Miami’s ability to thrive in the big game environment has been few and far between in recent years, with the 43-8 victory over Notre Dame in 2017 being the lone outlier that stands out in their favor. Thus, from a fan’s perspective, the apprehension over the past few months has been on full display as the Canes prepare to open their season against perennial powerhouse/defending national champion/preseason number one, the Alabama Crimson Tide.
From that same fan’s perspective, there is the cautious optimism that comes with every season. The evidence has been well-documented this offseason: footage of a fully healthy D’Eriq King exhibiting his dual threat capabilities in the pocket, every defensive linemen putting up monster number in the weight room, Charleston Rambo and the stable of young receivers packing the stat sheets in scrimmage play, as well as a more disciplined defense led by Manny Diaz, and assistants Jess Simpson and Travaris Robinson, which is collectively enough to exude the maximum confidence as we enjoy the fresh, new jug of Kool-Aid (just hopefully not the Tide’s talented freshman DB, Kool-Aid McKinstry).