Since Miami’s place in the national conversation began to erode after Butch Davis left town, people have been searching constantly for signs that the Hurricanes might be close to reclaiming that elite status. The Canes usually recruit pretty well no matter what, so it can be easy to talk yourself into them.
This preseason, for instance, Miami was picked to win the Coastal by 28 voters. (Only one brave soul picked Pitt.) The Hurricanes were coming off an 8-3 season, after all, and returned quarterback D’Eriq King. It seemed plausible they might take a big step forward.
Instead, the Hurricanes have been plagued by misfortune on the way to a 2-4 start: King suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the team’s third game, and the Canes have dropped heartbreakers in the waning seconds to both Virginia and North Carolina.