Amazing to think that it’s been nearly two decades since the last great Miami Hurricanes teams. Their descent happens to coincide with the shift out of the Big East and into the ACC.
They are still searching for their first ACC title since coming over in 2004, but there is hope in the building after a strong finish to last season and the hiring of Mario Cristobal.
The new coach comes home after helping to continue Oregon’s dominance in the PAC-12. He was the coach there for four seasons. In the three non-Covid seasons, he guided his team to a 31-10 record. He also won two PAC-12 championships and lost a third during his Ducks tenure.
Miami in the meanwhile rebounded from a 2-4 start that included losses to Alabama and Michigan State to post a 5-1 record down the stretch. It included wins over eventual ACC champ Pittsburgh and another top team in the conference last year, NC State.
The team was excellent on offense off the arm of QB Tyler Van Dyke who threw 25 touchdowns and six picks and almost 3,000 yards after taking over the reigns in week four.
The Hurricanes scored 31 or more points in seven of his nine starts and 28 points in the other two.
That was in spite of porous offensive line play. Cristobal’s background is as an offensive line coach and he brought a couple of his best from Oregon through the transfer portal.
The offense should be a strength again and now they are hoping that the experience of defensive coordinator Kevin Steele can help rebuild “Linebacker U”. The once proud defense was weak last year. Many of the starters left and they will be counting on at least six players coming in through the transfer portal to play a key role for a team hoping to be in the mix in the ACC.
2022 Miami Hurricanes NCAA Football Futures Odds
Odds to win the 2022-23 NCAA Championship: 70/1
Odds to win the 2022 ACC Conferences: +350
Odds to win the 2022 ACC Coastal Division: +130
2022 Regular Season Win Total: Over 8½ (-150)
Odds to Make the Playoffs: Yes +1200 | No -6600
2022 Heisman Contenders: Tyler Van Dyke +4000 & Frank Ladson +50000
Official website: miamihurricanes.com
Twitter Account : @CanesFootball
Odds to win the 2022-23 NCAA Championship: 70/1
Fixing the engine of a team, the offensive line, can have a massive impact on all the other parts. All of a sudden, a weak running game improves. And with that, the defense spends less time on the field. Add it all up and you have a dark horse contender.
It’s a stretch to think Miami could win it all, but if all the parts start gelling and they reach their ceiling it’s not totally out of the question. Still, that’s a lot of ifs.
The Verdict: Skip it
Odds to win the 2022 ACC Conferences: +350
The ACC figures to be a lot better this year with two true competitors for the title in each division. In the Atlantic you have Clemson and North Carolina State. In the Coastal Division you have Pittsburgh and Miami.
The amount of turnover, both among the coaching staff and the defensive personnel, has me thinking they have the biggest hurdles to overcome.
The Verdict: Skip it
Odds to win the 2022 ACC Coastal Division: +130
The final game of their regular season comes against Pittsburgh. There’s a decent chance it’ll be for the division. They’ll be coming off a road game at Clemson the week before. If they lose that game, they’ll need to regain their mojo quickly. For that reason, I’d say this is only worth a small wager.
The Verdict: Worth a small bet
2022 Regular Season Win Total: Over 8½ (-150)
The teeth of their schedule includes Texas A&M on the road, North Carolina at home, Florida State at home, Clemson on the road and Pittsburgh at home. 8.5 wins will be well within reach if they can win the other seven where they will be clear favorites. I also like that they waited until week three to turn up the heat with the trip to Aggie country. That gives them time to iron out the kinks.
The Verdict: A strong bet
Odds to Make the Playoffs: Yes +1200 | No -6600
The pieces are there if all goes right, but overcoming Clemson, which should be much better than last year with a first year coach installing his program is not a bet I’m willing to take.
The Verdict: No
2022 Heisman Contenders: Tyler Van Dyke +4000 & Frank Ladson +50000
Ladson is a wide receiver transferring in from Clemson. There is a huge opportunity for a number one receiver to step up with the departure of Charleston Rambo (79-1172-7), but he has 33 career catches in three seasons.
The Verdict: Skip it
Van Dyke was already terrific last season and he managed to do it behind a much weaker offensive line than what’s projected for this year. He threw for at least three touchdowns and 316 yards in each of his last six games. Project that over a full season and he’s clearly going to put himself in the Heisman mix. That’s especially true if the Hurricanes are competing for big prizes. Clearly, I don’t see the team reaching that level just yet in his sophomore season, even if I think he’ll have another excellent season.
The Verdict: Skip it
Odds According to Bovada as of August, 2022
Miami Hurricanes 2022 Schedule
| SEASON | |||
| Date | Time | Opponent | TV |
| 3-Sep | 3:30 p.m. | Bethune–Cookman* | ACCN |
| 10-Sep | 12:00 p.m. | Southern Miss* | ACCN |
| 17-Sep | 9:00 p.m. | at Texas A&M* | ESPN |
| 24-Sep | Middle Tennessee* | ||
| 8-Oct | North Carolina | ||
| 15-Oct | at Virginia Tech | ||
| 22-Oct | Duke | ||
| 29-Oct | at Virginia | ||
| 5-Nov | Florida State | ||
| 12-Nov | at Georgia Tech | ||
| 19-Nov | at Clemson | ||
| 26-Nov | Pittsburgh | ||
Home stadium: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
*Non-conference game – All times are in Pacific time
Bet on the Miami Hurricanes 2022 Season at Bovada Sportsbook.
