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Some thoughts on the season

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Thanks for the coverage. I've been a canes fan, as a little kid growing up in the virgin Islands. Been following them since the Schellenberger days. I'm a loyal fan, took my 20 years of heartbreak like a champ, my loyalty never wavered. I was estactic on selection day to see that Miami logo appear. We were a blocked punt away from a national championship. But overall, season was all gas, no brakes....Next year will be greater. Go Canes....[]_[]
 
AlexCane said:
Great write-up as usual @DMoney.

I want to underscore one of the points you made.

For the first time in a long time, we're making and winning over new fans and it's impressionable boys aged 8-12. It's been a long time since we could do that.

Kids born after 2000 (or thereabouts), never saw what tied each of us to this team and this program. They did not see a competitive product for decades. But they did see a good FSU run with Jameis and Dalvin, and a good UF run during the Urban Tebow years. They also saw a lot of homegrown talent leave the state (Jeudy, Amari Cooper, Jeremiath Smith, etc.) and make waves. A lot of these kids are unfortunately likely fans of other teams. We've had little to persuade young kids to become fans.

Now, it's different. I have an 11 y/o that plays flag football and for the first time in a long time, kids are talking about the U again. Last year, Cam and X was a major topic of conversation. Now, it's Toney. We're winning over impressionable young fans who will hopefully be the next generation of hardcore Canes fans (and Canes Connection members!). And when these impressionable kids are now 16, 17, 18 and choosing where to play college ball, there's a backbone that didn't exist for a lot of So Fla kids for a long time. The U is now cool again. This is going to take a few years to reap the benefits but we shouldn't lose the Dalvin Cooks and the Jeremiah Smiths the next 5-7 years anymore.
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It’s not just kids in state. My middle gkid, 14 yrs old.lives in Atlanta, mom and dad UGA ALUM, SIL fam are generational UGA ALUMNS. They all have season tix, even the kids. On field access almost every game.. They’re DAWGS….She Wants to go to college at MIAMI. Big Cane, fan and terrific tennis and golf player. All she talks about is The U. Makes me proud.
 
@DMoney great write up.

I know that no one wants to say were "back" but I think it's fair to say looking forward, I don't know how with the current admin and staff we're not going to continue be competitive in top 12.

With that being said, love to see an article or write up on essentially the emotional roller coaster of the admin we had, the new coaching staffs and the random winning weekend, where we all thought that this could be it over the past 20 or so years.

Not sure three paragraphs will cover it but, maybe a thought.

Love your work keep it up.
 
There is still one huge problem, and it popped up again this past season: Losing the games he’s supposed to win. It’s followed him from Oregon, and showed itself every season here too.

If Mario can figure out how to win consistently despite being a double digit favorite, he’ll really be onto something here.
 
Arehel said:
@DMoney great write up.

I know that no one wants to say were "back" but I think it's fair to say looking forward, I don't know how with the current admin and staff we're not going to continue be competitive in top 12.

With that being said, love to see an article or write up on essentially the emotional roller coaster of the admin we had, the new coaching staffs and the random winning weekend, where we all thought that this could be it over the past 20 or so years.

Not sure three paragraphs will cover it but, maybe a thought.

Love your work keep it up.
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You’re saying you want a write up of all the times we thought we were back during the flappy, onion, folden, Mark Richt and danny miaz years?

Why? What the **** is wrong with you??? Do you need a therapist? Or a hug?
 
1mg of Epi said:
You’re saying you want a write up of all the times we thought we were back during the flappy, onion, folden, Mark Richt and danny miaz years?

Why? What the **** is wrong with you??? Do you need a therapist? Or a hug?
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Therapy would be nice.

Nah, I would assume he has more insight into what went into the big changes from all those admins to now and more of a comparative analysis, why this works compared to before and what partially worked in the other coaching staffs but just couldn't make it over the hump.
Be cool to see behind the curtain a little.
 
Arehel said:
Therapy would be nice.

Nah, I would assume he has more insight into what went into the big changes from all those admins to now and more of a comparative analysis, why this works compared to before and what partially worked in the other coaching staffs but just couldn't make it over the hump.
Be cool to see behind the curtain a little.
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Why things didn’t work aint a secret, and doesn’t require think pieces…

It’s working now because we have an administration that made the football team a top priority, and athletics in general a priority.

They realize what a national championship level program does for all aspects of the university… so they’ve dumped whatever money is needed into athletics and we’re seeing the results.

Why it wasn’t working before… because you can’t win when you hire nobody coaches, operate out of old facilities and maintain a high level of apathy for the program.
 
1mg of Epi said:
Why things didn’t work aint a secret, and doesn’t require think pieces…

It’s working now because we have an administration that made the football team a top priority, and athletics in general a priority.

They realize what a national championship level program does for all aspects of the university… so they’ve dumped whatever money is needed into athletics and we’re seeing the results.

Why it wasn’t working before… because you can’t win when you hire nobody coaches, operate out of old facilities and maintain a high level of apathy for the program.
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That's the plain obvious, and I realize that.
Brought in a real coach who knew what had to be done and money. Yes.

Sometimes its people behind the scenes, specific decisions by specific people, whom we aren't privy to really make us a competitive program. What was the trigger and what worked and didn't previously.

I'm not sure why I have to argue with you about this.

It's the off season. I think it be a good series.

It's just story telling man. This was a great season and we all feel blessed about it, let's see how we got here and who the main characters are and tell a story.

Why read any story or analysis or any post game? Why are you on this forum for story and opinions and kind of editorials, that's what makes this place great. So chill dude and enjoy the show.
 
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DMoney said:
More than anything, this run cemented Miami’s place in the new age of college football. The sport is moving fast and we're at the forefront. The old SEC Era is done. Our game against Indiana was the highest-rated, non-NFL sporting event in a decade. We got 8 million more viewers than Ohio State v. Notre Dame last year. The Hoosiers brought viewers, too, but there’s a reason Saturday Night Live was running skits about us. Miami football is the biggest show in town again.
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Everytime parity increasing measures have been implemented in CFB, it has always resulted in a NC for MIA, & this era will be no different.

DMoney said:
It's always great to be a Miami Hurricane, but it's never felt better than right now. Good things come to those who wait. And the wait is finally over.
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Expecting this fanbase to not be impatient, is like expecting many of the married men on this forum to not get cucked by their wife; it's expecting the impossible. Even in yr 1 of Cristobal's tenure, where the team won 5 games, u could see inklings of improvement on the LOS, even though the scoreboard didn't always reflect it.
 
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Now that the season is over and we’re all sorta sitting back and reflecting on this journey, I’d also like to take this moment to send a shoutout to Bissainthe for all of his hard work, dedication, and love for The U over the years. It’s crazy how time zips by, but it seems like yesterday when Wesley was the first recruit to believe in Mario’s vision and put pen to paper. Much respect.
 
Arehel said:
That's the plain obvious, and I realize that.
Brought in a real coach who knew what had to be done and money. Yes.

Sometimes its people behind the scenes, specific decisions by specific people, whom we aren't privy to really make us a competitive program. What was the trigger and what worked and didn't previously.

I'm not sure why I have to argue with you about this.

It's the off season. I think it be a good series.

It's just story telling man. This was a great season and we all feel blessed about it, let's see how we got here and who the main characters are and tell a story.

Why read any story or analysis or any post game? Why are you on this forum for story and opinions and kind of editorials, that's what makes this place great. So chill dude and enjoy the show.
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How did you read what I wrote and interpret it as an argument?
 
DMoney said:
It’s been a two-month sprint. We went from Selection Show to Signing Day to the Playoffs to the Portal to the Courthouse. There were no breaks. Thanks to all of you, CanesInSight is about to hit 8 million posts (and counting). Now that things are more settled, I wanted to reflect on the 2025 Canes.

This season was about the wins. Miami won a school-record 13 games. We beat four Top 10 teams and seven ranked teams. We beat every single rival possible- Notre Dame, Ohio State, Florida, Florida State, Virginia Tech. And in each game, we were clearly the better team.

We also buried narratives. There was no November swoon. We killed the Fiesta Bowl curse. Two decades of SEC dominance? Dead and buried. We beat their two best teams with our C+ game. There are no more ghosts.

This run validated the Cristobal Era in three ways. First, it validated his roster-building. We played all the best teams and stacked up physically. When we played our in-state rivals, the talent gap was demoralizing. We're in the top weight class again.

Second, this run validated Mario's core values. As it turns out, the 12-team playoff is a lot like the past 150 years of championship football. Run the ball, play defense, win in the trenches. We're built to win in Winter.

Finally, this run validated Mario’s culture. Our game tape is littered with violence. Skill players blocked and linemen ran to the ball. We pushed piles like a rugby scrum. Everything he preached showed up on the field in the biggest moments. That’s culture, and it goes beyond talent acquisition.

This team restored the feeling we lost in the 2005 Peach Bowl. How many times have we gotten stomped since then? Now, we always show up to fight. We’re 23-6 over the past two years, and those six losses are by a combined 25 points. No matter how we're playing, we're always going to be physical.

My kids don’t understand why I wasn’t angrier after the Indiana loss. It’s hard to explain because they haven’t lived through the past two decades. Probation. Bryan Pata. Sean Taylor. 48-0 in the Orange Bowl. Shreveport. El Paso. Blue fields. Halfback passes in a blizzard. FIU. Middle Tennessee State. After all that, I can't get too mad about losing to a deserving champ in an instant classic.

More than anything, this run cemented Miami’s place in the new age of college football. The sport is moving fast and we're at the forefront. The old SEC Era is done. Our game against Indiana was the highest-rated, non-NFL sporting event in a decade. We got 8 million more viewers than Ohio State v. Notre Dame last year. The Hoosiers brought viewers, too, but there’s a reason Saturday Night Live was running skits about us. Miami football is the biggest show in town again.

It's hard to overstate the buzz in the city. When I go to my son's baseball practice, every kid is asking me about Malachi Toney like he’s LeBron James. People who never saw a great Canes team (and that's everyone under 30) finally understand what it looks like. You don't have to watch a documentary to see our logo on ESPN. For the next generation of recruits, we're a blue blood with no asterisk.

It's always great to be a Miami Hurricane, but it's never felt better than right now. Good things come to those who wait. And the wait is finally over.
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From the syracuse win to the national title game, we won 7 straight and while we didn't win the NC, it was an amazing ride and one of the best feelings as a canes fan in over 20 years.

We are finally winning football games at the LOS again, and out physicaling teams again. We have superstars again but we are winning as a team and from inside out imposing our will on teams from the line of scrimmage. It is a great sight to see.

I can't wait for 2026 (year 5 of Mario era), lets win a national title and move this program into even greater heights. GO CANES!
 
this was an incredible run Miami just went on. I believe the program and Mario Cristobal grew from it.

But it's absolutely paramount that this season is the floor -- and not the ceiling. Now, that doesn't mean that Miami has to win the national title next season but what Im saying is that making the playoffs and winning some games is the rule and not the exception. Make that a yearly habit and expectation

You gain that level of consistency over time, Miami/Mario will get to the mountain top. But as Cristobal said himself at the post-game presser, nothing is ever guaranteed for the future. Next season starts and every team is 0-0 and they begin their quest. Which is why I still think there is plenty of meat left on this bone (more explosive and consistent offense, better special teams play, etc) as we move further into the Cristobal reign

With that said, this program is as well-positioned as it has been in over two decades. And this time around, they have leadership from all the way up top that actually wants the football program to succeed and will pour resources into it.

2025 was the national championship season we wanted, but, it can be the foundational season that was needed
 
Man. I don't think I've still taken the time to realize the year we had. I'll be 39 in July and became a Diehard in 03 (weird) I know. All I've known is mediocrity with the program and just failure after failure each year. Losing the Ship hurt, but I had a weird calmness after the game. Upset we loss of course, but we are truly a Big Boy program again. When Bryce got that Pick in the Endzone vs A&M, that's the most emotional I've been after a game. Living in Indiana, I still get **** from IU Fans lol. Helluva year and already looking forward to next season. GO CANES!
 
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