I’m down bad fellas. Just brutal.

[dantheman349]

This 12 team playoff is a slog. I can't imagine expanding it. We just played number 1, 2, 6, 7 consecutively, after the regular season. That is just unbelievably taxing. **** I'm not even chomping at the bit for Spring like I used to. Just need to get back down to neutral. For all you guys who attended all the games, hats off to you. That defeat was even harder on you. We have a great foundation and will make another run!

Yes last night hurt in the stadium. While Beck threw it I yelled no lol. But I’m proud of them for this season and coming back after the SMU game I’ll proudly wear my orange 2026 national championship game shirt when I go out. Just wish it ended differently.

 

[LPK2006]

What's p*ssing me off is all these national fans and Indiana fans who are acting like we got beat 50-0.

 

[NZ Cane]

The worst part for me is we won’t be able to watch the team again. I mean what a group of kids playing for each other. We haven’t seen that here in 25 years.

Its been weird being relevant this long, normally we are busy winning 'off season championships'. Our seasons often peter out in November.

This year has been like cocaine and you just want a little more...

Sad and empty, yes...But we winning the ACC next year. Lets slay that final dragon.

 

[BooBoo]

As the last 2 decades have taught us, nothing is guaranteed. We can put all the lipstick on it we want, it is a great opportunity squandered any way you slice it. If it hurts, it's because it should hurt. Lick your wounds and keep pushing forward.

 

[MiamiInvestor]

Did anyone think about this….had we won we would’ve been ‘26 champs

Would be nice tribute to Sean Taylor.

 

[FtLaudCaneFan]

The gauntlet was tough cause we were the last team in. If we take care of business in the ACC and are a higher seed, it won’t be as tough. With that said, a big reason for our success was the play of our offensive and defensive lines. We are losing all Americans at those positions on both sides. Those units will still be solid next year, but for the team to have success again, it will look different. If/when we land Mensah, I would hope we get back to the 2024 offensive style opposed to this year. Toney and Fletcher back is huge. Let’s hope one of the WR transfers end up being good and maybe Jojo finally gets it together. Definitely need to address TE.

It seems the few times I saw JoJo in he dropped the one ball thrown his way. Routine.

 

[McGahee2TheHouse]

I feel you OP. I think we have all felt like this today. Just surreal and I’ve literally felt nauseous and ****** all day.

Keep your head up G. As hard as it is for me to remain positive right now, for once we do have a bright future.

 

[Angry Ibis]

If that’s the culture here, and a lot of those kids are still here, then why would it just disappear?

Not disagreeing but we hear those buzzwords about every team that wins including the one with their mercenary QB that just beat us last night

“I’d like to thank God, my pit crew, DuPont, Frito Lay, without them, the #24 Pepsi Monte Carlo” couldn’t have gotten it done today “

 

[caneingville]

Not disagreeing but we hear those buzzwords about every team that wins including the one with their mercenary QB that just beat us last night

“I’d like to thank God, my pit crew, DuPont, Frito Lay, without them, the #24 Pepsi Monte Carlo” couldn’t have gotten it done today “

Honest question - do you feel like it’s just buzzwords with our team?

Because I don’t. I’m 100% confident that these kids would actually take a bullet for each other. I don’t believe it at all about Indiana. I believe it as much as I believe everyone’s gone through “adversity” these days, which I know is what your post is getting at.

So why can’t that culture carry over to next year when many (most) of those guys are still there?

 

[Angry Ibis]

Honest question - do you feel like it’s just buzzwords with our team?

Because I don’t. I’m 100% confident that these kids would actually take a bullet for each other. I don’t believe it at all about Indiana. I believe it as much as I believe everyone’s gone through “adversity” these days, which I know is what your post is getting at.

So why can’t that culture carry over to next year when many (most) of those guys are still there?

To answer your question, Miami/CIS - Yes. This group of players - No. This team bonded due to coaching induced adversity and rebounded strong to peak at the right time. It was awesome to watch.

Culture gets thrown around here as a hopium or token of progress too many times. Do I think there is a core group of strong football dudes, I do.

We lose a lot of key players, so we’ll see what the next roster looks like and how it gels.

 

[twes.305]

Don’t think they should expand the playoffs. I also don’t believe any team should get a bye week. Schedule harder OOC games mayb?

 

[caneingville]

To answer your question, Miami/CIS - Yes. This group of players - No. This team bonded due to coaching induced adversity and rebounded strong to peak at the right time. It was awesome to watch.

Culture gets thrown around here as a hopium or token of progress too many times. Do I think there is a core group of strong football dudes, I do.

We lose a lot of key players, so we’ll see what the next roster looks like and how it gels.

People said the same thing last year though. We had this same exact conversation here on CIS. People thought the culture and strong team bond was going to disappear because Cam was going to the NFL and it was just his leadership. I said last year that I thought that he was leaving Miami a better place than when he came here, and those players remaining can carry it forward. If this is the culture here, then 1/4 of the players leaving each year isn’t going to completely overhaul that.

 

[BRockCane98]

I traveled to every playoff game on this magical run. We were in so may nailbiter games. Since December 19 it’s been a month full of constant travel and anxiety and we kept coming out on the winning end. Just brutal to come up short after all of it. Still laying in bed. Just soul crushing.

Given the playoff format it seems impossible to go through another 3 game gauntlet to get back to this game. Maybe that’s because we have sucked the past 20 years so it feels improbable that we can do this again? I suppose if Mario really is turning us into a monster then we should make it back the way Alabama and Georgia are always getting to this game in the past.

Just had to type all of this out and vent.

Someone help me get out of bed and convince me we can get back to this game again.

We will be back again. To many resources, Mario is a good roster builder, he seems to have improved as a game day coach, and the geographical advantage still matters in the NIL era. If two teams are gonna pay you $700,000 you'd prefer to take it from the team that's closer to home.

Miami will be a perennial playoff team going forward.

 

[Angry Ibis]

People said the same thing last year though. We had this same exact conversation here on CIS. People thought the culture and strong team bond was going to disappear because Cam was going to the NFL and it was just his leadership. I said last year that I thought that he was leaving Miami a better place than when he came here, and those players remaining can carry it forward. If this is the culture here, then 1/4 of the players leaving each year isn’t going to completely overhaul that.

That’s very fair. We also heard the culture was strong and watched TVD lay on the ground and have his lineman ignore him.

We hear culture is strong because the team doesn’t give up or heard it was bad in the past due to the way we start games - only to see us appear to sleep walk through halves, etc.

Every player is an elite human being until they commit somewhere else or enter the portal to leave.

Fletcher and Toney will bring strong presence. Defense will need a leader.

 

[caneingville]

That’s very fair. We also heard the culture was strong and watched TVD lay on the ground and have his lineman ignore him.

We hear culture is strong because the team doesn’t give up or heard it was bad in the past due to the way we start games - only to see us appear to sleep walk through halves, etc.

Every player is an elite human being until they commit somewhere else or enter the portal to leave.

Fletcher and Toney will bring strong presence. Defense will need a leader.

100% agree that defense will need a new leader to replace 3 and 4. There are guys here that hopefully will do that.

 

[caneingville]

That’s very fair. We also heard the culture was strong and watched TVD lay on the ground and have his lineman ignore him.

We hear culture is strong because the team doesn’t give up or heard it was bad in the past due to the way we start games - only to see us appear to sleep walk through halves, etc.

Every player is an elite human being until they commit somewhere else or enter the portal to leave.

Fletcher and Toney will bring strong presence. Defense will need a leader.

Forgot to add that the reason I brought up Cam before was because I do think that Cam was possibly the catalyst for the change. We know TVD wasn’t a leader in the same way, and I do agree with you in that the lip service is a bunch of crap. But these kids held each other up this year in a way that is different than before Cam was here, and I do hope it continues.

 

[South AfriCane]

I will get blasted for this by some that may not understand, but here goes . . . I just like most of you are feeling like crap today. I've been a Canes fan ever since they beat Nebraska in the OB in '83. I was 14 at the time. I had next door neighbors that were huge Nebraska fans. One of their uncles played there. Anyway, being young and dumb I liked the name Hurricanes and the fact that they didn't stand a chance against that team, then they won. That time line lets you know that I've had to suffer thru the loses to Pedo St, Alabama, and the "infamous flag" game vs o$u. All NC games. Losing to ND on the TD that was ruled a fumble. Costing us a trip the NC game. How about the BCS bull$$it that cost us in 2000? Howard leaving, Jimmy leaving, probation, and Butch finally getting it going again, only to leave because we were too **** cheap to "pay that man his money". Some of us have had to suffer thru all that. I am NOT SAYING you are not a fan if you're not an oldie like me. This time it feels like the Butch days. We are built for the long term with a coach that can recruit his a&& off and knows how to build a roster. I also don't believe Mario will ever leave unless he's fired. Now that I understand football more. Culture and following the process are what keeps programs going. Mario will always get us talent and we have money to spend. I fully believe we will be back in the championship game again and very very soon. People say we're not back . . . to that I say bull$$it . . . I agree with Mario . . . we're here now and not going anywhere. Lick your wounds boys, get ready for some great portal news, we are here to stay for the long haul. It's GREAT to be a Miami Hurricane fan.

Love this post. It’s filled with hard-earned insights and wisdom about the program from an elder and lifelong Canes fan.

I was a student on campus during the Butch days and agree this resurgence feels a lot like those early days. I’m confident Mario will have us in the mix every year from now on.

 

[Meast21]

Woke up feeling pretty empty myself.

One saving grace for me is that this doesn't feel like a cinderella run where we go back to the oblivion. I trust in the framework Mario is trying to build here that will have us competing for years to come.

He has also shown personal growth in his ability to make changes when needed as well as game-day management.

We have the blueprint.

This. Felt the same but said the same thing to myself today. We have the blueprint. Mario has laid the foundation. Dominate crooting in the trenches, build a team that is tough and physcial. Surround that with a top-tier portal QB and some weapons and we can be a perennial playoff team. A team that can Bro Ball or air it out and win different ways. Next step is a team that plays "cleaner" (less penalties, TO's, mental errors extra like IU, credit to them) and we win.

 

[jed1250]

The worst day I have ever had in my life I got over it. You will be fine

 

[Smokeshow0809]

Worst day of my life as well. Being so close and seeing the red confetti fall in our own stadium…my stomach hurts thinking about the game and how sweet it could have been. This group was special and deserved a better ending. Ultimately very proud of the team. They have re-raised the bar—it’s natty or bust from here on out, like the old days!

This is the first season in decades that I truly felt we would win every week we took the field