The Miami football team is being projected to either the December 29 New Era Pinstripe or December 31 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl by most major media outlets. Other bowl games that have been mentioned as potential bowl destinations for Miami are the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl.
The Holiday Bowl is scheduled for December 28 and Duke’s Mayo Bowl on December 30 in Charlotte. Both the Holiday and Sun Bowls schedule an ACC team against a Pac 12 team. Miami has one appearance in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, two in the Sun Bowl and has not played in the Duke’s Mayo or Holiday Bowls.
Richard Johnson of Sports Illustrated projects the Miami football team to play 8-4 Minnesota in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Miami had its only appearance in the Pinstripe Bowl in 2018 loss to Wisconsin. Widespread speculation has the Pinstripe and Sun Bowls as the Holiday destination for the Miami football program.
Five different projections have Miami playing in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. Miami previously played in the Sun Bowl following the 2010 and 2015 seasons, both under interim head coaches. The Hurricanes could be headed to the Sun Bowl for a third time under an interim head coach.
A decision on the future of Miami head coach Manny Diaz will almost definitely occur before the Hurricanes December Bowl game. The consensus has Miami in a rematch of the 2015 Sun Bowl won 20-14 by Washington State.
Jerry Palm of CBS Sports, Pete Fiutak of the College Football News and Mark Schlachbach of ESPN (per Susan Miller Degnan of Miami Herald) all project Miami to play Washington State in El Paso on New Year’s Eve. Brett McMurphy projects Miami to play Oregon State and Brad Crawford of 247 Sports projects Miami versus UCLA.
Per Miller Deganam Stewart Mandel of The Athletic projects Miami will play 8-4 Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl Kyle Bonagura of ESPN has Miami matching up with 7-5 Tennessee in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte at 11:30 a.m Dec. 30. The Bowl projections will be announced December 5.
Miami will definitely be without offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee who was hired as the head coach at SMU on Monday. Offensive line coach Garin Justice and wide receivers coach Rob Likens are expected to join Lashlee in Dallas. No determination has been made if Justice or Likens will remain for the Miami Bowl Game.