When he took over at Miami, Randy Shannon had a list of things he knew had to happen before the Hurricanes could return to prominence.
Recruiting needed to be more effective. Academics had to be a top priority. Players were asked to get bigger, stronger, faster.
"It's been a challenge,"
Shannon said.
True, yet all those things seem to have been scratched off that initial to-do list.
Miami's roster is loaded with depth again. Size and speed have been added to just about every position. The Hurricanes are one of the best-performing major college football teams in the classroom, something that Shannon thinks shows a level of discipline that could easily translate into better showings on the field as well.
So all those baby steps have been taken.
The way the Hurricanes see it, all that's left to do now is win.
Still eyeing its first Atlantic Coast Conference title, Miami expects to take a giant leap forward in 2010, with a returning 24-touchdown quarterback in Jacory Harris, quite possibly the deepest corps of wide receivers in the country, along with plenty of talent at defensive line, running back and in the secondary. The Hurricanes were 9-4 last season, the second one in a row where they won two more games than the year before, and if that trend continues Shannon doesn't see any reason why Miami won't be in the hunt for an ACC crown.
The schedule won't make things any easier for Miami.
After opening at home against Florida A&M on Sept. 2, Miami plays its next three on the road -- at Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Clemson, a daunting lineup by any measure. And when the Hurricanes finally get home again, it'll be to meet none other than Florida State, the popular pick to win the ACC title and represent the conference in the Orange Bowl.
A year ago, Miami opened with Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma, with some national pundits expecting the Hurricanes to go 0-4. They went 3-1, soaring in the national polls, only to stumble against both Clemson and North Carolina to miss out on playing for the ACC title and berth in the Orange Bowl.
They learned their lesson. So talk of Ohio State, and a matchup of the two programs who played one of the most memorable national championship games of the past decade, is taboo.
If there are concerns heading into 2010, it likely revolves around the offensive line -- which, literally and figuratively, got a huge boost with the arrival of 6-foot-8, 350-pound Seantrel Henderson, who originally signed with Southern California as the most coveted recruit in the nation, then was released when the Trojans were hit by NCAA sanctions. Henderson could play from Game 1 at Miami.
Special teams should be a strength, anchored by kicker-punter Matt Bosher, one of the nation's best at both jobs.
