It’s tough to swallow, but the Miami Hurricanes’ program can no longer be relied upon to produce memorable teams like “The U” did during its heyday from the early '80s to the turn of the century. Seriously, what’s the most memorable edition of the team you can think of over the last 20+ years? Since leaving the Big East for the ACC, the Canes have been a major letdown, managing just one 10-win regular season campaign and zero ACC titles. Last year’s squad seemed to have some upper-echelon talent at hand, but the campaign ultimately ended in a 7-6 dud capped off by an ugly 31-24 defeat to Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl. Much was expected from Mario Cristobal when he was poached from Oregon a few years back, but his presence has resulted in a 12-13 overall record and a bowl game defeat. With 11 players returning from last year’s squad, Miami is once again expected to compete for ACC bragging rights, according to the current futures odds to win the title at the online sportsbook. Although a double-digit regular season win total hasn’t been achieved in Coral Gables since 2017, that’s what it would take to surpass this season’s win total odds. Is this the year the Hurricanes make waves and finally secure a bid to the College Football Playoff? Personally, I’m taking a “show me” stance before buying into anything this program is attempting to sell these days.
College Football Season Wins Odds
Miami Hurricanes 2024-25 Regular Season Win Total Odds
Miami Over 9 Wins -137
Miami Under 9 Wins +117
A Case for the Over: The roster is filled with upper-tier talent, but that has been the case for as long as I can remember. Will the coaching staff finally harness it and put this team in national championship contention? That’s a question I won’t attempt to answer, knowing full well the coaching staff failed their players last season in the wretched 23-20 home loss to Georgia Tech. To this day, I’m still trying to figure out why Cristobal didn’t take a knee while nursing a field goal lead in plus territory with the Yellow Jackets out of timeouts. The decision proved costly, and the staff will have to bear the burden of that defeat until the Canes achieve something significant. Maybe the transfer portal acquisition of Cam Ward will be the answer. He demonstrated his skills as a QB1 at Washington State over the last two seasons, racking up 6,968 passing yards and 48:16 TD/INT ratio. I believe he has the confidence and moxie to call out the coaching staff and hold them accountable if they make another poor play-calling decision. At least, I hope so. Weird things have happened at “The U” for so many years now that he might not even be immune to the curse! Regardless, the offense looks strong on paper and should improve on last year’s performance, which saw it rank No. 31 overall and average 31.5 points per game (No. 41).
A Case for the Under: While Francisco Mauigoa and Wesley Bissainthe lead a linebacker core that will have opposing running backs and offensive linemen losing sleep the night before games, the remainder of the Hurricanes’ defense raises significant questions. Last season, Miami fielded a formidable defense, ranking No. 24 overall and allowing 22.8 points per game (No. 45). However, much of this solid production came against weaker opponents. When facing tougher competition, the defense faltered, giving up an average of 35.3 points in losses to Louisville, Florida State, and NC State. The defensive line and secondary have some returning players but will mostly be filled by transfer portal acquisitions, which is cause for concern. While the ACC isn’t stockpiled with the offensive firepower it once had, Miami still needs to hold up defensively with several notable road tests on the schedule. The offense is going to put up its fair share of points this season, but for the team to meet or exceed expectations, the defense must make an even greater impact than it did last year. That’s a tall order, given the need for many new faces to quickly gel with one another.
2024-25 Miami Hurricanes Schedule
| DATE | OPPONENT |
| Aug 31 | at Florida |
| Sep 7 | vs. Florida A&M |
| Sep 14 | vs. Ball State |
| Sep 21 | at USF |
| Sep 27 | vs. Virginia Tech |
| Oct 5 | at California |
| Oct 12 | OFF |
| Oct 19 | at Louisville |
| Oct 26 | vs. Florida State |
| Nov 2 | vs. Duke |
| Nov 9 | at Georgia Tech |
| Nov 16 | OFF |
| Nov 23 | vs. Wake Forest |
| Nov 30 | at Syracuse |
I really want to buy into what the Hurricanes are selling entering the CFB betting season! The ACC and college football need “The U” back on the map. However, fandom aside, I have to call a spade a spade and demand that Miami prove they are worthy of an over wager before putting my hard-earned money on a program that has underachieved for quite some time. I love some of the pieces on the roster and think Ward is a huge upgrade at quarterback, but I’m not convinced that Cristobal and his staff can put this team in the best position to win the games they’re expected to and possibly pull an upset or two along the way. The season opener in “The Swamp” will be a significant indicator of what lies ahead. If the Canes beat the Gators, which linemakers expect as Miami is currently a slight road favorite, I might eat my words. If not, I’ll be beating my chest, confident that I made the right choice to fade this number, believing that at least two more losses are on the remaining schedule.
College Football Win Total Prediction: Miami Hurricanes Under 9 Wins
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