of their game against unranked Houston, winning an ugly 16-12 game. And #17 Kansas State survived Tulane 34-27 in what was another near upset of the weekend.
Others were not so lucky to escape. For example, ranked teams like #23 Georgia Tech fell to Syracuse, and Iowa State upset #21 Iowa.
But the big upset of the weekend—the shocker—came when Northern Illinois took down #5 Notre Dame 16-14 in a game that stunned the college football world. It was Northern Illinois’ first-ever win over a top-10 opponent, and they were a 28.5-point underdog in this game.
Miami needs to take each game individually and understand that at 2-0, they have proven nothing and have won nothing. Head coach Mario Cristobal has kept the team focused on the task at hand, echoing the sentiment that no team can be taken for granted. “The best thing we have going for us is our culture. It allows us to be very blunt, real, and right to the point. There are no easy games on our schedule, and anyone who thinks otherwise will be disappointed one day. Stay hungry, stay driven.”
Miami has the chance to do something special this year. They are the most talented team in the ACC. However, talent and skill will not win them the ACC championship or cement their place in the 12-team playoffs. Their focus on the game at hand—championship-level focus—will be the difference.
Check out LifeWalletSports.com to get connected with all of our NIL athletes and partnered brands
