Projecting The Preseason Top 25: Did The Hawkeyes Make The Cut?
By Dan Vasta
17) Miami Hurricanes
Key Player: RB Mark Walton
Losing Brad Kaaya a year early was a bit of a head scratcher since he was underwhelming last season. With a signal-caller that will be extremely green, look for them to feed Mark Walton. Walton is just 13 rushing scores away from holding the all-time Canes record (Stephen McGuire, 35).
Key Stat: There are a few trends the Canes better change this season or else the fans will only get even more restless. The last time ‘‘Da U’’ won ten or more games was in 2003. I keep picking them to do so and you would think I would have learned because rarely do they have preseason hype on top of winning. The last time they started out in the AP Preseason Top 25 was in 2010.
Key Game: 9/16 Florida State
Of course it is the annual battle with the Noles. So many classics with great finishes and you don’t have to look back far to witness some of them. Seven straight losses, but four of them have by single-digits. The last three have all come down to the wire and boy have they been full of drama. You cannot beat sports and this year’s matchup will likely prove why this is must watch television.