Back to the Drawing Board for Miami’s Offense

College football fans across the nation were excited to see what Miami’s offense would bring against the Tigers. Unfortunately, what we witnessed on Saturday night was a completely dominated and fooled unit, far from the elite level they were playing at in weeks prior.

Instead of a showing that solidified Miami’s improvement, we saw it crash back down to earth. Of course, Clemson is a much better team than Florida State or Louisville, but this matchup was the ultimate test to see how far the program has come since the conclusion of the 2019 season. Based on the result of Saturday’s game, the harsh conclusion is not very far. ‘Canes fans were hoping to see a team sprinting to success, not a program that still has a long, long way to go.

Sure, soundly-beating the ‘Noles and Cardinals puts the program in a better place than they were in 2019. In the grand scheme of the college football world, however, Miami was thought to be a title-contender, D’Eriq King a Heisman favorite. A performance such as that proves the hype was, once again, smoke and mirrors.

While the hype comes from media and talking heads unrelentingly stating “the U is back,” there’s never been a better time to prove them right. However, not only was Miami’s offense stopped at every turn, they were seemingly unprepared. Ultimately, the blame for Saturday’s embarrassment rests on the game plan and execution, not the media’s tropes.

What matters now, is Miami’s response to adversity. In seasons past, we’ve seen the ‘Canes go into a shell following a disappointing outcome. Most of those losing skids came after heart-wrenching defeats to rival Florida State, but Miami has to quickly put this game behind them in order to prepare for next Saturday’s game against Pitt.

Pittsburgh offers Miami another tough test, especially on offense. Stubborn defense is part of Pitt’s brand, and after watching film and regrouping, offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee has to ensure that the ‘Canes aren’t so easily figured-out again.

While Saturday’s game went just about as bad as any Miami fan could’ve feared, what matters is the road ahead, and taking care of business in order to earn a trip to the ACC Championship Game and a second chance at knocking off the Tigers.