The Miami Hurricanes are for real, folks. The team picked up one of the more impressive wins of the season so far in Week 1 by taking down Notre Dame, and they’ve only continued to impress since then.
In Week 2, the Canes destroyed FCS foe Bethune-Cookman to the tune of 45-3. Then, in Week 3, the Canes played host to the No. 18 South Florida Bulls. In most years, this would have been seen as just another easy non-conference game.
However, the Bulls earned their ranking after knocking off a ranked Boise State team in Week 1 and then beating the ranked Florida Gators in Week 2. So, coming into the Miami game, the Bulls already had two ranked wins and the Canes looked to be on upset alert.
The Canes clearly didn’t get that memo, though. The team had a 28-6 lead at halftime and never looked back, winning the game 49-12. As a result, the Canes are now 3-0 with two ranked wins and came in at No. 4 in the latest AP Poll.
After the Week 3 slate, the team at CBS Sports has updated its College Football Playoff projections. The Canes are projected to earn the No. 2 seed and get a first-round bye. In this scenario, the Canes would play in the Orange Bowl against the winner of Florida State and Texas A&M.
Regarding Miami, the following analysis was offered:
You know what’s scary about this Hurricanes team? Saturday’s destruction of South Florida wasn’t a perfect game from Miami, but it showed just how far ahead the Hurricanes are as one the nation’s hottest teams to open. Carson Beck sidestepped a couple interceptions to throw three touchdown passes, and now he gets to play a dejected Florida squad under Billy Napier next week at home.
As it was pointed out, the Canes didn’t even play a perfect game, and they STILL dominated a ranked opponent. Carson Beck has arguably looked better this season than he ever has, and that means the Canes could beat anybody.
In Week 4, the Canes are playing host to Florida. The Gators have disappointed, entering the contest with two losses already, but you can never overlook a tough SEC team. If the Canes pick up another win, expect the hype to only increase.
