There was a lot of Miami Hurricanes talk on the FOX Big Noon Kickoff this morning as the entire panel was very impressed with last Sunday's win against Notre Dame.
Matt Leinart was particularly impressed and the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner was ready to put the 'Canes in his playoff bracket. Not surprisingly, Leinart mentioned quarterback Carson Beck as a big reason for it.
🔒LOCKED PLAYER OF THE DAY🔒
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Carson Beck lights up Notre Dame with 205 yards and 2 scores in the upset! pic.twitter.com/phag7uauaw
"I think [Miami and LSU] are legit playoff teams. Going back to Miami, it's probably their biggest win under Mario Cristobal, beating Notre Dame," Leinart said. "Playoff teams have similar traits, right? You've got a great quarterback. You look at Carson Beck, he's won a lot of games. He's been in a lot of big games. I think they feel really good there. It was the Miami defense shutting down Jeremiyah Love. This is a game that they can build on. We know the ACC doesn't have a ton of depth."
The win moved Miami into the top 5 heading into today's game against Bethune-Cookman.
Is the ACC deeper than people think?
Leinart mentioned the perceived lack of depth in the ACC, but, like many early-season narratives, that might be accurate. Yes, Clemson lost to LSU last week, but I think the Tigers are still a playoff-caliber team. What about FSU? The projection on the Seminoles has changed a lot since after last week's win over Alabama. There's a great chance that the October 4 showdown is between two undefeated teams ranked in the top 10.
And as you look at Miami's schedule, there are some real challenges. Louisville is never a team to look past. SMU is the defending regular-season conference champion. And games like N.C. State, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech will test the focus of a Hurricanes team that will want to close strong.
It's only Week 2 and a LOT can happen. But if you told me right now that Miami, Clemson and FSU would all hit the 10-win (or better) mark, I wouldn't think that was completely out of the question. The ACC could easily have three playoff teams.,
Wouldn't that be something?