Don’t judge a book by its cover. The cliche rings true in the case of the 2024 Miami Hurricanes, if in a slightly negative connotation. Their 10-1 record makes for great reading. But perhaps this record puts a certain sheen over a season which has cracks beneath the surface. Superstar QB Cam Ward is aware of this reality and is not blinded by the Florida Sun shining bright over his program.

For the longest time, the Canes were unbeaten. Their disposition near the top of the rankings was seemingly the sign of a dominant team without holes. However, people who have watched Miami football this year know that wasn’t quite the case. Their underlying issues boiled over in the Canes’ first loss all season over in Atlanta earlier this month. The team is aware and throws caution to the wind.

Cam Ward spoke to the media in the aftermath of their Week 13 win over Wake Forest. Ward was asked what his most challenging game this season has been. He replied, “The most challenging game I would say for us as a team this year would have to be Georgia Tech. Just due to the knowledge that we lost by, you know, the stuff that we’ve been lacking week after week, it finally got exposed. You know, losses expose everything”.

Unranked Georgia Tech beat then no.4 Miami 28-23 in Week 11. This was a resounding victory for an injury-ridden Yellow Jackets outfit. How did they do it? By outdoing Miami physically. Georgia Tech pounded the Hurricanes in the running game. They put up 271 yards on the ground. 

This momentum of the offense continually getting their way even permeated to the defense. They kept Miami to a season-low 23 points. Although Cam Ward put up 347 passing yards and 3 TDs, the superhuman was for once denied the chance to make a heroic comeback. Something Miami has become accustomed to. This facet is the key to how they fare in the CFP.

Miami’s biggest strength is a double-edged sword

Defence hasn’t been the stronghold for Mario Cristobal’s Miami this season. That’s clear. However, the offense makes up for it. It is in fact this feature which leads into their overarching issue. An ability to muster last-gasp comebacks is, in many ways, papering over the Hurricanes’ problems. While they have won 10 games in 11, the context adds a lot of cause for concern. 

It has been well-documented how Miami has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on multiple occasions. Against Virginia Tech, Cam Ward led 2 TD drives in the last 9 minutes to win 38-34. In the very next game, Miami scored 3 TDs without reply in the 4th quarter. They overcame an 18-38 deficit to win 39-38. This was against a mediocre California team. A great look for Cam Ward and his future prospects, albeit worrying for Miami in the immediate.

While the comebacks are obviously a good thing, they cover their tails. The problem is that they were persistently down multiple scores against relatively poor opposition. If Miami wants to make waves in the CFP, this aspect will need to tighten up. The quality of the opposition in the playoffs will not afford them these miracles. Cam Ward and the Hurricanes play for it’s spot in the ACC Championship game against Syracuse next weekend. A start-to-finish, less chaotic performance will go some way in instilling confidence ahead of the playoffs, if they make them that is.