This is the game for the U! This is the one that if the Canes win we can all say "THEY ARE BACK"!
Or are they?
Just three seasons ago in 2017 Miami was supposed to be back when they vaulted to number two in the nation before losing their last three games and finished 10-3. And that was the best it got for Mark Richt, who stepped away after going 7-6 the following season.
So that brings us to Clemson week for the U. This is it, right? No. It's not it and it's also ridiculous to think that if Miami should beat the Tigers all is restored in the storied program that regularly competed for national championships. It's also unfair to put Miami's return on one game.
It would be a huge win for Manny Diaz and his team if they do upset Clemson. But for Miami, this is about looking the part. It's about competing. And if you think that's not what Miami is about. They don't just compete. Then you haven't been following Miami for the last decade and a half. In fact, Miami doesn't even have to win this week. They just need to look the part. They need to look like a team that belongs on the field with the team that has been the team in college football with two titles in the last four years. If Miami plays with Clemson and after four quarters loses the game but you can see they are not outclassed, for now, that's good enough.
One game will determine if Miami is back. And that is part of the problem with a number of big brands in college football who have been average at best in recent seasons.
For Miami to be back, it should be more than one game. It should be multiple seasons where they compete for the conference and national title. Miami hasn't loss two games or less since 2003. 2003! It should be about looking at every game and feeling you can win. It's about 10, 11 and 12 win seasons for 3-4 years.Then you can claim that you are among the elite in the game. One game doesn't do that.
Look around and you will see other programs still living in the past and with a fan base who believes the past still exist today. Take Texas and look at things lately. Since Vince Young ran into the end zone at the Rose Bowl and won the national title in 2009 things have been average at best in Austin. They have lost 57 games since 2010 and finished 6th four times in their conference.
Michigan? 2006 is the last Rose Bowl appearance and it was 1997 the last time the Wolverines loss less than two games in a season.
Nebraska? 2001 was the last season with 2 losses or less.
It is unfair to Manny Diaz to know if he can bring Miami back to the level it once saw. He has found a quarterback who is electric in D'Eriq King and the Canes would really benefit if he returns in 2021. For now, it's just a big opportunity for Miami to send the message that they can compete with a Clemson. Win or lose Saturday, and no one should make a proclamation about if someone is back. When you see Miami a favorite going to Clemson, then you might have a story to tell...
Notes: Since 1970 only six SEC teams have won the conference title. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, LSU and Tennessee are the only teams who have the league title in the last 50 years. Good luck to Jimbo convincing Aggies' fans about why it's so hard to win in the SEC...Despite teams in AAC playing for a month, Houston and Temple will play their first games of the season this week...1993 was the "Game of Century" matchup of Florida State and Notre Dame in South Bend. The game lived up to the hype and the Irish snapped the Seminoles 16 game win streak. It also marked the first time ESPN sent its "Gameday" show on the road. Saturday marks the 10th all-time meeting between the two and, obviously, the first conference matchup. Notre Dame leads the series 6-3 and owns a 2-1 edge at home. FSU won in South Bend in 1981 19-13...Wishing Bobby Bowden well as he battles the Coronavirus. At 90, Bobby remains upbeat but is back in the hospital. One of many notes about Bobby is that he was an assistant at FSU before he became the head coach. In 1962, Bobby joined the staff as an assistant for Head Coach Bill Peterson. Other assistants on that staff? Bill Parcells, Joe Gibbs and Don James. Bowden left in 1965 to be an assistant back in West Virginia before returning to Tallahassee in 1976 and the rest is history...
Final thought: The Tostitos logo is two people sharing chips and salsa