Miami Florida Hurricanes Football Sportsbook Gambling
It's very easy to forget in Miami's "down" 2003 season that the Canes, 1) won the Big East title, 2) won 11 games, and 3) won the Orange Bowl beating Florida State for the second time. That's not bad considering all the problems on offense from quarterback issues to injuries at running back to a lack of a go-to wideout. Now the Canes are in a new position in a new league with new teams gunning for them, but this should be the same Miami.
Yeah, Miami lost a ton of NFL talent from the defense and still needs work on offense, but there are still few teams in America that can match the all-around talent and athleticism. The cliché applies here; Miami has reloaded. The defense will still dominate despite losing an Pro Bowl's worth of players led by a dominant front line and CB Antrel Rolle in the secondary. That's not the concern.
All eyes will be on the quarterback situation with Brock Berlin, Derrick Crudup and Kyle Wright all battling for the prized position. It's Berlin's job coming out of spring ball with many waiting for the time Wright will get his chance to take over. With the ACC title (at least in most people's minds) coming in the opener against Florida State and with seven 2003 bowl teams to follow, there won't be time for another season like Berlin had last year. Even with all the issues and all the concerns, this is still the team to beat in the new ACC.
The Schedule: If Miami can beat Virginia, there's no reason for anything less than an undefeated season. Florida State will be a BCS-level team once the defense comes around, but that won't happen in the opener. At NC State and at Virginia are certainly manageable for a team of this caliber.
Best Offensive Player: Junior OT Eric Winston. If Frank Gore can do all the things he did before his second knee injury, he's the team's best offensive threat. Winston, if he chooses, will be a millionaire next year at this time with a big frame and tight end athleticism at tackle.
Best Defensive Player: Senior CB Antrel Rolle. Rolle is a big cornerback with first-round NFL talent. He was the main reason Pittsburgh's Larry Fitzgerald was held in check when he went against the main secondary last year, and Rolle will lock on to everyone's number one receiver again this season.
Key player to a successful season: It's all up to the quarterbacks. The Cane QBs combined to throw 15 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions last year. That can't happen again if Miami plans on getting to another BCS game.
The season will be a success if ... the Canes win the ACC. There are way too many flaws to ask for a national championship, but there's no excuse not to win the ACC. Anything less will be seen as a failure of a season.
Key game: Nov. 13 at Virginia. This game, along with the showdown at NC State, are the two major landmines for the Canes needing to go on the road to face two of the league's toughest teams. This road trip to Virginia comes off the Clemson game and with Virginia Tech on the horizon; it should be a dog-fight.
2003 Fun Stats:
- First quarter scoring: Miami 88 - Opponents 37
- Penalties: Miami 124 for 1,027 yards - Opponents 104 for 766
- Sacks: Miami 37 - Opponents 17
News
