NCAAF Betting – Hurricane Has Swept Talent Away In Miami
NCAA football odds – Miami Hurricanes
- Will Randy Shannon's second year as head coach be as painful as the first?
- How will playing at Dolphin Stadium affect the Hurricanes?
- Who will lead the Hurricanes offense at quarterback?
Whether its the fans, the media or the betting sports community, everyone has watched the Miami Hurricanes come down of their high pedestal over the last few years. The Hurricanes, who used to feed the first-round of the NFL draft with plenty of talent, barely kept their streak of first-round picks alive when Kenny Phillips was selected 31st overall.
This year, they return no all-conference players and their streak of first-round NFL picks might be in jeopardy.
Let's start with the positives: the Hurricanes do have one of the best running back tandems in the nation. Javarris James, Edgerrin's brother, and Graig Cooper are two studs. James is off an injury plagued season but is chalk-full of potential. They will be running behind a good offensive line, which is the other strength on offense.
The problem on offense is that there isn't much experience. Only four starters return and the quarterback position is a big question mark.
Online betting oddsmakers will have to be careful setting the lines on Miami's games because they won't be sure what to expect from their quarterbacks. Regardless of whether it is Robert Marve, Canon Smith or Jacoby Harris, the Hurricanes quarterback will be a first-year starter. Shannon has talked about two quarterbacks splitting time although Marve appears to be the front runner.
The offense (shockingly) finished ranked 110th in the country last year and with young starters all over the place, it's hard to imagine that ranking improving significantly unless one of the young quarterbacks is consistent all season.
On defense, the Canes have plenty of work to do. The unit could and should be better, but they didn't fall apart late last season and finished ranked 10th out of 12 teams for scoring defense.
Online betting sharps are aware that the problem definitely is not talent – there's plenty of it – but what's lacking is experience and toughness. This defense used to have a cockiness and walked around with a swagger. That has dissipated and they seem to lose their self-esteem when the team doesn't win.
Defense end Allen Bailey looks like an emerging star while Darryl Sharpton and Glenn Cook return to lead the linebacking corps. Senior end Eric Moncur might be the closest thing this defense has to a star.
Shannon is a defensive coach and if this team struggles on that side of the ball again, he'll land on the hot seat.
As the Hurricanes move into Dolphin Stadium this year, they'll endure some more growing pains in the ACC. Shannon has recruited another solid class of players but they might not see the benefits of that for a couple of seasons. For now, the Hurricanes have to rely on their running game and their defense while the quarterbacks develop. In the Coastal Division, that should earn them five or six wins.
Blake Frazier's Pick: Hurricanes Under 8 Wins
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Blake walked onto his college football team and had a brief stint as an assistant coach after he graduated. He brings a sharp mind to the world of sports handicapping. Blake understands the nuances of the game that only someone who has played would understand, and he was one of the few who gave the Giants a chance against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Thoughts or questions?
