We don't usually do predictions or prediction threads, but I thought it might be an interesting exercise this week. Miami is at an interesting point in its season -- a win on Saturday would put the team in good position to win seven games, a number which many thought was unreachable before the season. (A win, in fact, on Saturday would give Miami as many wins in five games as Sports Illustrated predicted they'd win in the entire season.) The team has given plenty of reasons why it could win seven games, but it's also given plenty of reasons why it might not win another game for the rest of the season.
North Carolina State is also an intriguing matchup for Miami at this juncture in the season. The Canes can certainly win the game -- in fact, they're favored by 2.5 points in Vegas. But the Wolfpack could also beat UM by two touchdowns. This is a good measuring stick game for Miami -- how they play on Saturday could give a good indication of their chances of beating teams like Virginia and North Carolina, which are crucial games if Miami wants to break the six-win threshold this year.
The Wolfpack have been pretty unimpressive this year, but they were projected as an eight-win team before the season. They're in the same sort of unknown zone as the Hurricanes -- this is not Miami vs. FSU, for instance. So I'm curious about everyone's feelings on Saturday's game. Optimistic? Pessimistic? Unsure?
Feel free to post a prediction in the comments.