The best and worst case scenario for Miami this college football season

Last weeks win against the 23rd ranked Texas A&M Aggies has the entire fanbase feeling good. The mood in the locker room is one of confidence, but Mario has stressed each game is its own silo.

I wanted to look at the best and worst-case scenarios for the Hurricanes this season. These can vary significantly depending on several factors, including the availability of the team’s talent, coaching staff, schedule, and to some degree, luck.

I end this off with what I consider the most likely scenario for the 2023 Canes.

Let’s get crazy for a moment and push it to the limit:

Best-Case Scenario:

1. Undefeated Season: The best-case scenario for the Hurricanes would typically involve an undefeated regular season. This means they win all of their games, including key matchups against strong opponents. We’ve seen 1 of the 3 toughest games this season and that resulted in a resounding victory for Miami 48-33.

2. Conference Championship: Miami win’s their conference championship game, for the first time, earning them a spot in the College Football Playoff.

3. National Championship: If the Hurricanes make it to the College Football Playoff, they would have a chance to compete for the national championship. Winning the national title would be the ultimate best-case scenario.

Other positive outcomes in a best-case scenario may include individual player awards, such as Heisman Trophy or Walter Camp award consideration for a star player (i.e TVD), and a strong recruiting class for the coming season(s).

Tyler Van Dyke is the leader of the offense.

@KappaCane

While it may seem unlikely, it is certainly possible. With that said, let’s look at the other side of that coin.

Worst-Case Scenario:

1. Losing Season: The worst-case scenario would typically involve a losing season, with the Hurricanes failing to win more games than they lose (i.e. last year). This can be due to various factors, including injuries, poor performance, lack of buy in, and/or a tough schedule.

2. Missing Bowl Game: If Miami has another particularly bad season, they might not qualify for a bowl game, which can be a significant disappointment for the team and its fans. Missing out on the additional 15 practices, and the loss of the financial benefits to the program would further widen the gap between Miami and other bowl eligible programs.

3. Coaching Issues: A worst-case scenario might also involve coaching problems, such as poor coaching decisions by the coaching staff or a lack of player development. Ultimately, it would put Miami back in the grinder as its been every offseason for the last 10 years+.

4. Recruiting Setbacks: A bad season can also impact recruiting efforts, making it challenging to attract top talent in the future. We saw this happen year after year, with top talent wanting to “wait and see” and when what they saw wasn’t good enough, they went elsewhere. Who can blame them?

It’s important to note that the specific best and worst-case scenarios for any given season can vary widely, and college football seasons are often full of unexpected twists and turns. This is why the games are played on the field, and not on paper.

Likely Scenario:

1. Miami wins 10 games: This year’s team has shown tremendous growth over last season and doubling their victory total is a very real possibility. Looking at the schedule, Miami faces Bethune, Temple, and Georgia Tech in the coming weeks and could easily be 5-0 heading into a top 20 ranked matchup at UNC. This will require all hands on deck, as quality depth is a concern at certain positions (think QB, OL, LB, DL).

2. Potential Losses: Miami could stumble along the way somewhere and with a road Game against #3 ranked FSU, this could be the game Miami falls short in. The other tough matchup will be Clemson at home a week after playing on the road at UNC. If Miami can win at least one of these matchups, I expect them to make it to the ACC Championship game for a rematch against FSU or Clemson. How sweet would it be to beat FSU for our first ACC Championship? Epic trolling material.

3. Recruiting wins: When it matters most, recruits are going to flip to Miami as they’ve had the opportunity to see the changes in the program, the development of lower ranked prospects, and to experience the shift in culture. All eyes are on Ohio State WR commit Jeremiah Smith, but don’t be surprised to see key DL commits change their minds as Jason Taylor’s unit has been playing lights out.

Ultimately, the state of the program, competition within the conference, and other factors will influence what is considered a best or worst-case outcome in any given year. For the most up-to-date information on the Miami Hurricanes’ performance, stick with us and get the best news and analysis in the business for FREE99.

What are your thoughts on the Best/Worst case scenario? What do you think is likely?

Let us know in the comments below. #GoCanes!

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