‘Canes One Spot Out of the Top 25

Miami failed to garner their first AP top 25 preseason ranking since 2010 and only their second in 10 years, by ranking at the top of teams in the “Others receiving votes” The ‘Canes received 159 points. They are 21 points out of the top 25, just behind intrastate rival Florida who had 180 points.

The Hurricanes also will begin the season “26th” or the first team ranked as also receiving votes in the coach’s poll.

Miami’s season opener is September 3  at home against Florida A&M and they will also be home week two against Florida Atlantic. The Hurricanes will only leave the state of Florida once in the first five weeks.

Clemson, Florida State, and North Carolina are the only ACC teams ranked in the top 25. Notre Dame who plays five ACC teams annually is ranked tenth. The ‘Canes will host FSU and UNC back to back weeks October 8 and 15. They will travel to Notre Dame October 29. They won’t play Clemson this season unless both teams make the ACC Championship game.

Having three ranked teams puts the ACC third among the power conferences. The SEC is first with six and the Pac 12 second with five.

Miami is picked second in the Coastal and Clemson first in the Atlantic. FSU is picked second in the Atlantic and UNC first in the Coastal.

When the U was dominating college football with five national championships in 19 years, they were ranked in the initial poll 20 out of 21 years between 1986-2006. Fourteen of those years included top ten rankings, ten were in the top five and three times they were the pre-season number one.

Mark Richt has a tough battle in his first year. Contrast the ‘Canes sitting just outside the top 25 and not being a top 25 preseason team to Richt’s last 14 teams at Georgia being ranked in the pre-season. The Bulldogs are ranked 15th this season with players predominantly recruited by Richt. Six of his Georgia teams were pre-season top ten, three were top five and the 2008 team was the nation’s top-ranked pre-season team.

Georgia finished the 2008 season with losses at Alabama and at home against Florida and Georgia Tech. A lot of the criticism of Richt at Georgia was that he was unable to turn highly ranked teams into national championship contenders. Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples called Georgia “the best job in the country” in August of 2015.

Even during the Hurricanes reign from the 1980’s through the early 2000’s, it was far from the best job. It’s not the state school most kids grow up loving, doesn’t have the on-campus atmosphere or facilities of bigger schools and play about 30 miles off-campus

The ‘Canes moved into the new athletic facility the Schwartz Center last season. In 2014 they opened a new $7 million practice field. Dolphin stadium is currently undergoing a massive renovation in which a roof is being added and the concourses and seating are being upgraded as well.

Richt and his staff will benefit in recruiting from all the upgrades. The ‘Canes have 19 players signed for 2017 and currently have the tenth best-recruiting class according to Scout.Com.

Next: Canes Fall Camp 2016 Offensive Preview

Getting off to a good start will be important for the 2016 season and the Richt era. The U will be favored in their first three games against FAMU, FAU, and at Appalachian State, before their brutal October stretch of games against Florida State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame. If they if the first three, they will likely get into the top 25.