ANALYSIS: Inside Lindy’s Sports prediction for Miami Hurricanes 2023 football team
ANALYSIS: Inside Athlon Sports’ prediction for Miami Hurricanes 2023 football team
There are plenty of doubters as the Miami Hurricanes enter the 2023 season, with the general consensus a win total over-under of 7.5 (as per DraftKings). The Canes also were given a wins-losses projection by ESPN’s FPI of 7.8-4.5, and the team has a 94.3 percent chance of reaching six or more wins per those analytics and a 6.3 percent shot of winning the ACC. The playoff percent chance? Well, that stands at just 0.1 percent.
Another date point: Miami checks in at +15000 to win the national title per the DraftKings Sportsbook. That’s tied for 28th in the nation with Baylor, Florida and NC State. Four of Miami’s opponents rank ahead of the canes in national title odds: Florida State +1800, Clemson +2200, Texas A&M +5000, UNC +10000. Other opponents: NC State is tied with Miami at +15000, Louisville is a notch below at +20000 and UVA is +50000. So, in other words, 7-5 or 8-4 seem most likely.
But then there are the renowned national publications Athlon Sports and Lindy’s.
Each has its own dynamic ranking system, and we are going to break them down one at a time with a look inside each. Yesterday we broke down Athlon’s.
Today it’s Lindy’s turn.
The publication picks Miami 39th in the nation and seventh in the ACC. So not as bullish as Athlon’s which had Miami 30th nationally and No. 4 in the conference. Lindy’s has FSU, Clemson, UNC, Duke, NC State and Louisville (in that order) finishing ahead of the Canes in the conference. Miami plays five of those teams (not Duke), which would seem to indicate five losses, right? And non-conference foe Texas A&M is ranked 30th, so that would be a sixth loss for a 6-6 season. At least based on how good Lindy’s views each team. But Lindy’s doesn’t come out and actually predict a final record.
The publication does note that there are “red flags” with Miami’s “offense, player development and coaching reshuffles,” then notes “this is still Miami, right? There’s some raw talent amid the current disfunction.”
THE OPPONENTS/HONORS
When it comes to Miami’s opponents?
As noted above, Miami is picked seventh in the ACC and has five conference opponents ranked higher, with Texas A&M also having a higher national ranking.
FSU checks in as the No. 6 team in the preseason rankings with Clemson No. 11, North Carolina No. 26, NC State No. 35 and Louisville No. 38 (one spot ahead of the Canes).
Lindy’s also has a First Team All-ACC, with five Florida State players and five Clemson players while the Canes have just one on offense and one on defense – transfer OL Javion Cohen and S Kam Kinchens. FSU has five more players on the second team, and Miami puts just RB Henry Parrish and DL Akheem Mesidor in that group.
OL Jalen Rivers PK Andy Borregales crack the third team.
Overall, then, the Canes put six players on the entire ACC first, second and third teams while Florida State has 12 and Clemson 11. So there’s a bit of a top end depth issue there per Lindy’s.
THIS AND THAT
Under “The Big Ones,” Lindy’s lists its big ACC games of the year. Under Texas A&M vs. Miami the publication writes “Hurricanes are not going to be favored in this game. Much to prove.” Also listed: Clemson at Miami (“Will this be a network TV showcase or a noon game Clemson wins buy 35?”), Miami at Florida State (“When will this rivalry regain national relevance? We’re still waiting”) and, surprisingly, Miami at vastly overmatched Boston College (“Miami-BC on the Friday after Thanksgiving? Doug Flutie remembers it well”). Another section lists top 12 non-conference games in the nation and has the UM-Texas A&M game there as well at No. 7, stating “a get-right game for two teams that did 2022 face-plants.”
Under the recruiting section on the league’s freshmen, Lindy’s picks Francis Mauigoa as “likely to be best NFL player.” The publication also chose Miami as “Best Recruiting Staff,” noting “No coach in the country demands more of himself and his staff when it comes to recruiting than Mario Cristobal does.”
Under “Impact Transfers: Non-Quarterbacks” Lindy’s has Javion Cohen at No. 7 in the nation (Travis Hunter to Colorado was No. 1).
Lindy’s lists its top 5 eligible NFL Draft picks by position and has two Miami Hurricanes on there – Javion Cohen as the No. 4 offensive guard and Kam Kinchens as the No. 4 safety (Ohio State’s Lathan Ransom is No. 1). Kinchens was chosen as a preseason second team All-American.
The publication also ranked the top players by position. Canes on the list: Kinchens as the No. 2 safety and Javion Cohen at No. 5 offensive guard. Notable for his absence from the top 25 at QB was Tyler Van Dyke, with even Brennan Armstrong off his stinker of a season checking in at No. 22. Matt Lee at center and Akheem Mesidor / Leonard Taylor on the DL didn’t make the cut for some reason as well. The Canes didn’t have any mention in the top 10 unit rankings by position.
Under the top 100 incoming freshmen players section, OL Francis Mauigoa is No. 10 overall with OL Samson Okunlola No. 23, DL Rueben Bain No. 63 and DL Jayden Wayne No. 82. Mauigoa and Okunlola are the No. 2 and 4 overall ranked offensive linemen on the list. The Canes also were ranked the No. 1 offensive line class in recruiting and No. 5 for tight end (Riley Williams, Jackson Carver).
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