Miami Vs. Ohio State Could Determine the ACC Coastal

There aren’t many teams as storied as the Miami Hurricanes.  With a trophy case full of national championships and an obscenely large number of players in the NFL, The U is synonymous with college football.

In recent years, however, the Hurricanes have lost a lot of their prowess and “swagger.”  It was only until last year that they have really made some noise in the ACC, much less nationally.  After defeating two ranked opponents to start the season, some analysts even projected Miami to play in the BCS Title game.

Then they went to Blacksburg.

I think we all know what happened there.  I know I almost caught hypothermia standing out there in the rain and cold but it was so incredibly worth it.

But if you look a little closer at the Hurricanes’ record from 2009, you’ll see a very interesting pattern.  While they defeated three teams ranked in the top 25, they only defeated two teams with defenses that surrendered less than 350 yards per game.  Those teams were a sliding South Florida and a newly Sam Bradford-less Oklahoma.

For those of you who need more statistics, Miami went an unimpressive two of six against teams giving up 350 ypg or fewer.  With the exception of the South Florida game, a statistical outlier of the six, the Hurricanes averaged losing by over eight points per game.

For the 2010 season, the Hurricanes look to play at least five teams who will likely allow less than 350 yards per game.  This is the reason why the game at Columbus could easily decide the entire ACC Coastal.

It will be the first true test for one of the deepest and most talented teams in the country.  I think it’s a reasonable assumption that if the Hurricanes can play with an always physical Ohio State on the road, The U should be a legitimate contender in the ACC and on the national scale.

There are some reasons to believe in their abilities this year.  They actually out-gained UNC but lost the game on turnovers, they took Clemson to overtime and beat Oklahoma by one.  But none of those teams were as balanced or as talented as Ohio State or Virginia Tech will be in 2010.

The Buckeyes look solid on offense with the return of athletic quarterback Terrelle Pryor who had the game of his career against Oregon in the Rose Bowl.  Cameron Heyward is a projected first round pick in the draft and the leader on a defense that finished fifth in the country.

I personally think that Ohio State has the talent to be in the national championship game.  Whatever hatred I have for The U is no match for production on the field.  If they can beat the Buckeyes on the road or at least make the game close, I will respect Miami as an opponent in 2010.  But until they actually get on the field and prove it, I won’t be a believer.

If they can beat the Buckeyes, I’ll project Miami vs. Virginia Tech to decide the coastal division.  If they get dominated like they did in Blacksburg, I’ll project them fighting for third place.

By the end of the 2009 season, it was obvious that Miami was not prepared to play with physical teams as they got dominated against Wisconsin.  The experts have all come to a consensus that Miami does not have an excuse for not being a nationally relevant team but they will have to beat physical and defensive teams in order to get there.

September 11 in Columbus, Ohio should provide a lot of answers to the burning questions surrounding the Hurricanes.