When people on this site ask if we're 2023 FSU, this is a sign that we're not even close. If these guys suit up for the f***ing pop tarts bowl then you can bet your a** they would have suited up for Georgia.
Forget the game itself, I think this is a great sign that Mario has these guys playing for each other and playing for Miami. You're talking about Ward and Martinez, portal guys who arrived this year and will get drafted, and they want to play. This is proof of a culture.
We can look at SMU and say, "all those players are good now, why couldn't they be good here?", and maybe this is an answer to all that. Maybe Mario does understand who fits and who doesn't, regardless of talent.
I really wish we had this squad back for one more year because I think these dudes would show up next year with absolute focus.