Happy Monday, everyone. I hope your week has started off well.
As usual, there’s not a shortage of Miami Hurricanes-related tidbits out there on the ol’ interwebs, so let’s crack our knuckles and get to it.
1) Well, looks like I jinxed Miami baseball.
There I go, singing their praises after ripping off 10 straight wins. I write about them having a chance at going on a run and doing these great things.
And then? Swept by Virginia. And now they drop 2 of 3 to Notre freaking Dame. Yeah, I know the Irish are a bubble team, ergo, decent. But that’s a disgusting series loss to take. It’s also tough when you find a way to score 15 runs in the game you win, but just 2 runs in each of the other two games. The Canes fell 3-2, won 15-1, and then lost 12-2 after being in a tight game in the sixth inning. No bueno. I don’t really have the heart to get into it, so let’s turn our attention to the ACC tourney in Durham.
2) The Canes would have clinched the 8 seed with a win because Louisville did Miami a favor and beat Wake Forest. But the Canes handed that favor right back on Saturday with a loss.
That matters because, in the new ACC format, the top 8 seeds get a bye. Guess where Miami finished? Yeah. Ninth. So now they will play the 16 seed Cal Golden Bears in the opening round of the tournament on Tuesday morning at 9 am, the event’s first game.
Oh, Miami. Want to make the NCAA tournament? Please, PLEASE don’t lose this game. Do, and the season might literally be over.
Provided they win, they’ll face off against 8 seed Wake on Wednesday morning at 9 am. So yeah, get up early and have some breakfast with Canes baseball this week. Hopefully they won’t make you puke.
3) Mario Cristobal finally let slip a tiny bit what we all watched and knew this week – that the defense was rotten dog shit that cost this team a trip to the College Football Playoff.
Now, those are my words and not his, but he did admit that the defense wasn’t up to par this year, and he stopped himself in the early stages of what appeared to be starting an extended gripe.
Watch for yourself (11:45 mark of video):
“Last year we morphed into an operation that was….unrecognizable. We were doing – again, we’re past that now, we’re moving forward.”
Unrecognizable is a very good word from Mario, because I myself said out loud multiple times, “what even is this” during a Canes game when the defense was on the field.
Cristobal went on to talk about the poor fit between talent and scheme last year (i.e., talked about stunts, etc. with some players not being a fit and causing problems for LBs behind them) and how things have already been better this year with a system players understand better and with good communication. I mean, if you’re trying to jam a square peg into a round hole, you’re going to have problems.
Regardless, with a generational offense largely gone (and sadly wasted), this defense had better be light years better to contend for the ACC crown and CFP berth in 2025.
Go Canes!