Miami football with FSU and UNC named ACC most over rated teams

In CBS Sports “ACC expert picks 2021: Most overrated and underrated teams, projected order of finish, bold predictions” the Miami football team was named with Florida State and North Carolina as the three most overrated teams in the conference. As usual, Miami is a polarizing team entering the 2021 season.

How Miami responds after playing Alabama in the season opener will influence the remainder of the 2021 season. No matter what the outcome is against the Crimson Tide the Hurricanes have to remain focused for its home opener against Appalachian State. Miami at North Carolina on October 16 is critical in the ACC Coastal.

The return of quarterback D’Eriq King and 19 starters has the Miami football team ranked as high as seventh in preseason national rankings. Miami is 14th in the AP Media Poll and 16th in the USA Today Coaches Poll preseason rankings. Miami should continue to develop offensively and be improved defensively.

The addition of wide receiver Charleston Rambo on offense and defensive end Deandre Johnson and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson are expected to impact the Miami football team in 2021. Miami and North Carolina are the prohibitive favorites in the ACC Coastal. CBS seems to be measuring both teams’ chances to win the ACC.

"Miami: The two-team preseason race out of the ACC Coastal has featured the Hurricanes and Heels, but I’m not buying MIami as the real challenger to Clemson in the conference. For the record, I’m a big D’Eriq King fan, and he has some weapons around him.But the schedule has some tough spots even though the Canes don’t get Clemson in the regular season. Opening up against Alabama will give us a real look at whether Miami is even a borderline playoff-caliber team. The follow-up against Appalachian State isn’t a gimme, either.The midseason back-to-back at North Carolina and then against NC State is difficult, too. Make no mistake, Miami will be good, but the path out of the Coastal is typically chaotic. — Ben Kercheval (also Chip Patterson)"

Every team in the ACC needs to measure itself against Clemson with the goal of winning the conference. It’s unfair to call a team overrated if they are not as good as Clemson. Miami and North Carolina are poised to have seasons to compete for the ACC Coastal Division title and a possible New Year’s Six Bowl berth.

Tom Fornelli of CBS said about the Tar Heels “My main concern with North Carolina is how overmatched it looked in games against Notre Dame and Texas A&M last season.” Against Miami, it was the opposite. North Carolina dominated the Hurricanes in one of their worst performances in program history.

CBS national college football writer Dennis Dodd compared Florida State to another former power and once Miami rival. “It’s possible FSU is sinking to Nebraska levels where the brand is now damaged.” Miami and North Carolina have far more favorable schedules than Florida State. Dodd projected FSU to finished 5-7.

The Seminoles play Notre Dame, North Carolina, Clemson, Miami and Florida this season. If FSU loses all five of those games as they are expected to do, they would have to finish 6-1 in their other seven games to earn a bowl bid. Miami will always be polarized. The Hurricanes should have its best season since 2017.