Miami’s home and away opponents in the non-conference schedule were revealed on Wednesday. So, let’s get this rant of an article started.
Miami to play six Florida teams
Yep, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. Jai Lucas wants all the Florida smoke, and he’s not backing down.
As we reported last month, Lucas and Todd Golden will face off in Jacksonville for Miami’s fourth game of the season. If all goes to plan, the Hurricanes should roll into that matchup with a 3-0 record.
Miami will also take on several other in-state schools, including Jacksonville, Bethune-Cookman, Stetson, FIU, and North Florida, keeping the early schedule heavy with Florida flavor.
Need to lose just 1-2 games
Miami is set to face Florida, Ole Miss, and potentially BYU in the ESPN In-Season Tournament. If the Hurricanes want to have the kind of season they're aiming for, dropping only one or two of those games is crucial. Sure, going undefeated would be ideal — but let’s be real.
The rest of the non-conference slate includes teams like Bethune-Cookman, Stetson, Elon, Southern Miss, ULM, FIU, North Florida, and Delaware State, all of which should be winnable games. From there, it comes down to going at least 2-1 (or at worst 1-2) against the tougher matchups.
To be taken seriously, Miami needs to beat at least one of those big-time opponents, whether it’s BYU, Dayton, or Georgetown, someone from that ESPN Invitational group, or Florida, and Ole Miss.
Miami only leaves the state ONE time
Going back to what I was saying, Miami will face six in-state opponents and won’t leave Florida until December 2nd, when they travel to face Ole Miss in the ACC/SEC Challenge. That game will mark the Hurricanes’ first true road test of the year.
The ESPN Invitational will take place in Orlando, while Miami will also head to Jacksonville for a neutral-site showdown against in-state rival Florida. Outside of those games, the rest of the non-conference schedule will be played at home inside the Watsco Center.
