This current team reminds me of the 1999 squad, which is actually a good thing and interesting.
Let's start with coaches.
Butch Davis was in his 5th year and I think a year removed from the NCAA sanctions. That year when we lost a close game to Penn State, I remember listening to WQAM the next morning and fans were saying they "had it with Cokers horrendous play calling", and "Butch Davis is not a GAME DAY coach and he needs to be shown the door". Do you guys remember the infamous Chafie Fields play over Mike Rumph? I believe Miami was in Man Coverage when they should've been in Prevent Defense as the game was basically won. Butch Davis was scolded for that and guess who was the D Coordinator as well? Schiano. Do you guys also remember the horrendous play calling the next game against East Carolina, a team that did not practice for a whole week due to a Hurricane that hit that town? Miami started out fast and then got shut down and made a plethora of mistakes in the second half and East Carolina came back and snatched victory from the Canes. Once again, I tuned into WQAM, and fans called in sounding like they had pitch forks looking for Butch Davis and the rest of his staff. The team also went on to lose it's 3rd straight game that season against FSU. Seemed tragic, didn't it. Did I mention who our offensive coordinator was?
Player Personnel/Perception/Trajectory
Similar in many ways. Truth be told, nationally, and even our own fans didn't even know how stacked we were. I remember we had Kenny Kelly at QB with Ken Dorsey as backup. We had James Jackson in the backfield with Clinton Portis. We had a fleet of WR's like we do now and a mediocre O Line. We were actually stacked on defense with the likes of Dan Morgan, Nate Webster, Damione Lewis, Ed Reed etc. Our defensive talent and depth now is very similar to that team. We were listed as nationally irrelevant by most of the media as we are perceived that way now, but just 1 year later, in 2000, everybody was back on Miami's jock.
Bottom Line
I know I'm going to get negged, but the knee jerk reaction from last nights game has been real crazy. I already understand how fickle this fan base is and how quick the "off with his head" sirens go off when we lose a game. I will say this, this staff as well as these players have gone and are still going through the rigors, the same way that 1999 squad did, full of coaching errors and bone headed mistakes by players that cost games. I'm not apologizing for this current staff, but I do think because they have gone through the rigors, that is what will bring about greatness. Miami was full of talent in 1999 with your favorite coach Butch Davis and still managed to make fans (a lot of you same people on this board, and don't lie) sick to their stomachs with the losses they had, and it will be no different this year. I really believe Miami is on the brink of having an elite program. I predict that Miami will have another 9-4 season. I also believe that the 2015 season will be the season Miami wins the coastal and make a playoff appearance.
