Phil Steele calls Miami "legitimate title contender"

Phil Steele calls Miami "legitimate title contender"

Peter Ariz
Peter Ariz

Comments (141)

It is not that much of a stretch to say that if you actually think about it.


F$U is a unanimous pick by everyone in the media to make the playoffs. Miami is the odds on favorite to face them in the ACC Championship.
If Miami somehow only loses one game going into that hypothetical Final match and wins the championship they will be in the playoffs.

A couple years back UNC was a few bounces of the ball away from making the playoffs so it is not that crazy to think Miami can also be in that situation.

I firmly believe that Miami will get in playoffs at the first possible moment because of the ratings bonanza it would cause. The hate alone will make us a preferred choice with any excuse.
 
If we don't play for the ACC championship this year it'll be a colossal failure.
 
Doesn't seem too far fetched. Bama made the championship game last year with a QB who couldn't throw.

If Phil is right he looks like a genius. If he's wrong then no one will care.
 
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******* Kaaya. Say what you want about his shortcomings, but his experience and arm would've made us a legit title contender. One of the oddest early declarations ever.

Rick didn't try to keep Kaaya here. I think we saw Kaaya and saw that his limitations might have put a cap on what he could do here. I was expecting him to evolve tremendously last year with a better OC/playcaller, but he didn't.
 
just like we can have a high ceiling and lose 1-2 games and be in the ACCCG/playoffs I feel that at the same time we can have a potentially disastrous season.

What if our QB position does not work out? What if we have some unfortunate injuries? Our O-line has never been consistent, why this year?

Questions that could come to fruition just as easily as having a great season. Very unfortunate when you consider this recruiting class we have currently and its upmost importance to our future.

Wow... what an important season this will be, could potentially get us a couple of years ahead of schedule to where we want to be.
Rick won 10 games his final year at UGA with the 3 headed trash monster Lambert, Ramsey and Bauta at QB. We're at least as good as that at QB, and our schedule is trash. On top of that, almost every decent opponent is also breaking in a new QB. Win the coastal and at least 10, or it's a major failure.
 
Id be ecstatic with a playoff berth. However I'm trying to keep my hopes for this year realistic with the giant question mark at the QB position. If we get above average QB play this years team will shock ppl who haven't been following the program closely.
 
Things seem pretty delicate personnel-wise on offense.

If something happens to Perry, Walton, Richards, Herndon, McDermott I'm not sold that we have adequate depth to overcome it.

The big thing working in our favor is the schedule (FSU early enough where they likely won't spoil our season if we lose).
 
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UNC is a shell of what they were last year. VT is at home, not Thursday at Blacksburg, and breaking in a new QB. Notre Dame is at home. Win 10 and finally make an appearance in the ACC title game or else it's 2 underwhelming seasons in a row for the new man in charge.
 
Think we have a projected Championship defense. The rest we'll find out soon enough.

And defenses win championships. Plus its not like we don't have the best returning RB and WR in the ACC...and probably TE too. Our offense has some studs. We don't need everyone to play like all americans, we just need them not to lose us games.
The only question about our offense is will the OL block well and will our QB be able to not lose us games.

Really, If our OL is top 3 in the ACC this year, I expect to make the championship and/or win it. Our OL play is more important than our QB play imo.
 
Think we have a projected Championship defense. The rest we'll find out soon enough.

And defenses win championships. Plus its not like we don't have the best returning RB and WR in the ACC...and probably TE too. Our offense has some studs. We don't need everyone to play like all americans, we just need them not to lose us games.
The only question about our offense is will the OL block well and will our QB be able to not lose us games.

Really, If our OL is top 3 in the ACC this year, I expect to make the championship and/or win it. Our OL play is more important than our QB play imo.

I couldnt agree more
 
just like we can have a high ceiling and lose 1-2 games and be in the ACCCG/playoffs I feel that at the same time we can have a potentially disastrous season.

What if our QB position does not work out? What if we have some unfortunate injuries? Our O-line has never been consistent, why this year?

Questions that could come to fruition just as easily as having a great season. Very unfortunate when you consider this recruiting class we have currently and its upmost importance to our future.

Wow... what an important season this will be, could potentially get us a couple of years ahead of schedule to where we want to be.

Every contending team in the ACC is pretty much in the same boat except for F$U and Louisville. Almost every team is breaking in a New QB with little experience who has to come in and prove that they are legit or else their season could be a colossal failure.

The difference is that we have a Defense that can help us all feel better knowing that they will keep us in every game.
Hopefully we make enough plays on offense and special teams to be a contender all year long.
 
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It is not that much of a stretch to say that if you actually think about it.


F$U is a unanimous pick by everyone in the media to make the playoffs. Miami is the odds on favorite to face them in the ACC Championship.
If Miami somehow only loses one game going into that hypothetical Final match and wins the championship they will be in the playoffs.

A couple years back UNC was a few bounces of the ball away from making the playoffs so it is not that crazy to think Miami can also be in that situation.

I firmly believe that Miami will get in playoffs at the first possible moment because of the ratings bonanza it would cause. The hate alone will make us a preferred choice with any excuse.

Having a human committee could be very beneficial. Unless it comes down to two teams from the SEC or something like that.
 
Hard to call Miami a contender with the big question tab QB. Not sure if I agree with Steele on this one. Miami is a year away and hopefully the DT's come back next year.
 
OL, QB and RB units don't look like playoff caliber to me.

Not even 3rd in the Coastal caliber.
 
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"If our starting running back and two starting linemen and starting tight end get hurt, we're in trouble" -Every single team in America.
 
In the early 2000s losing a starting RB was no big deal.

We replaced McKinnie, Gonzalez, Bibla with Carey, Myers, Joseph in 2002.

Shockey wasn't a starter in 2000. Winslow was the 3rd TE in 2001.

There's depth issues on offense in 2017 due mainly to attrition (Allison, Yearby, Edwards, Njoku, Haskins, Odogwu).

This upcoming recruiting class should alleviate these problems (and then some) but we're in a precarious situation this year I'm afraid.
 
Think we have a projected Championship defense. The rest we'll find out soon enough.

The secondary situation changed 5 nanoseconds after Delaney agreed to transfer for his grad year. Let us experiment and move Redwine to safety which looks like a successfully transition. Young took a huge leap. Dean gives us a big body and they really like what they see with Carter. Best thing to say about Bandy is pure football player. Comes with a college ready body. Nasty competitor. He is going to be fun to watch.

The depth on the defensive line is insane. Might be the best we've had and certainly from a depth perspective for a least 2 decades. The three amigos at linebacker should be much more physically ready to handle the entire year. I love that Owens is pushing for a starting job.

Plus, the infusion of talent will greatly improve our special teams.
 
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It is not that much of a stretch to say that if you actually think about it.


F$U is a unanimous pick by everyone in the media to make the playoffs. Miami is the odds on favorite to face them in the ACC Championship.
If Miami somehow only loses one game going into that hypothetical Final match and wins the championship they will be in the playoffs.

A couple years back UNC was a few bounces of the ball away from making the playoffs so it is not that crazy to think Miami can also be in that situation.

I think FSU could make playoffs but if they lose to Bama and Clemson then no playoffs
 
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