Miami Football: Clash with Virginia Begins Show-Me Stretch for Al Golden

The Miami Hurricanes blasted a pair of conference opponents in Virginia Tech and North Carolina, starting to show signs of significant improvement compared to the 18-point season-opening loss to Louisville.

Following a bye week, Al Golden's team proved it actually belonged on the same field as Florida State for the first time since 2009. The result—a four-point loss—was undoubtedly disappointing, but it wasn't discouraging.

Miami's final two regular-season opponents are Virginia and Pittsburgh, which means an 8-4 finish to the 2014 campaign is attainable. 

Good teams defeat lesser competition, but that's something the 'Canes have been unable to do consistently.

However, the impressive nature of the recent three-game stretch means it's time for "The U" to confirm it belongs on the nation's radar for 2015.

The return to relevance is a painstaking road, especially for the program that underwent a turbulent period overshadowed by a major distraction. Yet even at 6-4 this season, Golden has positioned the Hurricanes closer than ever to reemergence on the Football Bowl Subdivision landscape.

Their performance against FSU made the country pay a little more attention to the once-dominant school. According to Susan Miller Degnan of The Miami Herald, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit had plenty of praise for the future of the 'Canes:

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I'm not saying this as a pro-Miami guy or an anti-Miami guy. I follow this stuff every minute that I'm awake. I talk with a lot of coaches all across the country, and what Al Golden and Mark D'Onofrio and James Coley are doing right now, and with the young talent they have around them, there is a lot to be excited about on that team.

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"Closer than ever" is a phrase to which many Hurricanes supporters have voiced their objections on various parts of the Internet. Why? It's been repeatedly said for a few seasons now, but Miami still hasn't reached the expected dominant level.

Many—including myself—have to admit an error: The 'Canes weren't truly ready before this year, but we flocked to something shiny once we saw a potential superstar in Duke Johnson.

Ultimately, the entire team had a bigger hill to climb than was acknowledged by the masses.

Golden didn't inherit a program that was winning 10-plus games each season yet proceeding to completely screw everything up. Former coach Randy Shannon left the team with little elite talent, so Miami became Golden's mess.

The roster would require at least four recruiting classes and one star quarterback for a complete rebuild. Since 2012, the Hurricanes signed the No. 10, 14 and 12 classes in the nation—plus Brad Kaaya.

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"They've got a true freshman quarterback and the sky is the limit," Herbstreit told the Herald. "If they put one more recruiting class behind what is already on that roster, Miami is so close. And I think anybody that doesn't recognize that just doesn't watch the game or maybe know the game."

The drawn-out NCAA investigation remains a viable excuse, and retaining Golden for a fifth year is entirely fair. The 2015 roster will be 100 percent comprised of his recruits, so Golden will be fully judged on his own team's performance.

Herbstreit noted that the expectations to this point were unfair:

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Today's about Twitter, and it's about people not having a realistic view on things. Nobody wants to realize that Nevin Shapiro, that whole NCAA debacle, that whole dark cloud, was just a couple years ago. You don't go through Nevin Shapiro and possibly being put on death penalty and probation and years and years of setback and just blink your eyes and say, "Well, we're Miami so we've got to win 12 games."

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But Golden has already made the two-deep legitimately competitive despite all the setbacks, so now it's a matter of filling out the rest and then executing on the field. Remember, this journey that may seem long enough already didn't happen overnight.

Miami was stuck in a crater, not just a hole.

The 'Canes, however, must begin flipping the script and burying their opponents as the 2014 season nears its conclusion. Virginia and Pittsburgh are both respectable teams, but neither is better than Miami on paper.

Virginia's defense—highlighted by Quin Blanding and Anthony Harris, among others—is excellent. Overall, it's allowed 347.8 yards and 25.2 points per outing—the Cavaliers' best marks since 2011 and 2008, respectively.

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But quarterback Greyson Lambert and the UVA offense isn't a supreme threat. While Darius Jennings, Taquan Mizzell and Kevin Parks are all decent players, the unit doesn't have a breakout star. Jennings and Mizzell have notable speed, but it's not an attribute Miami is ill-prepared to handle.

Conversely, Pittsburgh is carried by running back James Conner and wide receiver Tyler Boyd, both of whom are difficult to contain. Conner ranks third in the nation with 1,562 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, while Boyd has accounted for 951 yards and six scores.

However, the Panthers defense can be exploited, considering it surrenders 351.5 yards and 27.7 points per game.

What's more, Pitt allowed 56, 51 and 40 points to Georgia Tech, Duke and North Carolina, respectively, over the team's last three games.

Simply put, these are the types of matchups the Hurricanes must start dominating. They've demonstrated the ability to overpower teams (see: Virginia Tech and UNC), but 60-minute execution is imperative moving forward.

"You do not want to play Miami next year. I'll tell you that right now," Herbstreit told the Herald.

Golden's team can start to defend that early promotion by knocking off Virginia, Pittsburgh and the eventual bowl opponent. The 2015 season may seem far away, but finishing the current campaign on a high note would help silence detractors and continue advancing the program in the right direction.

The 'Canes seemingly removed themselves from the plague of mediocrity this season, challenging top competition into the fourth quarter. They came up short, but the experience gained from those games must translate against the mid-level teams remaining on the schedule.

Golden has accomplished many things at Miami, none larger than hoisting The U out of a crater and turning a few heads in the process. But his justifiable excuse has an expiration date that is soon approaching.

He's signed the talent. He's created winning game plans. Beginning Saturday and carrying into 2015, however, it's time for his successes to show up in the win column.

Stats courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.