College Football Preseason Top 25: How the Miami Hurricanes Will Fare

Randy Shannon got his contract extension. All of the players on the roster were recruited by him. They no longer fall under the reign of Larry Coker.

Senior wide receiver Leonard Hankerson called this season's mantra, "No excuses."

Key starters are either juniors or seniors. The top-ranked recruiting class of 2007 has grown up.

But how will the Miami Hurricanes actually perform this season?

After a 20-14 loss in the Champs Sports Bowl to Wisconsin, they dropped to No. 19 in the nation.

Here are 10 factors that could push the Canes, who have yet to compete for an ACC Championship, into the big game and the national title picture.

No. 1 Getting Used to Mark Whipple

Offensive coordinator Mark Whipple is a genius.

Through last season's first two games, the Hurricanes put 71 points on the scoreboard, by far more than any two-game span in recent years.

By the same token, he and newly named starter Jacory Harris needed to discover what sort of offense to become. They hoped to find a niche.

At times, the team was too pass happy and didn't run the ball as often as it should have with talented backs like Graig Cooper and Damien Berry.

When the season ended, Harris claimed that the playbook had barely been opened, and to watch out for next season.

No. 2 Nothing Like Protection

Jacory Harris still looks like a string bean.

His 6'4", 190-pound frame scares the hometown fans and makes opposing players salivate.

Last season, Harris was sacked 35 times, including 12 times in the four losses.

Against Wisconsin, the quarterback got tackled behind the line of scrimmage on five different occasions.

With much of the offense based on biding time for Harris and the play action, protection will be vital this season.

Four-year starting tackle Jason Fox is gone. So is center Matt Pipho.

No. 3 Playing Smart

Despite Jacory Harris' hot start in games against Florida State and Georgia Tech, things began to catch up to the first-year starter.

Following a thumb injury, Harris had to change his deliver and finished with 17 interceptions, second-most in college football.

If the Hurricanes want any shot at a national title, or at least an ACC championship, playing mistake-free will be key.

With a defense that rarely causes turnovers, the margin of error is even more slim.

No. 4 No Place Like Home

As if last year's four-game stretch wasn't tough enough, Miami's opener at home against Florida A&M is a tease.

Following a bye week, the Hurricanes travel to the Horseshoe to face national-title contender Ohio State. Then, 12 days later, they take on Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.

Clemson awaits on Oct. 2 in South Carolina before the Canes come home to face rival Florida State a week later.

No. 5 Down the Stretch

Even with a quick 3-1 start last season, the Hurricanes faded down the stretch in the mediocre Atlantic Coast Conference.

Miami lost three conference games- Virginia Tech, Clemson, and North Carolina- and still managed to stay in the title race.

If the Canes' championship aspirations are to become a reality, they must learn to win down the stretch. They were lucky to get out of the Wake Forest game with a victory.

Under Randy Shannon, the program has yet to win a bowl game in three seasons.

No. 6 Where's the Tight End?

Linebacker's depth could haunt the Canes this season.

With Darryl Sharpton now playing for the Houston Texans, that leaves senior Colin McCarthy as the returning starter.

During the Champs Sports Bowl, tight end Lance Kendricks caught seven passes for 128 yards.

The defense provided no answer to him.

Sean Spence suffered through a sophomore slump with just 36 tackles. He also battled a nagging injury, which was evident during C.J. Spiller's long touchdown catch in Clemson's upset over Miami.

Junior Jordan Futch, who began to see time on defense and looked sharp before suffering a season-ending injury, should be back in time.

He will compete for a starting spot.

Junior Ramon Buchanan had 28 tackles last season while Spence was injured.

Other players with limited action include incoming freshman Tyrone Cornileus, redshirt freshmen Shayon Green and Luther Robinson, and sophomore C.J. Holton.

No. 7 Added Pressure

In the Champs Sports Bowl loss to the Wisconsin Badgers, the battle was won in the trenches.

A much bigger Wisconsin team steamrolled the Hurricanes' defensive line with 170 yards rushing.

Running back John Clay finished the game with 125 yards and two touchdowns.

With a depleted line that suffered countless injuries during the season, it was no match for the Big-10 style of football.

On top of that, Scott Tolzien looked relaxed in the pocket with little pressure, passing for 260 yards and an interception. He was sacked once.

No. 8 Forcing Turnovers

Since the Randy Shannon era began, turnovers have been hard to come by for the Miami Hurricanes defense.

Last year, opponents were picked off just nine times. Miami caused 23 fumbles, 12 of which were lost.

Senior cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke finally intercepted a pass during his third season starting.

This trend must end if the Hurricanes want an actual shot at the national title. Turnover margin is crucial, especially with a pass-happy offense that loses the ball every so often.

Look for rising playmakers like Ray-Ray Armstrong and Vaughn Telemaque to get the job done.

No. 9 Inventing Swagger

When Miami started out 2-0 last season following victories over Florida State and Georgia Tech, ESPN decided to jump on the bandwagon and overuse the word "swagger."

Then, a brick wall quickly caught the swagger wave as Virginia Tech crushed the Hurricanes 31-7 in Blacksburg.

During LeBron James' decision, there were a few stray swagger mentions. In popular songs, such as Ke$ha's "Tik Tok," the word is hard to avoid.

As fans continue to wear "The U Invented Swagger" t-shirt, the team should actually play worthy of the title.

Of its tradition and origin.

No. 10 A Little Bit of Luck

"It's better to be lucky than good."

Whether that means Travis Benjamin catches the winning touchdown pass at Wake Forest, or Brandon Harris barely deflects a ball playing one-on-one coverage, every championship team encounters some bit of luck.

In 2001, the Miami Hurricanes held off Boston College in the waning seconds when Mike Rumph deflected a ball into Matt Walters' hands.

Ed Reed took it the rest of the way for an 80-yard score.

Miami would go on to win its fifth championship, and the rest is history.