The Miami Hurricanes were once a powerhouse in college football, dominating the 1980s with three national titles (1983, 1987, 1989) and securing two more in the following decades (1991, 2001). However, they’ve experienced a prolonged period of decline since then.
After leaving the now-defunct Big East Conference, Miami joined the ACC in 2004 with high expectations to compete against teams like Florida State and Clemson. Despite these expectations, they’ve only played for the ACC title once. Efforts to revive the team’s former glory have been made by several coaches, including former assistant Randy Shannon, Al Golden, Manny Diaz, and former Miami alum and Georgia head coach Mark Richt, but success has been elusive, leading to the team’s fall into relative obscurity.
Mario Cristobal, another Miami alum, is now in his third season as head coach and has generated renewed excitement around the team. Andy Staples of On3 predicts that Miami will contend for the ACC title in 2024, citing significant roster improvements and strategic use of the transfer portal as key factors.
The Hurricanes have returning talents like offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa and edge rusher Reuben Bain, along with new additions such as quarterback Cam Ward from Washington State and Damien Martinez from Oregon State. Despite frequent preseason hype over the past two decades, Miami has struggled to deliver consistent performance, lacking a top-10 finish and securing only three bowl game victories since 2004.
FanDuel ranks Miami with the third-best odds (+450) to win the ACC Championship, trailing Clemson (+280) and Florida State (+280).