Allow me to begin this discourse by making something very clear – I hate seeing my teams lose. My teams losing can easily ruin my day and depending on the loss that feeling of frustration could linger for a couple of days. To add to it, the Miami Hurricanes are my favorite of all my favorites so this is no simple thing.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s rap a taste. The Canes will play their final game of the regular season this Saturday as they host the Pittsburg Panthers but let’s be honest about something – this season is down the toilet. That surprises no one and many fans have felt that way for a while. We all enjoy seeing that U on Saturdays and when the season ends we’ll miss it even though they’ve disappointed us more times than not this season. Unlike most weeks, though, there are legitimate pros and cons to winning this week…hear me out.
A win in the final week would be a positive note to end the year and the fact that winning this game would mean we are bowl eligible (technically you can make a bowl at 5-7 but it’s not guaranteed) adds a little more motivation to pull for a win. It is often better to make a bowl, even for perceptions sake, especially in a year where we’re so “down”. In what many think is a rock bottom season – I shouldn’t have to name the reasons why – it would be nice to know that we were still good enough to squeeze out a bowl game. For the brand name programs, that’s often looked at as the bare minimum…”did you at least make a bowl?”…we’ve heard it and said it.
Making a bowl would also provide an opportunity to get additional live practices for a team that has a laundry list of things to work on. Few people have discussed how young this team is; some of it is due to the transferring out of guys who would’ve been upper-classmen or injury. Regardless there are a lot of young players who are starting or logging big minutes so additional practices and another real game could prove valuable for their development.
Here is where it gets spicy and I’m sure I’ll lose a few folks. A loss could be a win. How? As previously mentioned, this season is a failure and there’s a swath of fans who would like to get it over with and it’s hard to blame them. A bowl game could mean just another opportunity to see a frustrating product on the field and there are questions about what players would even be available. Some media outlets are anticipating Miami will lose more than 20 players to the Transfer Portal and the announcements of players leaving have already begun. Therein lies the primary reason a loss might not be so bad – this roster will be flipped.
Mario is regarded as one of the best recruiters in the country and in this day and age you have to recruit three places – your roster, the Portal and high school recruits. The majority of the premier brands in the country will be preparing for bowl or playoff games for the rest of November and much of December. What could a mercenary on the trail like Mario do with all the time to focus on nothing but recruiting? Recruiting never stops for any of these staffs but obviously there’s a difference when the head man is heavily involved because frankly he has nothing better to do. Mario is reportedly encouraging some players on his roster to seek other opportunities but there are some others who he will want to return. Some of those guys are draft eligible and some others may be upset with how the season has played out. Coach and staff will need to work to keep some of those kids in Coral Gables.
The Portal officially opens on December 5th and if you’re not engaging the candidates you want already you’re behind the 8-ball. The most sought after names that enter the portal will have to be courted to the full extent and Mario does that as good as anyone. Official visits and NIL packages will need to be organized and proper presented in a short span of time; think of it like speed dating.
Early National Signing Day is December 21st so there will be a strong push for every coach in the nation between now and then. Miami has commitments from some of the best players the nation has to offer and you can bet your bottom dollar other programs are still pushing to get those kids signatures days before Christmas, Mario will need to play shutdown defense. There are also a number of highly sought after kids that are uncommitted and others who are verbally committed that may be waffling on their decision. Again, what can Mario do on the trail while other coaches have to also worry about practices and games?
I’m not saying I want Miami to lose. I’ll never pull for that. What I am saying is that this loss wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world - honestly wouldn't be as bad as MTSU, FSU or Clemson. The further we get away from the season the less our poor results will matter to recruits and transfers which will increase our chances to replace our departing players with more talented ones. All losses should be treated as lessons but this loss could be a win. Hit the comments below and let me know where you stand. Go Canes.
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