When Miami became a football powerhouse in the early 1980s, it did so by recruiting elite talent and playing the top teams in the country on their home field.
Coach Randy Shannon hasn’t strayed far from that philosophy during his time in Coral Gables, Fla.
In the past several seasons, Miami has gone against Bowl Championship Series powers Oklahoma and Florida. This year, they will play at Pittsburgh and Ohio State.
Why, in a tough Coastal Division, has Shannon decided to put his team through such a tough stretch of non-conference games?
“That’s what we do at Miami — we schedule great competition,” Shannon said at ACC Media Day.
In past years, facing such an audacious slate would be suicide. But Miami might finally have the depth and experience it has lacked to compete against the nation’s best.
In 2008, Miami brought in a top-five recruiting class that included current starters Jacory Harris, Travis Benjamin, Marcus Forston and Sean Spence.
After being thrown into the fire as underclassmen, these players are now ready to take the next step and challenge for an ACC title.
Miami appeared to be ready to take that step last year. The Hurricanes returned to national prominence early in the season after starting 5-1. But down the stretch, they dropped some key conference games, including two losses that Shannon called learning opportunities.
