Canes Across The Pond

Twelve games. Twelve wins. I’m doing it.

After Miami’s remarkable run to the National Championship Game last season, there are plenty of sensible ways to approach a prediction for 2026. The Hurricanes have lost elite talent to the NFL, rebuilt much of the offensive line and face trips to Clemson and Notre Dame that could derail an unbeaten season.

You could look at all of that and settle on 10-2. You could take Miami’s talent, give them one defeat somewhere along the way and call 11-1. Both would be perfectly reasonable predictions for a team attempting to follow the longest season in programme history.

I’m going 12-0. Not because there are no weaknesses on this roster. There are. Not because the schedule is easy. It isn’t. And definitely not because I’m expecting Miami to spend three months blowing everybody off the field. I’m predicting 12-0 because I believe the Hurricanes have the quarterback, playmakers, coaching continuity and overall roster depth to find a way through the games where things don’t go perfectly.

Last season showed Miami could compete for a national championship. This season, I think they can enter December without losing a game.

From National Championship Heartbreak to Another Shot

The starting point for any 2026 Miami prediction has to be what happened last season. Miami finished 13-3, its best season in 23 years, and reached the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. The Hurricanes entered the playoff as the No. 10 seed and beat Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss before falling 27-21 to Indiana at Hard Rock Stadium.

That matters when looking ahead because this isn’t a programme trying to imagine what competing at the top of college football looks like. A significant part of this roster has already experienced it. Miami went into hostile environments and won. It played playoff football against elite opposition. It dealt with the pressure that comes when one bad quarter can end your season and played meaningful football deep into January.

For years, the conversation around Miami was dominated by what the programme could become. Recruiting classes looked good. The talent was coming back. Maybe this was the season where The U finally returned to the national conversation. Last year changed that.

Mario Cristobal has spent four years building Miami towards this point. The question isn’t whether his programme is capable of competing nationally anymore. We watched it happen. The challenge now is staying there after losing some of the players who helped take Miami to within one game of a national championship. I think this roster is capable of doing exactly that.

Darian Mensah Changes the Quarterback Conversation

Replacing Carson Beck could have created enormous uncertainty. Instead, Miami brought in Darian Mensah, and that’s one of the biggest reasons I’m willing to be aggressive with this prediction.

Mensah started 14 games for Duke in 2025 and threw for 3,973 yards, 34 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He led the Blue Devils to the ACC Championship and was named MVP of both the conference title game and Sun Bowl. That experience is important. Miami isn’t asking a talented but inexperienced quarterback to learn on the job while carrying national championship expectations. Mensah has already played a full Power Four season, operated in important games and won the conference Miami is trying to win.

Now he gets to play in Shannon Dawson’s offence with a collection of weapons that might be better than anything he’s previously had around him. Dawson is entering his fourth season as Miami’s offensive coordinator, giving Mensah something transfer quarterbacks don’t always inherit: continuity around them. The system is established, the identity of the offence is established and many of the players surrounding him already know exactly what’s expected.

Mensah doesn’t need to reinvent Miami’s offence. He needs to run it, and I think he’ll run it very well.

How Much Better Can Malachi Toney Get?

If there’s one player who makes me want to be even more optimistic about Miami’s ceiling, it might be Malachi Toney. What Toney did as a freshman was ridiculous. He caught a Miami-record 109 passes for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns, added another 113 yards rushing and finished with 1,622 all-purpose yards. He was named ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year and FWAA Offensive Freshman of the Year.

And he was doing all of that as a teenager. We’re well beyond talking about Toney as somebody who could break out. The breakout happened. The interesting question now is what comes next.

Toney has another offseason in Miami’s programme, another year in Dawson’s system and a quarterback who threw for almost 4,000 yards last season. Every defensive coordinator Miami faces will know where No. 1 is before the ball is snapped. The problem is that Miami can punish teams for becoming too obsessed with stopping him.

Cooper Barkate arrives alongside Mensah after earning second-team All-ACC honours at Duke. Across his college career, Barkate has 185 receptions for 2,848 yards and 21 touchdowns, with 11 games of more than 100 receiving yards. Miami can also call on Daylyn Upshaw, Vandrevius Jacobs and Joshua Moore among its other receiver options.

That gives Dawson flexibility. Move Toney around. Put Barkate outside. Force the defence to show how it intends to cover them. If opponents commit extra resources to the passing game, Miami has another answer waiting in the backfield.

Mark Fletcher Gives Miami an Answer When Games Get Ugly

There will be games where the passing game isn’t flowing. There will be road environments where Miami struggles to communicate. There will be fourth quarters where the Hurricanes need four yards and everybody in the stadium knows exactly what’s coming. That’s why Mark Fletcher Jr. matters so much to this prediction.

Fletcher rushed for a career-high 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025 while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. More importantly, he became increasingly influential as Miami’s games became more important during its run towards the National Championship Game. Behind him, Miami has Jordan Lyle (depending on legal issues), Marty Brown, Girard Pringle Jr. and further depth.

That combination gives Miami the ability to change how it wins. If Mensah and Toney are flying, Miami can attack teams through the air. If the weather turns, the crowd is loud and nothing looks particularly pretty, Fletcher can become the centre of the offence. That’s important because nobody goes 12-0 by playing their best football every Saturday. Sometimes you just need to survive, and Fletcher gives Miami a way of doing it.

The Offensive Line Is the Biggest Reason to Doubt 12-0

This is where the optimism needs a reality check. If you want to tell me why Miami won’t finish undefeated, start with the offensive line. It’s the position group that gives me the greatest hesitation.

Francis Mauigoa is gone and significant experience has departed alongside him. No matter how talented the replacements might be, offensive line chemistry isn’t something that automatically appears because the recruiting rankings look good.

Matt McCoy has taken on a leadership role while Miami works through different combinations. Samson Okunlola brings experience. Ryan Rodriguez has worked on the interior. Five-star freshman Jackson Cantwell has enough raw talent to contribute immediately, although asking young offensive linemen to deal with veteran Power Four defensive fronts is always a risk.

What encourages me is how Miami has approached the problem. Cristobal and Alex Mirabal haven’t simply named five starters and hoped everyone stays healthy. Camp has been about creating flexibility and finding Miami’s best five linemen, with players cross-training across positions. They’re also getting a fairly brutal education in practice. Going against Ahmad Moten Sr., Armondo Blount, Justin Scott, Marquise Lightfoot and Damon Wilson II every day should expose weaknesses quickly.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the offensive line looks like Miami’s least settled unit during September. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be a bad offensive line. Cristobal and Mirabal have built their reputations around this position. For my 12-0 prediction to survive, I’m trusting them.

Can Miami Really Replace Bain and Mesidor?

The other major question sits directly opposite them. Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor were special football players. Pretending Miami can simply insert two replacements and continue as if nothing happened would be foolish. The more realistic question is whether Miami can replace their production collectively.

Ahmad Moten Sr. started 14 games last season and recorded nine tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Damon Wilson II arrives from Missouri after a nine-sack season that earned him second-team All-SEC honours. Then there are Armondo Blount, Marquise Lightfoot and Justin Scott.

Miami doesn’t need one of them to suddenly become Rueben Bain. It needs Wilson to bring his SEC production. It needs Moten to continue developing. It needs Blount, Lightfoot and Scott to turn talent into consistent disruption. If that happens, the defensive front can remain one of Miami’s strengths even after losing two NFL-calibre players.

Hetherman’s Defence Has Earned Some Trust

One of the most significant transformations at Miami last season happened on defence. In Corey Hetherman’s first season as defensive coordinator, Miami finished 12th nationally in total defence, fifth in scoring defence, sixth against the run and fourth in sacks.

That’s not a minor statistical improvement. It’s a unit being transformed. Hetherman now enters year two. Some personnel has changed, but the system hasn’t, and that continuity should allow returning players to react rather than think their way through assignments.

Veteran linebacker Mohamed Toure is particularly important. He led Miami with 84 tackles in 2025, started all 16 games and enters the new season with 54 games of college experience. That gives Miami stability in the middle of the defence while new combinations develop around him. Behind that front seven, Miami might have the strongest unit on the roster.

Miami’s Secondary Could Be Excellent

OJ Frederique Jr. Xavier Lucas. Zechariah Poyser. Bryce Fitzgerald. Damari Brown. Omar Thornton. There’s experience, athleticism and serious depth across the defensive backfield.

Fitzgerald might be the most intriguing of the lot. He intercepted six passes as a freshman, tied for second nationally, despite starting only four games. Two of those interceptions came in Miami’s College Football Playoff victory at Texas A&M. That last bit matters. Making plays in September is one thing. Making them on the road in a playoff game tells us something else about a player.

Now Fitzgerald has another offseason behind him, while Frederique, Lucas, Poyser and Brown are no longer learning Hetherman’s defence from scratch. Miami will need that secondary. Clemson has talented receivers. Notre Dame has CJ Carr. Pitt has Mason Heintschel. There are quarterbacks on this schedule capable of punishing mistakes. I think Miami’s defensive backs are good enough to make some plays of their own.

The Schedule Gives Miami a Route to 12-0

Miami plays seven games at Hard Rock Stadium and five on the road. Those road games are Stanford, Wake Forest, Clemson, North Carolina and Notre Dame. At home, the Hurricanes get Florida A&M, Central Michigan, Florida State, Pittsburgh, Duke, Virginia Tech and Boston College.

There are two obvious monsters: Clemson and Notre Dame. If you’re telling me right now that Miami finishes 10-2, those are probably the two losses you’re giving them. I’m picking Miami in both.

Beyond that, there are some favourable details. Florida State comes to Hard Rock. So do Pitt, Duke and Virginia Tech. Perhaps most importantly, Miami gets a bye immediately after travelling to Clemson and before facing Florida State. That’s about as useful a place for a bye as Cristobal could have requested.

There are danger games elsewhere. Wake Forest bothers me. Pitt looks like the classic fixture everyone ignores while concentrating on the games around it. North Carolina has already demonstrated that it can make an opponent’s evening thoroughly unpleasant. But when I work through this schedule game by game, I keep coming back to the same conclusion. So here’s how Miami gets to 12-0.

Stanford: An Awkward Beginning, but a Winning One

Friday, 4 September | Prediction: Miami 35, Stanford 17 | Record: 1-0

This game looks slightly different now because Stanford has already played. The Cardinal opened the Tavita Pritchard era with a 37-27 victory over Hawai’i, with Micah Ford scoring three touchdowns. Stanford had to respond after nearly blowing a 16-point fourth-quarter lead before scoring twice late to secure the victory.

That gives the Cardinal an advantage Miami doesn’t have. They’ve experienced live game speed and have actual 2026 film to correct. They also get a full game of Miami preparation without giving the Hurricanes the same luxury. Add a cross-country trip and a 9pm Eastern kickoff on Friday night and I’m not expecting Miami to arrive in California looking like a finished product.

The rebuilt offensive line could have some messy moments, particularly early. Stanford might hang around longer than Miami fans would like. Eventually, however, I expect the difference at quarterback and the skill positions to show. Stanford scored 37 against Hawai’i. I don’t see 37 against Hetherman’s defence. Mensah starts his Miami career with a win.

Florida A&M: Take Care of Business

Thursday, 10 September | Prediction: Miami 49, Florida A&M 10 | Record: 2-0

Miami’s home opener arrives only six days later against a Florida A&M programme beginning a new era under Quinn Gray. There’s an additional scheduling issue for FAMU. The Rattlers play South Carolina State at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, 6 September before facing Miami four days later. That’s a horrible turnaround against a team with Miami’s depth.

The Hurricanes should have a significant advantage in talent and size. This is less about proving anything nationally and more about getting ahead early, continuing to develop the offensive line and getting important players off the field before the game becomes unnecessarily taxing. Anything other than a comfortable Miami victory would be a surprise.

Wake Forest: The First Game That Makes Me Nervous

Friday, 18 September | Prediction: Miami 31, Wake Forest 14 | Record: 3-0

Do not sleep on this one. Wake Forest went 9-4 in Jake Dickert’s first season, including ranked victories over SMU and Virginia. The Demon Deacons finished among the ACC’s top six in both total and passing defence and didn’t allow an offensive touchdown against either Virginia or North Carolina.

Now Miami has to go there on a Friday night. It’s exactly the sort of fixture that disappears when you’re looking at a schedule containing Clemson, Florida State and Notre Dame. Well-coached opponent. Road game. Shorter turnaround. Everyone outside the programme already thinking about bigger games to come.

If I’m wrong about 12-0, don’t be shocked if this is where it happens. I’m still picking Miami because this is precisely why bringing in Mensah matters. The Hurricanes aren’t asking an inexperienced quarterback to solve an awkward ACC road game. Fletcher can become increasingly important in the second half and Miami’s defence should give the offence enough opportunities. I don’t expect it to be comfortable, but I do expect it to count.

I’m also relying on the Canes to get a win in this game as it’s potentially the only game I will miss due to traveling to London for the Union Jack Classic on the Saturday.

Central Michigan: Don’t Start Thinking About Clemson

Saturday, 26 September | Prediction: Miami 42, Central Michigan 10 | Record: 4-0

Central Michigan returns three quarterbacks who played in 2025, including Angel Flores, who rushed for 527 yards and eight touchdowns. The Chippewas also have experienced depth on their defensive line. Miami should still control the game.

The challenge isn’t really whether the Hurricanes are better than Central Michigan. They are. It’s whether everybody can avoid spending Saturday thinking about what’s coming seven days later. Clemson is the first major national test of the season. The temptation to look ahead will be enormous. Cristobal makes sure they don’t. Miami handles its business and heads to Death Valley 4-0.

Clemson: The First Coin Flip

Saturday, 3 October | Prediction: Miami 30, Clemson 27 | Record: 5-0

This is the first prediction where I’ve genuinely wondered whether I’m talking myself into something. Death Valley is one of the most difficult environments Miami will visit. Clemson has serious receiver talent, Dabo Swinney knows how to prepare for major games and Miami could still be working through issues on its rebuilt offensive line. There is absolutely a version of this game where Clemson wins.

But the Tigers have questions of their own after finishing 7-6 last season. Clemson entered camp with a quarterback competition between Christopher Vizzina and freshman Tait Reynolds, while there has also been competition across the offensive line and several other positions. What Clemson does have is dangerous talent outside. T.J. Moore caught 52 passes for 837 yards last season, while Bryant Wesco Jr. provides another serious receiving threat.

For me, the game comes down to whether Miami can protect Mensah well enough and whether Frederique, Lucas, Fitzgerald and company can prevent Clemson’s receivers creating too many explosive plays. If the answer to both is yes, I think Miami wins.

It won’t be easy. Fletcher will need to find some horrible yards. Toney will probably need to produce one of those moments that makes you wonder how you’re supposed to defend him. And Miami might need Jack Olsen late. I’m taking the Canes by three. And then I’m taking the bye week, because I suspect we’ll all need it.

Florida State: Rivalry Week Comes Early

Saturday, 17 October | Prediction: Miami 34, Florida State 23 | Record: 6-0

The timing couldn’t be much better. Miami gets Clemson, then an entire week to recover before Florida State comes to Hard Rock Stadium.

We’ve also now seen the Seminoles play. FSU opened with a 34-17 victory over New Mexico State, producing 419 yards of offence and 217 rushing yards. Ousmane Kromah ran for 115 yards, while Ashton Daniels completed 17 of 27 passes for 202 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

That makes the rivalry more interesting. Good. Miami-FSU should be interesting. Duce Robinson remains one of the better receivers Miami will face after producing 1,081 yards last season, while Florida State showed enough in its opener to suggest the Seminoles can make this physical.

But Miami gets them at Hard Rock after a bye. I think FSU hangs around, then Miami pulls away.

Pittsburgh: The One Nobody Is Talking About

Saturday, 24 October | Prediction: Miami 31, Pittsburgh 24 | Record: 7-0

Pitt worries me more than people might expect. Mason Heintschel took over as a true freshman last season and finished with 2,354 passing yards and 16 touchdowns. Pitt went 6-3 in the games he played, and he’s subsequently been voted a team captain as a true sophomore. The Panthers also have enough talent in the front seven to make this physical.

Then look at where the game sits. Florida State immediately before it. North Carolina and Notre Dame immediately afterwards. That’s classic trap-game territory.

Miami might genuinely play better against Clemson than it does against Pittsburgh. That’s how college football works. But good teams have to win when their best football doesn’t turn up. Miami’s offensive depth eventually creates enough favourable matchups and the Canes survive another one.

North Carolina: Halloween in Chapel Hill

Saturday, 31 October | Prediction: Miami 27, North Carolina 20 | Record: 8-0

I’ve become less comfortable with this prediction. North Carolina went to Dublin and beat TCU 15-10, holding the Horned Frogs scoreless for the final 49 minutes, forcing three turnovers on downs and recovering a fumble in the Dublin rain. TCU had scored at least 28 points in 30 consecutive regular-season non-conference games before Carolina’s defence stopped that run.

That’s enough to get my attention. Bill Belichick’s team didn’t produce an offensive masterpiece. It didn’t need to. UNC made the game uncomfortable and won it. Halloween night in Chapel Hill therefore looks considerably more awkward than it did when the schedule was released.

Miami has also had some fairly miserable trips to North Carolina over the years. Fortunately, we’re predicting the 2026 Hurricanes rather than fighting ghosts from previous Miami teams. Mensah gives the Canes an advantage at quarterback. Fletcher gives them a way to stay patient if the explosive plays aren’t there. And if Carolina turns it into a defensive game, I’m increasingly confident Miami can win one of those too.

It won’t be pretty. Nobody puts style points in the standings.

Notre Dame: Where 12-0 Lives or Dies

Saturday, 7 November | Prediction: Miami 30, Notre Dame 27 | Record: 9-0

If Miami reaches South Bend 8-0, this is probably where my prediction lives or dies. Notre Dame returns CJ Carr after a 10-2 season and entered the offseason with an enormous amount of returning production. The Irish have lost elite running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, but much of the roster that made Notre Dame one of the country’s strongest teams remains intact.

And this time it’s in South Bend. Miami beat Notre Dame 27-24 at Hard Rock Stadium last season. The Irish will remember that. Carr will remember it. The crowd will certainly remember it. Miami also won’t have Bain and Mesidor making the big defensive plays this time.

So why am I picking the Canes? Because I don’t think they have to win the same way. Mensah gives Miami another experienced option at quarterback. Toney is a year older. Barkate provides another proven receiving threat. Fletcher remains capable of carrying the offence through difficult stretches, while Miami’s secondary should be good enough to prevent Carr simply taking over.

This feels like one of those games where you spend four hours wondering why you chose to support an American college football team from Britain. I’ve got it tied late. Mensah gets the ball back, Toney moves the chains and Fletcher helps Miami into field-goal range. Miami wins.

If that happens, I’ll finally allow myself to start thinking seriously about perfection.

Duke: The Darian Mensah Game

Saturday, 14 November | Prediction: Miami 38, Duke 21 | Record: 10-0

There might not be a stranger game on Miami’s schedule for its quarterback. Mensah led Duke to the ACC Championship last season. Now the Blue Devils come to Coral Gables trying to stop him. Cooper Barkate will also be lining up against his former teammates.

Duke has turned to San Jose State transfer Walker Eget, who was named its starting quarterback in August after throwing for 3,051 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season. And Manny Diaz will have something designed for Mensah. Of course he will.

The bigger concern might actually be what happened seven days earlier. If Miami has just walked out of South Bend at 9-0, the national conversation changes immediately. Suddenly everyone is talking about the undefeated Hurricanes. That’s where staying focused becomes difficult.

Still, Miami is at home and has the deeper roster. Mensah probably won’t need anyone explaining why he should be ready for this one.

Virginia Tech: Six Days and 10-0 Pressure

Friday, 20 November | Prediction: Miami 31, Virginia Tech 23 | Record: 11-0

Miami gets only six days between Duke and Virginia Tech. That makes this much more awkward. Virginia Tech is also beginning again under James Franklin, with optimism around a significant transfer-portal rebuild. Penn State transfer Ethan Grunkemeyer has been among the quarterbacks competing for the job.

By this stage, though, Miami would be competing against something else as well: expectation. At 10-0, every game becomes somebody else’s opportunity to destroy your season. Every mistake gets magnified. Every fourth quarter feels like a playoff game before the actual playoff has even begun.

That’s another reason last season matters. Miami has played under pressure before. Hard Rock gets them through one final uncomfortable night.

Boston College: One More

Saturday, 28 November | Prediction: Miami 41, Boston College 10 | Record: 12-0

If everything above happens, this is it. One game at Hard Rock Stadium. Win it and Miami completes an undefeated regular season.

Boston College enters 2026 with significant offensive change, with former Division II standout Mason McKenzie projected to take over at quarterback following his move from Saginaw Valley State. BC has acknowledged the adjustment required as its rebuilt offence develops chemistry.

I don’t see Miami getting this far and allowing it to disappear at home. Not on Senior Day. Not with Charlotte ahead. Not with an unbeaten regular season sitting there.

Toney gets his moment. Fletcher gets his. Mensah walks off Hard Rock Stadium at 12-0. And somewhere in Yorkshire, I’m looking back at something I wrote in August and pretending I was never worried.

The Final Prediction

Week	Opponent	Prediction	Score	Record
1	at Stanford	WIN	35-17	1-0
2	Florida A&M	WIN	49-10	2-0
3	at Wake Forest	WIN	31-14	3-0
4	Central Michigan	WIN	42-10	4-0
5	at Clemson	WIN	30-27	5-0
6	Florida State	WIN	34-23	6-0
7	Pittsburgh	WIN	31-24	7-0
8	at North Carolina	WIN	27-20	8-0
9	at Notre Dame	WIN	30-27	9-0
10	Duke	WIN	38-21	10-0
11	Virginia Tech	WIN	31-23	11-0
12	Boston College	WIN	41-10	12-0

Miami Hurricanes 2026 regular-season prediction: 12-0.

The toughest game is Notre Dame. Clemson is the biggest ACC test. Pittsburgh is the trap game I’m watching, while Wake Forest might be the most underrated challenge on the entire schedule. And if you’re wondering which game has the greatest potential to make this prediction look either inspired or completely ridiculous, it’s South Bend. No question.

Why I’m Willing to Go 12-0

Predicting an undefeated season should feel uncomfortable. Winning 12 consecutive college football games is incredibly difficult. Players get injured. Turnovers bounce the wrong way. Weather changes games. A team you expect to beat comfortably suddenly produces its best performance of the year. One bad quarter can wreck everything.

Miami will probably need to win at least two games this season where it isn’t playing particularly well. That’s why 12-0 isn’t necessarily my prediction that Miami will be significantly better than everyone it faces. It’s my prediction that Miami is equipped to survive.

The Hurricanes have an experienced quarterback. They have one of the country’s most dangerous receivers and a proven 1,000-yard running back. They have a deep collection of offensive weapons, a defensive coordinator who transformed the unit in his first season and enough talent on the defensive line that replacing Bain and Mesidor doesn’t have to fall on one player.

They also have a secondary that could be special, seven home games and a bye that arrives exactly where you would want it, immediately after Clemson and before Florida State.

There are concerns. The offensive line has to come together. The defensive front has to prove that talent can become production. Mensah still has to translate what he did at Duke into the very different pressure that comes with being Miami’s quarterback. And those trips to Clemson and Notre Dame are genuine coin-flip football games.

I’m simply taking Miami’s side of both coins.

The Last Word from Across the Pond

Last season changed the conversation around Miami. Reaching the National Championship Game wasn’t theoretical progress. It wasn’t recruiting hype or another discussion about what the Hurricanes might eventually become. Miami got there.

They walked into Texas A&M and won. They beat Ohio State. They beat Ole Miss. They played for a national championship. Now the expectations change. This season isn’t about proving Miami can belong amongst college football’s elite. It’s about staying there.

Darian Mensah has been brought to Coral Gables to win immediately. Malachi Toney could become one of the faces of college football. Mark Fletcher Jr. has already shown what he can do when the games get bigger. Corey Hetherman’s defence has earned trust, and Mario Cristobal has built enough depth that Miami shouldn’t be one injury away from everything falling apart.

Will 12-0 be easy? Absolutely not. Wake Forest worries me. Pitt worries me more than people might expect. Clemson could come down to one possession. Notre Dame could come down to one kick. North Carolina has already shown it can drag a more fancied opponent into exactly the sort of ugly game it wants.

But if you’re asking me before Miami takes its first snap of the 2026 season where this team finishes. I’m backing Miami to win all 12.

Maybe we’ll revisit this in November and wonder what on earth I was thinking. Or maybe we’ll be booking our place in front of the television for Charlotte with an undefeated Miami team playing for an ACC Championship.

I’m going with the second option. 12-0. See you in Charlotte.