Greg McElroy labels Miami as a legit contender for College Football Playoff, national championship
Greg McElroy is drinking the Miami Kool-Aid following the Hurricanes’ win over the Florida Gators in Week 1.
Not only does McElroy believe Miami is a contender in the ACC, he’s putting them firmly in the College Football Playoff picture, stating that the Hurricanes can win it all after their performance over the weekend, and their improvement from 2023 to 2024.
“Miami is more than a Playoff contender,” McElroy started. “You’re gonna sit there and say, ‘Well, you know, Cam Ward, the adjustments, they beat a bad Florida team,’ I’m fine with all of that. Good with all those things. Whether you believe in Florida or don’t believe in Florida, that’s totally up to you. All I’m saying is that when I went back and watched the Miami game, I believed that it is a team that cannot just get to the playoffs — they can get to the playoffs, we know that, by winning the ACC — but I think that’s a team that can potentially, just saying, win the whole thing. I really believe that they have that type of ceiling.
“They’re that talented at wide receiver, they’re that talented at quarterback. They have experience along the offensive line. They’re extremely disruptive along the defensive line. Then, the position group that I was most concerned about on their entire roster was the secondary, and I looked at the secondary, having to replace four starters from a year ago, a couple of those starters were real difference makers, and they entered the game with, I thought, two pretty difficult weapons to try to defend for Florida … I was super impressed with what I saw from the back end from the Miami Hurricanes.
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“So, when the position of concern for you is addressed Week 1 with impressive play, I’m telling you, man, I think the sky’s the limit for this team. I really believe this. I know they’re going to be able to rush the passer. I know they were really stout for the most part. … All those things considered, I think they have everything that you could possibly want to win a national championship this year.”
At the end of the day, it all falls on the shoulder of Cam Ward for McElroy, and he believes the upgrade at quarterback for the Hurricanes is what will lead to them potentially capturing the national title when the smoke clears on the 2024 campaign.
“The thing that I’m most encouraged by was Cam Ward, his ability to extend plays,” McElroy added. “The guy faced pressure. Now, he didn’t face it often, and I know that we’re all still kind of wondering at the moment, you know, ‘Will Florida be good on defense?’ I’m not sure I know the answer to that based on this performance, but I do know this, though, that when Cam Ward faced pressure, it did not phase him.
“I also know this. When I watched Miami last year, it felt like mistakes, especially a quarterback, were compounded. So if Tyler Van Dyke made a mistake in the first quarter, he spent three quarters trying to make up for that mistake. Well, we saw it early, bad interception by Cam Ward. I think he was trying to force it, scrambling to his left, trying to do too much. That was a bad decision. Really bad decision. Well, after that, they got the ball back. 7-3, they went on. The next thing you know, they’re up 38-10, and it’s a completely different ballgame. The mistake did not define Cam Ward’s play that day. He allowed it to roll off his back like any veteran would, and he became a better player after the mistake, without trying to force and do too much by trying to overcompensate for the mistake made earlier in the game.
“So, I look at Miami, I think they’re a legitimate national championship contender after that Week 1 performance. I know we need to not overreact to Week 1, I get that, but every box that you need to win a national championship, every box that needs to be checked, quarterback, offensive line, quality defensive line, quality playmakers at wide receiver, team that’s well coached by both coordinators, I think they have good systems, both offensively and defensively. I think they check every box. I really believe that, and they’re super physical as well, it’s only going to help them even more.”
Alas, it remains to be seen if Miami can keep up this level of play, but Week 1 was certainly encouraging for the Hurricanes, and Greg McElroy can’t wait to see how they follow it up throughout the entire 2024 campaign.