(The second of 12 ACC team previews)
Is Miami back?
Can Miami be back this year?
Will Jacory Harris cut out the the throws to players in different colored jerseys?
All are important in trying to dissect the Hurricanes.
When we last saw them ... : The U was peeling itself off the mat after Wisconsin managed a healthy 430-249 yardage edge in the Champs Sports Bowl. The score was closer (20-14 for the Badgers), but it had the feel of a beatdown all the same.
Before that, though, Miami (along with Clemson) was one of the big losers in the bowl shuffle that allowed Bobby Bowden to play in the high-profile Gator Bowl in his final game at Florida State.
Despite those back-to-back blows, it was hard not to feel good about the Hurricanes' progress. The movement from five to seven to nine wins in coach Randy Shannon's three seasons suggested plenty of improvement --- not to mention distance from the program's talent drain at the tail end of Larry Coker's tenure.
Oh, and Miami was young. Note the use of the past tense. The Hurricanes return 15 starters, including punter/kicker Matt Bosher; six were freshmen or sophomores a year ago.
Biggest question: Can you say offensive line? Perhaps even moreso with just two starters back.
One of them isn't Jason Fox, a tackle who was one of the top linemen in the ACC the last two years.
But sometimes a little change can be good. Miami, after all, allowed 35 sacks last year. And while it isn't dreadful, it's an issue that led Jacory Harris to make some errant, off-the-cuff throws --- some of which led to the 17 interceptions Harris endured in his first year as a starter.
Still, Miami was one of only 15 teams in the six years since the ACC expanded to yield 35 sacks in a season (data courtesy of college football statistical overlord Phil Steele):
MOST SACKS ALLOWED, ACC TEAMS 2004-09
54: Virginia Tech 2007 (11-3)
45: Duke 2007 (1-11)
43: Duke 2006 (0-12)
42: Virginia Tech 2008 (10-4)
41: Virginia 2009 (3-9)
40: Maryland 2007 (6-7)
39: Duke 2004 (2-9)
37: North Carolina 2007 (4-8)
36: Virginia Tech 2004 (10-3)
36: Miami 2005 (9-3)
36: Maryland 2009 (2-10)
35: N.C. State 2005 (7-5)
35: Virginia 2006 (5-7)
35: Clemson 2007 (9-4)
35: Miami 2009 (9-4)
There's a lot of bad teams on that list, as well more than a few really good ones that happened to start statues under center. Some of those teams had both dreadful rosters and quarterbacks with feet stuck in cement.
But it's a stretch to give too much credit to any of the offensive lines listed above, even if they did possess some overwhelming talents on an individual level.
The good news is only one of those teams on that chart allowed more sacks the next year (Duke 2006-07). Miami should be better up front, but it's still a priority to get things sorted out.
Biggest asset: Options ... everywhere but quarterback. Miami is arguably the deepest team in the conference, a byproduct of improved recruiting, trial-by-fire experience and a wise effort to improve the defense considerable despite some coordinator flux during Shannon's tenure.
That seems to be fixed, and the Hurricanes will have the same man in charge of the defense (John Lovett) in consecutive years since Shannon was the coordinator between 2001 and 2006. Bringing back a wealth of experience, including two-year starter Allen Bailey on the line and cornerback Brandon Harris, will surely help.
But the offense is in great shape, too.
Consider: Miami returns six players who had at least 15 catches last year (after having nine total). In the rest of the ACC, only Duke, which barely showed much interest or ability in the running game, even had six guys with 15 receptions.
The fulcrum, however, is Harris. There are no knowns behind him; among the reserves, only A.J. Highsmith (4-for-6, 53 yards, 1 TD) has any stats to speak of. Harris completed nearly 60 percent of his passes as a sophomore, and his 24 touchdowns were spread over 10 receivers. Bad for fantasy football players, good as a sign Harris can pick out the right target if given time.
He'll again have plenty of options to choose from, between the Leonard Hankerson-led receiving corps, a deep posse of tailbacks and newcomer Chase Ford at tight end. Harris needs to make it through the season healthy for Miami to have a chance at truly big things, but he'll have a ton of help if he can stay upright.
Best-case: Miami picks off Ohio State on the road in the season's second week, handles the slingshot into the top 10 without any trouble and rumbles through a daunting schedule with perhaps only a hiccup along the way. The Hurricanes play six teams ranked in the preseason top 25, so one misstep can be expected even under the most favorable conditions. But the right mix of victories (and then solid performances from the teams it beats) could have Miami on the edge of the national title game discussion come the first week of December.
Worst-case: The Hurricanes don't take the step they feel it is time to make, getting run out of Columbus and returning to their up-and-down ways. The offensive line isn't better, Harris still throws a bunch of picks and Miami is erratic enough to be 4-3 by the time North Carolina leaves town on Oct. 23. At that point, the lights can be turned out, since fickle fans in south Florida will turn their eyes to the LeBron Show set to debut late that month and ignore the Hurricanes in the second half of league play.
Where we'll see them in three months: It's nice to dream about a national title, but that schedule says it isn't happening. Not this year.
In 1983, Miami played two teams in the regular season that opened the year ranked. In 1987, it was four teams. In 1989, three; in 1991, three; and in 2001 it was three.
The tired old chestnut of beating the best to be the best? That's best done in moderation. Facing a half-dozen teams ranked in the preseason is a ticket to a few setbacks.
As it stands, Miami owns potentially top-10 talent with far too many opportunities to lose against strong teams to wind up in the top five at season's end. If the ACC wants a team that can chase down a national championship this year, the Hurricanes aren't it.
But they'll be vastly entertaining and incredibly unpredictable. The three straight road trips to Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Clemson will probably net a win (and maybe two), but good luck guessing which games Miami will actually win.
At their best, they'll be the scariest Miami team since 2002. At its worst, The U will be vulnerable to more than half the teams on its schedule.
Shannon's made progress every year, and a division title (and maybe a conference title) could be within reach. The best guess is a 10-win season that includes Miami's first bowl victory since Coker's farewell on the blue turf of Boise in 2006.
Is that enough? Maybe not for the titles-or-else crowd. But Shannon's built in Coral Gables with the long-term in mind, and the Hurricanes keep improving. There will be progress again, even if the schedule won't make it particularly easy.
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