Mario Cristobal established homefield advantage at Oregon
In four seasons at Oregon, Mario Cristobal led the Ducks to a 22-1 home record. The lone loss at Autzen Stadium for Cristobal was a 38-31 defeat to Stanford in the first Pac 12 game he coached with the Ducks. Mario Cristobal finished his tenure with Oregon by winning his last 18 Pac-12 home games.
Miami was 13-5 at home the last three seasons. During their championship era, Miami dominated at the Orange Bowl. Miami still holds the college football record with 58 straight home wins from 1985 through 1994. Alabama won 57 straight at home from 1963 through 1982. Miami needs to create a home-field advantage.
The Hurricanes should be favored in every home game this season. According to the ESPN Football Power Index Miami has a 70 percent chance or better to win every home game this season. Miami has a 90 percent chance to win four of its seven home games. Miami was favored in both 2021 home losses.
Miami is projected with a greater than 99 percent chance to win in the season opener at home versus Bethune-Cookman, 96 percent in week two against Southern Mississippi and 93 percent in the final 2022 non-conference home game versus Middle Tennessee State on September 24.
Miami begins 2022 ACC play at home with a projected 78 percent chance to defeat North Carolina. In the remaining home game, Miami is at 96 percent versus Duke, 76 versus Florida State and 70 percent in the season finale versus Pittsburgh. If Miami can go undefeated at home, the Hurricanes should win the ACC Coastal.
Winning all of their 2022 home games would also put Miami in a position to earn a berth in a New Year’s Six Bowl game. Miami last went undefeated in the regular season at home in 2017. The Hurricanes lost 34-24 to Wisconsin in the 2017 Orange Bowl to ruin completing the season undefeated at home.
Miami last completed an undefeated season at home in 2002. Miami athletic director Dan Radakovic said earlier this week that over 50,000 tickets have been distributed for the season opener on Saturday and that 35,000 season tickets have been sold which is about 6,000 ahead of last year.
The buzz for the Miami football team has increased with the hiring of Cristobal as head coach. Autzen Stadium was regarded as one of the best homefields in college football before Cristobal was hired. Cristobal clearly tapped into the Ducks’ fan base. Miami needs to make Hard Rock Stadium one of the best home fields.