Coming into the year, the biggest question was how will we actually replace Cam Ward and produce at a level acceptable to make Charlotte.
Eureka: Enters Carson Beck. Until tonight, he was serviceable and basically as advertised when "Things are going well." When the run game is churning, when given protection, we knew the offense was serviceable and just good enough to handle most ACC teams.
We march to 5-0. Handle ND, wreck the state, and stamped ourselves as NOT the typical Miami team that will bow out in the biggest games. We screamed look at ND, UF, FSU, and even a tough USF as the narrative for us. It was a TRUE narrative.
But deep down, ALL of us, we know what we know: We've been burned. We've seen the apex only to be brought down.
HOW would it really be when we no longer have #1 going to X-man with the game on the line? How will the team look when they need to have PERFECT execution in a pressure situation against a motivated team with something to lose.. How WOULD Beck really look? We pushed those questions to the side and said, we'd see when we see. But truthfully, we all should have been OPENLY, CAUTIOUSLY skeptical.
We knew the team had no one like Ward under Center. We knew the DBs, though gifted and sound, have yet to TRULY be tested by a Elite Round 1 talent that they'd likely face in the round 12. (Enters UL Bell. A clone of Anquan Boldin).
We knew Malachi Toney was special. We saw CJ Daniels make a incredible would be INT against ND in a key moment that help spurn the game in our favorite early.
We SEEMED as of 48 hours of ago, ready to sit back and enjoy the fruits of being "back" only by title. We knew we were headed to our destination.
Then the UL game happens. Our coaches with an EXTRA WEEK OF PREP show another shocking, penalty filled display that has highlighted yearly losses since 2004. While Brohm began the week with sociology 101 by stating our DLINE (with no previous playoff experience) is the best he has seen in 4-5 years. The DLINE didn't create havor/terror tonight. They were relatively "quiet." Kind of like the game/night in itself. The game felt like a earlier, night version of the 2017 game against PITT. Different teams, situation. But the QB/environment spoke to a looming upset. Miami is ranked #2, we were asking for the Buckeyes, we shunned all other upsets and screamed NOT US, when we KNOW deep down that yes, ALWAYS US.
What happens with the magic of turnovers and grinding DLINES into salt doesn't work? We get Carson Beck, that ALL of the SEC/UGA ranters have stated from the beginning: He will HURT you in the toughest moment if everything is not perfect.
The Xs and Os have their own story for what happened tonight. Not getting into that, as fans what happened was what we ALWAYS expected and knew would happen... A Bridesmaid performance - appearance, rather than becoming the bride.
Miami COULD win out, stamp our ticket into Charlotte (now with needed help) and into the round of 12. We could still dance on San Amaro via a title parade come 2026.
But now: Miami COULD and LIKELY WILL do what they've done since 2003: But who we thought we were.
Eureka: Enters Carson Beck. Until tonight, he was serviceable and basically as advertised when "Things are going well." When the run game is churning, when given protection, we knew the offense was serviceable and just good enough to handle most ACC teams.
We march to 5-0. Handle ND, wreck the state, and stamped ourselves as NOT the typical Miami team that will bow out in the biggest games. We screamed look at ND, UF, FSU, and even a tough USF as the narrative for us. It was a TRUE narrative.
But deep down, ALL of us, we know what we know: We've been burned. We've seen the apex only to be brought down.
HOW would it really be when we no longer have #1 going to X-man with the game on the line? How will the team look when they need to have PERFECT execution in a pressure situation against a motivated team with something to lose.. How WOULD Beck really look? We pushed those questions to the side and said, we'd see when we see. But truthfully, we all should have been OPENLY, CAUTIOUSLY skeptical.
We knew the team had no one like Ward under Center. We knew the DBs, though gifted and sound, have yet to TRULY be tested by a Elite Round 1 talent that they'd likely face in the round 12. (Enters UL Bell. A clone of Anquan Boldin).
We knew Malachi Toney was special. We saw CJ Daniels make a incredible would be INT against ND in a key moment that help spurn the game in our favorite early.
We SEEMED as of 48 hours of ago, ready to sit back and enjoy the fruits of being "back" only by title. We knew we were headed to our destination.
Then the UL game happens. Our coaches with an EXTRA WEEK OF PREP show another shocking, penalty filled display that has highlighted yearly losses since 2004. While Brohm began the week with sociology 101 by stating our DLINE (with no previous playoff experience) is the best he has seen in 4-5 years. The DLINE didn't create havor/terror tonight. They were relatively "quiet." Kind of like the game/night in itself. The game felt like a earlier, night version of the 2017 game against PITT. Different teams, situation. But the QB/environment spoke to a looming upset. Miami is ranked #2, we were asking for the Buckeyes, we shunned all other upsets and screamed NOT US, when we KNOW deep down that yes, ALWAYS US.
What happens with the magic of turnovers and grinding DLINES into salt doesn't work? We get Carson Beck, that ALL of the SEC/UGA ranters have stated from the beginning: He will HURT you in the toughest moment if everything is not perfect.
The Xs and Os have their own story for what happened tonight. Not getting into that, as fans what happened was what we ALWAYS expected and knew would happen... A Bridesmaid performance - appearance, rather than becoming the bride.
Miami COULD win out, stamp our ticket into Charlotte (now with needed help) and into the round of 12. We could still dance on San Amaro via a title parade come 2026.
But now: Miami COULD and LIKELY WILL do what they've done since 2003: But who we thought we were.
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