It seems to me that most posters were not overly alarmed by Pitt and Clemson losses. Before these losses it appeared we were the real deal and headed for the 4 team playoff...
... you lost me here.
Miami never looked like the "real deal" that was "headed for the four team playoff". A week before that Pittsburgh loss, the Canes were down 14-0 and 28-14 to an average Virginia team.
Two special night-time, primetime, under the lights showdowns at home against Virginia Tech and an overrated Notre Dame (re: good squad, but not
#3 in the nation) need to be viewed for what they were—killer environments and crowd rise-ups. The Hokies were in it until late, when the Canes tacked one on late (14-10 ballgame 7:00 left in the third.)
Florida State, Georgia Tech, Syracuse and North Carolina—all could've gone either way. 10-0 could've just as easily have been 7-3—just like last year when Miami lost three games by a combined 11 points (not counting the blowout in Blacksburg.)
Anyone worth their weight knew Miami was overachieving this year—Richt 2.0 in his second season—and that it was going to take a lot of luck and momentum down the stretch to keep rolling.
Clemson is 43-3 dating back to late 2014. Three ACC titles. Three Playoffs berths. Two semifinals victories, back-to-back title game appearances and one national championship. Back to your point with the "headed for the four-team playoff" sentiment—Canes still had to go through a next-level Tigers team to truly be "headed" anywhere.
To think Miami was just gonna pull out a win in the biggest game this program has seen since the 2003 Fiesta Bowl—while Clemson is big-game tested and successful these past three years; taking some serious liberties just "expecting" to roll to the Playoffs.
Keep recruiting and building. Clemson was
#3 in the national and got smacked up 51-14—at home—by
#5 Florida State in 2013 (en route to the Noles going undefeated and winning it all). By next season the Tigers made the leap from good-to-great and have been rolling since.
Miami can follow a similar trajectory if Richt keeps recruiting and building this thing up the next few years. Finally have a proper infrastructure in place to become a big-time player again—but this year was never supposed to be that. At best, the Canes needed to take a step forward (they did), aimed to win the Coastal and reach the ACC title game (they did) and wanted to end a losing streak to Florida State (they did), while seeking revenge on the other teams who beat them last year—UNC, VT and ND—(mission accomplished).
Miami also pulled that off with an average Malik Rosier under center; who was essentially keeping the seat warm between Kaaya's early exit and whoever will be the next big-timer. All in all, a wonderful 10-2 run and with an Orange Bowl victory against a sound Wisconsin team, the Canes would finish 11-2 and just outside the Top 5 going into 2018.
Ask anyone about that scenario back in August and they'd have ****ed their pants for that outcome.