In early 2012, I had a conversation with a former Miami staffer who landed at Alabama. I congratulated him on Alabama's championship and told him that it must be nice to coach so many studs. He looked at me and said, "Miami's good players are better than Alabama's good players."
I couldn't believe it. Alabama was the national champion. Miami was 6-6 and coming off an embarrassing home loss to BC. Alabama had multiple projected first round picks. Miami had a few mid and late-round guys. But he was insistent.
"Lamar Miller is better than Trent Richardson. Olivier Vernon is better than Courtney Upshaw. And Seantrel Henderson is better than any lineman we've got. Watch them in the pros."
Now that we've seen those guys in the NFL, we know he was dead-on. Why were the programs so far apart on the field? The coach said it came down to football infrastructure (training table, strength and conditioning, medical staff) and depth. He left out coaching, for obvious reasons, but you can assume that's another factor. Once those guys get to the NFL, he said, all the external things will become equal and raw talent will prevail.
But why is a team with so many elite players struggling in a talentless Coastal division?
Right now, our best players are better than anybody's best players. Anybody. Watch Perryman, Dorsett, Flowers, Duke and Walford in the pros. No other Power Five school can match those upperclassmen. Four years later, Miami is still undefeated on Sunday and .500 on Saturday.
-- DMoney
In early 2012, I had a conversation with a former Miami staffer who landed at Alabama. I congratulated him on Alabama's championship and told him that it must be nice to coach so many studs. He looked at me and said, "Miami's good players are better than Alabama's good players."
I couldn't believe it. Alabama was the national champion. Miami was 6-6 and coming off an embarrassing home loss to BC. Alabama had multiple projected first round picks. Miami had a few mid and late-round guys. But he was insistent.
"Lamar Miller is better than Trent Richardson. Olivier Vernon is better than Courtney Upshaw. And Seantrel Henderson is better than any lineman we've got. Watch them in the pros."
Now that we've seen those guys in the NFL, we know he was dead-on. Why were the programs so far apart on the field? The coach said it came down to football infrastructure (training table, strength and conditioning, medical staff) and depth. He left out coaching, for obvious reasons, but you can assume that's another factor. Once those guys get to the NFL, he said, all the external things will become equal and raw talent will prevail.
But why is a team with so many elite players struggling in a talentless Coastal division?
Right now, our best players are better than anybody's best players. Anybody. Watch Perryman, Dorsett, Flowers, Duke and Walford in the pros. No other Power Five school can match those upperclassmen. Four years later, Miami is still undefeated on Sunday and .500 on Saturday.
-- DMoney
NOW MUSCLE SHOALS HAS GOT THE SWAMPERS
I wouldn't say talentless. It is lack of depth and coaching. I heard the announcers on the UNC Duke game say that only Alabama and LSU had more 1st and 2nd round draft choices than UNC over the last 3 or 4 years (not sure exactly). It is depth that kills many teams as well as coaches that do not know what they are doing.
According to the latest NFL Draft rankings on CBS Sports, Miami is clearly one of the most talented teams in all of college football.
The Hurricanes have 10 players who have a draft grade on their rankings list
The amazing part about that is that only one school -- the defending national champions and owners of a 27-game winning streak -- has more. Florida State has 12 on their list.
Here is the rest of the AP Top 10 and how many players are on that list:
According to the latest NFL Draft rankings on CBS Sports, Miami is clearly one of the most talented teams in all of college football.
The Hurricanes have 10 players who have a draft grade on their rankings list
The amazing part about that is that only one school -- the defending national champions and owners of a 27-game winning streak -- has more. Florida State has 12 on their list.
Here is the rest of the AP Top 10 and how many players are on that list:
This is what makes me laugh when people think Miami is down forever. The right coach will be able to win there again. Maybe not multiple national championships, but they can be quite good again. Facilities matter, and so they will be a step behind some of the teams at the very forefront of facilities, but they will still have the talent to be a very good team.
The lack of resources and support will probably always prevent them from having a 10-15 year superstar coach, but they need to bet back to being the stepping stone to the NFL for coaches. I find it hard to believe after the specter of sanctions is gone there isn't going to be some attractive interested candidates.
(04-28-2015 05:40 PM)Lou_C Wrote: [ -> ]This is what makes me laugh when people think Miami is down forever. The right coach will be able to win there again. Maybe not multiple national championships, but they can be quite good again. Facilities matter, and so they will be a step behind some of the teams at the very forefront of facilities, but they will still have the talent to be a very good team.
you seem like a reasonable poster ...
then why parrot propaganda ...
truth be told, Miami has spent millions upgrading "facilities" ...
don't take my word for it ...
view the accompanying video ...
judge for yourself the splendor that is U ...
except for an indoor practice facility which even our pantywaist AD acknowledges is sorely needed -- he's figuring out where to put it ...
call on me, I'll tell him where ...
but that's neither here nor there ...
led astray ...
the lord is my shepherd ...