NCAA Football: Miami at Florida
USATSI

Of all the results from Week 1 of college football, few resonated more than Miami's 41-17 thrashing of Florida in Gainesville. The Hurricanes entered as a narrow favorite in what was largely viewed as a toss-up game and left The Swamp as the team to beat in the ACC with a favorable path to the College Football Playoff. 

Miami was already expected to be favored in nearly every game of its schedule, but Saturday's showdown with Florida was one of the matchups where you could imagine the Hurricanes picking up a loss. And while Florida has its own issues to address in the wake of defeat, there was enough to take away from Miami's win to believe that the margin had as much (or more) to do with the Hurricanes' strengths rather than the Gators' weaknesses. 

This is a performance that's repeatable against the rest of Miami's schedule. If that happens, we will be looking at a Hurricanes team with a chance to reach heights the program has not seen in more than two decades. Making the College Football Playoff in 2024 is putting yourself in national championship contention, and we haven't seen Miami in real national championship contention since the beginning of the 21st century. 

Cam Ward is an X-factor 

One of core principles for coaches who rely heavily on talent accumulation is the belief that in the biggest games of the year, nothing is more important than having a greater number of better players than the opponent. College football features teams and coaches that can scheme and game plan their way to eliminate talent gaps, but when two powers square off, the matchup may be boiled down to who has more special players. Miami quarterback Cam Ward proved in Saturday's win that he is, in fact, one of those special players capable of taking over on this stage. 

Ward's performance — 385 yards and three touchdowns on 26 of 35 passing — solidified all the offseason hype, which included expectations of the way he could drive an offense that added even more weapons at the skill positions. Ten different Miami players contributed to Ward's 26 receptions, and while Oregon State transfer Damien Martinez led the team in rushing and Houston transfer Sam Brown recorded of trio of catches, it was in-house talent recruited by Miami that stole the show. Xavier Restrepo, Elijah Arroyo and Isaiah Horton leading the team in receptions highlights how Miami has had players capable of showing out on this stage, but the offense has been waiting for a player like Ward to put it all together.   

Striving for a double-digit win season, something Miami has done just once as an ACC member, requires the ability to win games when things aren't going well. Few things are a better antidote for that circumstance than a game-changing quarterback, and with how Ward was able to manipulate Florida's defense and generate explosive plays, there's a new level of trust in Miami's ceiling. 

A schedule that was always favorable 

A good portion of preseason analysis has to do with determining expectations for a team's floor and ceiling. The thought with Miami was that even if the Hurricanes showed up on Saturday with a group that failed to win in The Swamp, Mario Cristobal's group would still have a shot to contend for an ACC title given their draw in conference play. Now that we know Miami's on-field product appears to be much closer to the ceiling of anyone's preseason rating, the odds for the Hurricanes to be favored in nearly every single game remaining have increased. 

Let's a take a look at the remaining 2024 Miami schedule: 

Something has gone horribly wrong if Miami is not 4-0 when it welcomes Virginia Tech, and given the Hokies started their season with a loss to Vanderbilt, it's fair to assume the Hurricanes will be heavy favorites in that game. Cristobal and his staff will then be challenged with the logistical side of cross-country travel and maintaining a high level of play when they visit Cal, but if Saturday was Miami's A-game, then even a B-minus performance might be good enough to avoid the upset. 

Then, the season will hinge on whether Miami can recapture Saturday's form when the Hurricanes return from an off-week to face Louisville on Oct. 19 and then host rival Florida State one week later on Oct. 26. Those two games will set the stage for everything that Miami wants to accomplish this season. Winning those games, picking up not only the victories but the head-to-head advantages that might be needed for tiebreakers, puts Miami in the driver seat for the ACC Championship Game and sets it up to start the College Football Playoff race with an advantageous ranking. 

Winning the CFP at-large debate

Now that Miami has this road win against Florida, it has the ultimate deal breaker should the Hurricanes find themselves in the midst of a debate for an at-large spot. It should be clear that the expectation is for Miami to win the ACC and claim one of four conference championship spots in the CFP bracket, but if the Hurricanes were to lose in the ACC Championship Game, the team has gained a coveted quality nonconference win. 

When the playoff race starts in earnest with the first rankings release on Tuesday, Nov. 5, Miami will have the kind of extra win that could help its position against other top teams. If Saturday's win on the road in a hostile environment is paired with wins over Florida State, Virginia Tech and Louisville, then it will be more difficult to discount an impressive win total when splitting hairs between top teams. A good starting position allows some wiggle room should there be an unexpected loss down the stretch or a defeat in the ACC title game. 

Miami vs. expectations

It's Week 1, and you only have to go as far back as last season to find an example of Miami generating hype with a fast start. But this does feel different than 2023 in terms of what was expected from Miami and what was delivered in Saturday's win. The rivalry of "Miami vs. Preseason Expectations" has not gone the Hurricanes' way for much of the last 20 years, but this is also arguably the most talented roster the program has had in that same span. Cristobal and his staff have recruited from high school and the portal relentlessly since they arrived, and here in Year 3 we are seeing the maturation of those efforts. Miami has not been a player in the national championship conversation in some time, but with a favorable path to the College Football Playoff, it's clear that all of the wildest dreams about "The U" and anything resembling "back" are on the table in 2024.