I originally predicted 8-4 or 9-3, but with the caveat that beating FSU might propel the Canes to a miracle season. That was before François was injured, but I will stand by the prediction. Beating FSU with less than 2 minutes left in Tallahassee was special. GT could have been a let down, but UM pulled it out despite the bonehead onside kick. The euphoria of beating FSU will wear off, keeping the team focused on the current opponent. A few injured players return, like Redwine, Pinkney and Richards this week or next, then Delaney and Donaldson. The fill-ins have proven capable (forgetting Knowles, of course). The two toughest opponents have to play in Hard Rock where last week's crowd was better than in past games that did not include FSU. I'm counting on winning out for 11-0, and then a good showing against Clemson in the ACC Championship. A major bowl victory (except if UM pulls off another miracle against Clemson), and next year the Canes are legitimate contenders for the playoff. The team's progress is much faster than I thought it would be.
By the way, I don't consider SU one of the two remaining tough opponents. I used to live in Syracuse and watched as the team beat a highly ranked Nebraska in the Carrier Dome in the late 1970s. The team still stunk and went no where. It is hard for me to imagine SU ever becoming a legitimate football power again. In the old days, the Penn State game was a regular high point on the schedule, similar to the UM-FSU rivalry. The two teams competed for supremacy in PA and western NY. By the late 1970s, the rivalry had been forgotten as the SU-PSU game was no longer scheduled. Basketball took the limelight away from football at SU, and the football program became a disappointment. The MacPherson years provided some high points, but even they were limited. With Boeheim aging, I am not sure that the basketball program will retain its luster. I look for UM to easily handle SU, in what Richt calls a dominant performance.