FSU football fans continue to bask in the glory of having bragging rights over the Miami Hurricanes for the second consecutive season.
The fact Miami fans were so hyped when they hired Mario Cristobal and had dreams of going 11-1 and winning the ACC in year one, only to get destroyed by FSU and are in real danger of not making a bowl game is priceless.
The crazy part was I, along with many others, tried to explain to Miami fans they were delusional and that there was no conceivable reason why they should have had a top-15 ranking in the preseason.
What makes matters worse? They had one of the easiest schedules possible and are still under .500. If FSU football had their schedule, they’d likely be 9-0 or 8-1 at worst. Miami has real problems with that program.
The talent they have isn’t getting developed, and players have regressed, just look at Tyler Van Dyke this season. I didn’t see any quarterback or skill position players on that roster that scared me.
FSU could have scored 60 on that defense if they wanted to. That was a huge win for the Noles, and here are three huge benefits.
Perception
That was the type of domination that gives pause to fans and folks that support a program financially.
Granted, Miami’s fans are few and far between and only show up once every other year when FSU comes to Doak South, and most of their financial backing comes from a small pocket of folks. That game was in prime time, and a lot of eyeballs at least watched the first half.
The perception of the Miami program wasn’t great to start with after blowout losses to Middle Tennessee State and Duke. However, the loss against FSU was different in that they could do nothing in the game.
They couldn’t stop FSU’s offense at all. They couldn’t do anything about FSU’s defense. The players looked uninterested in playing in a rivalry game, which says a lot about a head coach that played at Miami.
Miami looks like a long-term rebuild, which isn’t the narrative folks were spewing in the preseason. Mario Cristobal has never had any real success as a head coach and has never taken over a struggling program and built it into a powerhouse.
You better believe opposing coaches will be spreading that message far and wide. How committed are the financial investors of Miami football?
If this perception persists through next year? My guess? It’ll begin to fade, and they’ll remain the Miami we’ve known for the past two decades.
Recruiting
FSU has always been Miami’s Super Bowl, and we’ve seen decent Miami teams collapse after losses to FSU.
Well, this Miami team was already terrible, but for some reason, Miami fans and pundits thought Miami would drink some special potion and begin to play at a high level because they saw FSU on opposing jerseys.
This loss, coupled with the final three games on the schedule, may take some of the luster away from Miami’s current No. 8 recruiting class. They have a lot of recruits visiting for the game, and they got to see first-hand the destruction FSU did to Miami.
Miami has to win 2 of their next 3 games against Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Pittsburgh to become bowl eligible. Georgia Tech is a -1 betting favorite this week in a must-win game for the Canes.
If they lose that game, they are not making a bowl because Clemson will blow them out.
They probably lose against Pittsburgh too. Will their commits remain committed as the Early Signing Period nears? I’m sure they’ll keep some of them, but it wouldn’t take too much for that class to fall apart. Mario Cristobal has the reputation of a great recruiter, but what happens if that narrative begins to hit shaky ground?
On the flipside, it’s another example of proof of concept with FSU football moving in the right direction in all three phases. I have to imagine that’s attractive to 2024 recruits and beyond, plus a better quality player from the transfer portal for next season.
FSU Football Became Bowl Eligible
The win over Miami made FSU football bowl eligible for the first time since the 2019 season. FSU wasted an opportunity against a rival last year when a win over rival Florida would have made them bowl-eligible in the season finale.
That wasn’t the case Saturday night, and now the football program will have 15 extra practices for the bowl game to continue to develop the young players on the roster, which make up the majority.
❗️Episode 56❗️ FSU football blowing out Miami discussion. Thoughts on Jordan Travis's future, and quick synopsis of Syracuse game https://t.co/ScZ1QrXUhY Powered by @BleavSports Presented by @betonline_ag Tell a #FSU fan about us 🍢
— Built For Playmakers Podcast (@Built4Playmaker) November 8, 2022
That’s 30 extra practices the Noles have missed over the last two years, that have hindered player development.
It’ll be great to play in a bowl game, especially if the Noles win the three remaining games for an opportunity to win 10 games for the first time since 2016.
However, it’s a reward for the players and all the work done to bring the program back to this point after years of awful football.
The key is sustaining and progression, and that’s what those extra practices will allow as Mike Norvell looks to continue the climb with a favorable schedule in 2023. We should all thank Miami for the extra time to develop!