The Miami Hurricanes football program is now entering its 20th season in the ACC Conference. In that time, the Hurricanes have won zero conference titles.
The ACC version of Miami football looks significantly different than the Big East version. The Hurricanes were four-time winners in the now-defunct Big East Conference, winning three out of their last four tries before exiting in 2004. They were supposed to bring the same amount of dominance with them into the ACC, but that has never come close to happening in two decades.
In fact, only once has the Miami football program even competed in the ACC conference title game, back in 2017, when they were routed by Clemson, 38-3. Needless to say, it's been tough sledding for Miami, which used to be considered one of the most fearfully respected programs in all of college football.
Things are (hopefully) beginning to look up in Coral Gables, however. But, honestly, it's hard to get too excited considering that has been a thought many times over the last 20 years. Entering his third season as head coach, Mario Cristobal does seem to have the team headed in the right direction, though higher numbers in the win column will ultimately have to prove that.
So far, the Hurricanes are 12-13 under Cristobal. But three impressive recruiting classes and a top-10 transfer class this year have Miami ready for a benchmark season. The Hurricanes are now being considered one of the favorites to win the ACC, which also means that they would become part of the new expanded College Football Playoff 12-team field. Here's why Miami football can make that happen in 2024.
Cam Ward makes Miami football significantly better
You could probably stop the list right here (we won't), but the addition of Cam Ward as quarterback of the Hurricanes changes the dynamic of not just Miami but the entire ACC.
Ward comes to Miami at such a pivotal time for the program. Cristobal needs to prove he was worthy of the university putting tons of money toward prying him away from Oregon. While the situations were vastly different from when Cristobal took over Oregon to when he took over Miami, that ultimately doesn't matter to the uneducated fan.
Cristobal has put together not just a talented roster, through high school prospects and transfers but also an impressive staff. But truly none of that was going to matter if Miami couldn't fix their quarterback problem. The Hurricanes haven't had a truly reliable quarterback since probably Ken Dorsey was behind center. That's entirely too long for one program to be quarterback deficient. Ward, however, should change that.
Ward is just one of several transfer quarterbacks coming to ACC teams this season. But he also could be the best of the entire bunch. In fact, he is the preseason ACC Player of the Year. If he lives up to the hype, then the results that Miami has long waited for should be there, namely that of an ACC title.
Florida State and Clemson are beatable
Florida State and Clemson have won the ACC 12 out of the last 13 years. Both are also favored over the Hurricanes to win the conference in the preseason poll, with the Seminoles leading. But for the first time in years, Miami feels on the same talent level as the two stalwarts.
Though Florida State brings back eight total starters, four on each side, some of the star players that led them to the ACC championship are gone, either by transfer or to the NFL. Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell did once again bring an impressive haul from the transfer portal, but how that will compare to last year's group remains to be seen.
Clemson might have something to prove this year. For the first time since 2010, the Tigers fell under 10 wins. They lost four games last season, including an upset to Miami in overtime.
It's been well-documented to this point how head coach Dabo Swinney refuses to adhere to the new era of college football, namely refusing to use the transfer portal. We'll see if that affects the Tigers again, furthering the decline of the Clemson program.
Good news for Miami is that though they have to play Florida State in the regular season, and possibly twice if both end up with the best records in the conference, they don't play Clemson. But, like the Seminoles, they could meet in the conference title game.
Miami football gets Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Duke at home
The overall schedule for this year's Miami football team isn't exactly the most favorable. With trips to out-of-conference opponents Florida and South Florida that definitely fuel some in-state tension, especially against the Gators. However, that also means that the Hurricanes only leave the state of Florida four times in 2024.
The ACC road games are scattered from one coast to the other thanks to the ACC becoming bi-coastal with the additions of Cal and Stanford. Miami will have to travel to Cal in early October and then finish out the season at Syracuse. But there are also two tough tests at last year's conference runner-up Louisville and Georgia Tech in between. Miami lost to both last year.
If the Hurricanes can survive most of that, they at least have the luxury of playing host to two of their biggest rivals, not to mention one former head coach. Even though Hard Rock Stadium isn't as well regarded as a huge homefield advantage in comparison to most in the country, it has the capabilities of doing so, particularly against big rivals like Florida State and Virginia Tech. Duke will also come to Miami Gardens, with their new head coach and former Miami head coach, Manny Diaz. All three of these games will be huge for Miami.
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