Not a bad example, but Virginia Tech isn't Miami, and OSU isn't Alabama. Nobody talks year after year about Virginia Tech being "back," and nobody talks about OSU as a modern dynasty.
If Miami beats Alabama, all you're going to hear about is "Is the U Back?" all year long. Recruits all over Florida will be pumped. Kids in Texas and California will be buying D'Eriq King jerseys. Believe it or not, a lot of people WANT to like Miami, we just haven't given them any reason to in the last 20 years.
Miami still has the brand equity that if we go out there and actually prove we're more than just an ACC Coastal team, and we get some people across the country believing we're for real, the hype train will start running in a way it never would for a team like Va Tech. Questions about Manny would be erased, and our recruiting would hit another level, especially with the hometown kids.