STATE OF THE U: HARD TRUTH

[Number1CanesFan]

This is exactly why there is doom and gloom. You're going to say SMU was a more solid program, but yet they took our "scrub" players and have won.

Mario is going into year 4 already and there are still major holes to fill and a bunch of unknowns due to the lack of player development.

Lashlee is the coach Mario will never be. And how did SMU recognize the potential Lashlee had when nobody at Miami did. Dumb luck I guess.

It's no mystery our defense was awful and that's why we're not playing for the ACC title. I think Mario relys too much on the portal and it hasn't paid off for half of the portal transfers he brought in. There was no accountability. That is the biggest problem in my opinion.

Mario doesn't coach offense or defense, but I would have to say Lashlee's squad is more disciplined and sound, so I would agree he's a better coach. It's not about X's and O's. Mario needs to get out his own way and stop playcating to transfer portal players. He talks discipline, but his action said otherwise. We didn't see guys benched until game 11. Even then, some were never benched that should have been.

I don't know the issues is with Guidry. Thus year was a complete sh**t show.

I'm optimistic because of the type of high school players Mario has recruited. These talented players are disciplined people not just disciplined players, which is hard to find in the portal witha 1 yesr mercenary. I expect a very different looking team in the way they conduct themselves. These guys are growing up together as Hurricanes. They are not a bunch of guys thrown together for one year. That's huge to me.

 

[miamicanephins]

It's no mystery our defense was awful and that's why we're not playing for the ACC title. I think Mario relys too much on the portal and it hasn't paid off for half of the portal transfers he brought in. There was no accountability. That is the biggest problem in my opinion.

Mario doesn't coach offense or defense, but I would have to say Lashlee's squad is more disciplined and sound, so I would agree he's a better coach. It's not about X's and O's. Mario needs to get out his own way and stop playcating to transfer portal players. He talks discipline, but his action said otherwise. We didn't see guys benched until game 11. Even then, some were never benched that should have been.

I don't know the issues is with Guidry. Thus year was a complete sh**t show.

I'm optimistic because of the type of high school players Mario has recruited. These talented players are disciplined people not just disciplined players, which is hard to find in the portal witha 1 yesr mercenary. I expect a very different looking team in the way they conduct themselves. These guys are growing up together as Hurricanes. They are not a bunch of guys thrown together for one year. That's huge to me.

Mario has to kill it in the portal or your asking for alot of guys with little to no game experience to play major rolls, which will be a problem.

I see other schools are already firing/hiring new coordinators, I hope Mario doesn't plan to run it back with Guidry, he should be fired today if it's going to happen.

 

[hurricaneman]

There is little to no chance this team scratches 10 wins next year.

If Miami fielded a good defense this year not a single game on the schedule would have been closer than 14 points. This site would have be talking about this team like they were second to the 2001 team. The offense was light years ahead of what was needed to make the playoffs. You cannot replicate what this offense did this year in 2025. But the offense doesn't need to be this good. The offense needs to be 2023 Miami vs Texas A&M good. TVD gave you that performance. If Dawson stays (pay the man) then I think we can find a portal QB and have a playoff offense.

The defense is the actual problem and I think it's 80% coaching. You need a new coaching staff and you need to hit the portal hard and overpay at DB and safety.

That is not something I look at and say, "there is little chance that happens".

 

[Number1CanesFan]

Mario has to kill it in the portal or your asking for alot of guys with little to no game experience to play major rolls, which will be a problem.

I see other schools are already firing/hiring new coordinators, I hope Mario doesn't plan to run it back with Guidry, he should be fired today if it's going to happen.

We should let go of the portal crutch. We praised the top 10 high school recruiting classes, but everyone acts like it's some great risk to play them. This is how it was before the portal

The fact is most of the portal acquisitions haven't lived up to expectations and have just taken away snaps from younger, but more talented players. I'm truly tired of the infatuation with the transfer portal. 3-4 transfers, that's it.

 

[Ibis4life]

I’ll preface this by stating, I LOVE MARIO as a message deliver.

I believe he is a leader of men. He can command the presence of guys and get them to commit to a cause. It’s a great trait to possess.

What he isn’t is a great coach. No example in his past showed this. Our fans ignored this for specific reasons. But the truth is his BEST route to winning as a HC was to accumulate the necessary star QB and have that player elevate the program and win and once that’s completed, other elite guys follow because Mario message would have been cashed with a fat deposit. Basically think Clemson/Dabo/DeShaun Watson. Watson elevated Clemson to title heights they still somewhat have. Dabo is a GM coach. Can’t call plays. Same as Mario.

I always believe that when the HC can’t call it, you are at a decide disadvantage all things equal. But you can succeed and navigate with the RIGHT players/formula. We had it with Cam Ward.

We completely blew our chance. This chance LIKELY doesn’t happen again. The QB that’s needed to ascend Miami doesn’t exist because we had him and still missed the ACC title game. It’s the ultimate shot to the chest.

The reality is this is the norm for Cristobal and UM. We chose to ignore it because we got “one of ours.”

He’d be a great GM. Mario has the capacity to BUILD a title roster, but he’ll NEVER be able to coach it to one.

9-0 and we completely go haywire and lose in typical modern UM fashion. Will finish 10-3 and lose Ward and all our historic offfensive players in one offseason.

There is little to no chance this team scratches 10 wins next year. Slightly tougher schedule with teams who will be itching to get even and send us the direction of FSU this year. It probably doesn’t happen, but I expect UM to be anywhere from 5-7 to 8-4. Neither will be good enough for the fans.

NIL somewhat takes away Mario greatest strength in that guys now can simply just not follow a “message” but rather a bag/depth chart. Therefore, a message built on building a culture BETTER come with results. We basically are an exciting 8th seed in the nfl. Just missed playoffs. No real message can be sold with that because we plateau at the end.

I think Mario next three years will go something like this:

2024: historic season but comes up small. Finished 10-3 and around #20. Draft/graduation Losses will be major on both sides.

2025: come in ranked 20–25th. Will almost assuredly get beat by ND week 1 by ALOT. (Double digit loss). I see a disappointing season (see win spectrum up top and honest questions will emerge in one year).

2026: Hot seat will exist. Mario will bounce back and likely secure another great roster after the stain of this season fades. I see us likely being right back where we are. 9-0/10-1 racing against probably a FSU/Clemson who will be hoping to leave the ACC at this point and we’ll have a chance to take the acc crown in the “final year” of the conference with all of us.

I expect, just like this year, just like Oregon, a similar stretch. Maybe we win ACC and make playoff. But not likely. I see a repeat season of 10-3/11-3 and a 1st round playoff loss or acc title loss that keeps us out.

At that point Miami will have to make a decision about him. I believe this is where we are as a program. Despite our history, we can’t seem to shake this spell we are under. I always felt we needed a savior QB to rise above it all. We had it this year and literally 9 pts in two games still stopped us.

I don’t know if we ever return. If Pat Mahomes was placed on UM, maybe we could make it to the promise land. Right now, despite this great season, it’s really one of the more DARKER times in recent memory. Nowhere to go. You couldn’t win with THIS SENIOR CLASS, who you gonna win with? Honest recruits deep down are asking.

Maybe Miami best route to be purged is to leave the ACC. Maybe the era of our return happens elsewhere. I doubt the Big10 ever lets us in. I see Big12 eventually in our future.

Regardless, I don’t believe the best years in UM future is with Mario and this season will hurt for a long time.

I disagree. Mario inherited a crap roster and in three years has turned that over. He has taken us to ten wins in his third year. I feel another year or two tells the whole story. I have much more faith in our QB room today than a lot of folks here as well. Every position group on offense will be strong next year. We have some young db's that will be in their 2nd & 3rd years nest year. Same with the LB's. I look for Mario to look for elite level db's, lb's and DT's in the portal and be a 9-11 win team next year.

 

[miamicanephins]

We should let go of the portal crutch. We praised the top 10 high school recruiting classes, but everyone acts like it's some great risk to play them. This is how it was before the portal

The fact is most of the portal acquisitions haven't lived up to expectations and have just taken away snaps from younger, but more talented players. I'm truly tired of the infatuation with the transfer portal. 3-4 that's it.

The old mantra was play the freshman, however the portal has changed that to an almost win now situation. The patience to wait is not there. And I agree, you pay big money for a portal guy and he doesn't live up to expectations you end up with a Baron situation. But that's on Mario to manage the roster. The portal is definitely a two edged sword. And Miami has so many positions to fill, you have to add some guys from the portal.

From the portal to the new playoff system, it's not your fathers college football anymore.

 

[canesdogo]

That’s some real tough love and it sucks but the poster Fox35 nailed Mario and our future Canes football team. Mario just has a low IQ and you can’t take IQ vitamins. Going for a useless 3 down 7 with 3:41 left was criminal. He blamed it on analytics. He is a moron very unfortunately. Give Cam a shot on 4th down. We miss they get the ball at the 11 not us kicking off and they are at the 25. We did not even try an onside kick for heaven sakes. Analytics don’t account for a Swiss cheese defense we could not stop anyone. It’s frustrating to **** he is stupid but stupid does as stupid is.

Ironic that if the Canes had won.........you would be posting how that move was great and super planned to win...Coaching from the cheap seats are for hanger ons, and boo birds stupid moron

 

[FrancisSawyer]

We won’t finish the season ranked next year with Mario’s “elite” roster that he’s been building

Elite human beings bro! Alphas bro!

 

[FrancisSawyer]

Ironic that if the Canes had won.........you would be posting how that move was great and super planned to win...Coaching from the cheap seats are for hanger ons, and boo birds stupid moron

No. He would likely be posting that we got freakishly lucky and won in spite of Mario not because of him.

 

[Bunker Mentality]

I’ll preface this by stating, I LOVE MARIO as a message deliver.

I believe he is a leader of men. He can command the presence of guys and get them to commit to a cause. It’s a great trait to possess.

What he isn’t is a great coach. No example in his past showed this. Our fans ignored this for specific reasons. But the truth is his BEST route to winning as a HC was to accumulate the necessary star QB and have that player elevate the program and win and once that’s completed, other elite guys follow because Mario message would have been cashed with a fat deposit. Basically think Clemson/Dabo/DeShaun Watson. Watson elevated Clemson to title heights they still somewhat have. Dabo is a GM coach. Can’t call plays. Same as Mario.

I always believe that when the HC can’t call it, you are at a decide disadvantage all things equal. But you can succeed and navigate with the RIGHT players/formula. We had it with Cam Ward.

We completely blew our chance. This chance LIKELY doesn’t happen again. The QB that’s needed to ascend Miami doesn’t exist because we had him and still missed the ACC title game. It’s the ultimate shot to the chest.

The reality is this is the norm for Cristobal and UM. We chose to ignore it because we got “one of ours.”

He’d be a great GM. Mario has the capacity to BUILD a title roster, but he’ll NEVER be able to coach it to one.

9-0 and we completely go haywire and lose in typical modern UM fashion. Will finish 10-3 and lose Ward and all our historic offfensive players in one offseason.

There is little to no chance this team scratches 10 wins next year. Slightly tougher schedule with teams who will be itching to get even and send us the direction of FSU this year. It probably doesn’t happen, but I expect UM to be anywhere from 5-7 to 8-4. Neither will be good enough for the fans.

NIL somewhat takes away Mario greatest strength in that guys now can simply just not follow a “message” but rather a bag/depth chart. Therefore, a message built on building a culture BETTER come with results. We basically are an exciting 8th seed in the nfl. Just missed playoffs. No real message can be sold with that because we plateau at the end.

I think Mario next three years will go something like this:

2024: historic season but comes up small. Finished 10-3 and around #20. Draft/graduation Losses will be major on both sides.

2025: come in ranked 20–25th. Will almost assuredly get beat by ND week 1 by ALOT. (Double digit loss). I see a disappointing season (see win spectrum up top and honest questions will emerge in one year).

2026: Hot seat will exist. Mario will bounce back and likely secure another great roster after the stain of this season fades. I see us likely being right back where we are. 9-0/10-1 racing against probably a FSU/Clemson who will be hoping to leave the ACC at this point and we’ll have a chance to take the acc crown in the “final year” of the conference with all of us.

I expect, just like this year, just like Oregon, a similar stretch. Maybe we win ACC and make playoff. But not likely. I see a repeat season of 10-3/11-3 and a 1st round playoff loss or acc title loss that keeps us out.

At that point Miami will have to make a decision about him. I believe this is where we are as a program. Despite our history, we can’t seem to shake this spell we are under. I always felt we needed a savior QB to rise above it all. We had it this year and literally 9 pts in two games still stopped us.

I don’t know if we ever return. If Pat Mahomes was placed on UM, maybe we could make it to the promise land. Right now, despite this great season, it’s really one of the more DARKER times in recent memory. Nowhere to go. You couldn’t win with THIS SENIOR CLASS, who you gonna win with? Honest recruits deep down are asking.

Maybe Miami best route to be purged is to leave the ACC. Maybe the era of our return happens elsewhere. I doubt the Big10 ever lets us in. I see Big12 eventually in our future.

Regardless, I don’t believe the best years in UM future is with Mario and this season will hurt for a long time.

There's a lot of effort here but we should revisit this post after the transfer portal window headed into the spring, at the earliest. Your conclusion is based on a wild levels of speculation that isn't even appropriate for a fan message board, but that's not the real problem here...

The problem is your timing, which suggests an overly emotional reaction to the last 5 days bereft of perspective or true understanding about what you're critiquing.

 

[Groz73Cane]

This is a lot of wasted energy. If we beat Syracuse, then this thread doesn't exist. Regardless of the outcome, life goes on.

I disagree that this is as good as it gets. Maybe at QB, but we haven't seen the bulk of our top 10 recruits.

I'm looking forward to the bowl game. Thanks to all the veterans moving on next year. I don't want to see them in the bowl game. It is NOT important for any veterans like Restrepo to play. I want to see ONLY returning players for 2025. This is about development. A month of practices for young players to audition for the 2025 season. Let's see what Emory and the young WR can do. Let's see that loaded 2024 DL class (Scott, Blount, Jones, Russell, Pickett, Lightfoot, Rudolph, and McConathy) I nicknamed "The Hateful 8."

This year's team was deficient in so many ways defensively. I would have rather played the young players and lived with the results at every position group. The transfer portal experiment needs to end. NO more double digit transfers. Half of them did not pan out in each of the last 3 years and took away snaps from more talented, but inexperienced players. Barrow was the only defensive transfer that played at or above expectations. It's time for the high school recruited players to be major contributors.

I actually believe the team will be better next year. Not the best offense in the country, but a better team as a whole. A run first power offense with efficient passing. A truly top 10 DL and and secondary overahall with much improvement.

It's crazy to read the doom and gloom when have a 1st year ACC school in SMU playing for an ACC title. What this team needs is accountability of the coaches and player. I don't think we had accountability because we were winning even though several players should have been benched. Until there is accountability, we will remain an undisciplined heavy penalized team.

I'm hoping for a truly new era of Canes football. I'm excited to see what the young players can do. It's time to turn the page.

Yep, nailed it,.. all of it. We were intoxicated by Cam’s play and swooned like drunken sailors on shore leave with every game. Mistakenly believing this was our chance and going all in, we threw out any semblance of our 3rd year rebuild. And. Those talented recruits missed a year of development and experience. We recruited them, we owed them, we failed them. CSN said it best” Teach your children well… Feed them on your dreams” Let’s not make this mistake again,

 

[Swampcity]

I understand your perspective, but I have to disagree with some of the conclusions. While I get the frustration of being so close to success and falling short, I think it’s important to be realistic about where the program is right now. This season was never going to be a championship year, it was always about laying the foundation for sustained success. For Miami to truly return to greatness, it’s not just about one magical season. Programs don’t jump straight to titles without stacking multiple 10- or 11-win seasons first. That’s how you build momentum and a winning culture.

Look at Georgia, they’re the perfect example. For years, they were stuck in the same 2-3 loss cycle before finally breaking through and winning three titles. They built their program step by step, stacking strong seasons and developing depth.Consistency leads to greatness.

Oregon is another great example. Over the past few years, they’ve had 2-3 losses consistently, and now they’re finally undefeated and a legitimate title contender. That progression takes time. As much as it stings, Miami has to go through those same steps.

I get it, we could almost taste success this year. It was right there in front of us, and losing the way we did is tough to swallow. But I don’t think it’s fair to say this team has “no chance” without Cam Ward or that we missed our one shot. Great teams are built on consistency, not just one player. You don’t need a generational QB every year to win championships. You need depth, development, and a clear identity.

Yes, Mario has his flaws as an in-game coach, but his ability to build a roster is undeniable. If Miami stays the course and keeps stacking talent, especially in the trenches, this program can get back to where it belongs. NIL has changed the game, but it doesn’t erase the importance of culture and a winning message. Results do matter, and this year’s step forward is part of the process, even if it’s painful.

I don’t see this as one of the “darker times” for Miami, it’s the opposite. For the first time in years, we’re building something real. It’s not going to happen overnight, but there’s no reason to believe we can’t be in the playoff conversation in a year or two with the right pieces. Georgia, Oregon, and others showed it can be done, we just have to stay the course and let the process play out. Leaving the ACC or joining another conference might help financially, but the on-field results come from stacking seasons like this one. The future isn’t as bleak as it seems, it’s just a matter of staying patient and continuing to build.

You make a lot of sense, however not making the ACC Championship game is an unacceptable failure.

 

[Swampcity]

I understand your perspective, but I have to disagree with some of the conclusions. While I get the frustration of being so close to success and falling short, I think it’s important to be realistic about where the program is right now. This season was never going to be a championship year, it was always about laying the foundation for sustained success. For Miami to truly return to greatness, it’s not just about one magical season. Programs don’t jump straight to titles without stacking multiple 10- or 11-win seasons first. That’s how you build momentum and a winning culture.

Look at Georgia, they’re the perfect example. For years, they were stuck in the same 2-3 loss cycle before finally breaking through and winning three titles. They built their program step by step, stacking strong seasons and developing depth.Consistency leads to greatness.

Oregon is another great example. Over the past few years, they’ve had 2-3 losses consistently, and now they’re finally undefeated and a legitimate title contender. That progression takes time. As much as it stings, Miami has to go through those same steps.

I get it, we could almost taste success this year. It was right there in front of us, and losing the way we did is tough to swallow. But I don’t think it’s fair to say this team has “no chance” without Cam Ward or that we missed our one shot. Great teams are built on consistency, not just one player. You don’t need a generational QB every year to win championships. You need depth, development, and a clear identity.

Yes, Mario has his flaws as an in-game coach, but his ability to build a roster is undeniable. If Miami stays the course and keeps stacking talent, especially in the trenches, this program can get back to where it belongs. NIL has changed the game, but it doesn’t erase the importance of culture and a winning message. Results do matter, and this year’s step forward is part of the process, even if it’s painful.

I don’t see this as one of the “darker times” for Miami, it’s the opposite. For the first time in years, we’re building something real. It’s not going to happen overnight, but there’s no reason to believe we can’t be in the playoff conversation in a year or two with the right pieces. Georgia, Oregon, and others showed it can be done, we just have to stay the course and let the process play out. Leaving the ACC or joining another conference might help financially, but the on-field results come from stacking seasons like this one. The future isn’t as bleak as it seems, it’s just a matter of staying patient and continuing to build.

Excellent points made. But you act as if we just continue to do what we did this year it will magically take us to the next level, “ The promise land.”

What I will say is you have overlooked the 2024 Recruiting Class: according to the standards we have previously set, this recruiting class is “lacklustre,” is it a harbinger of things to come?

 

[404CANES]

Cmon guys… to build an elite roster, it takes 5-6 years. We’ll contend then. Harbaugh took that long at Michigan.

We got lucky with Cam. We’re better than we were supposed to. But our defense still had a lot of holes and it showed.

Whether he’ll be good enough to with the Natty? Not sure, but he can get us in consistent top 10… let our roster catch up to your expectations

You're moving the goal post AGAIN...you can't just rely on out-talenting other teams; great coaching will out scheme talent all day

 

[Atom Atlas]

Mario has to kill it in the portal or your asking for alot of guys with little to no game experience to play major rolls, which will be a problem.

I see other schools are already firing/hiring new coordinators, I hope Mario doesn't plan to run it back with Guidry, he should be fired today if it's going to happen.

I agree... Don't wait till two weeks before the spring game to make a move... If you're gonna pull the trigger , do it now...Fire your shot...

 

[Atom Atlas]

You're moving the goal post AGAIN...you can't just rely on out-talenting other teams; great coaching will out scheme talent all day

This has been proven against us too many times....
Guidry got figured out and couldn't flip the script.... Basically dead man walking from the first quarter of the season on....

 

[caneworld]

If we miss playoffs, Guidry and most of the defensive crew should be shown the door same evening....

 

[caneworld]

This has been proven against us too many times....
Guidry got figured out and couldn't flip the script.... Basically dead man walking from the first quarter of the season on....

I think USF undressed him...

 

[jman94]

lol @ some of the wild takes in here. Not sure how some of y’all already conjuring up an opinion on next season when rosters aren’t finalized across the country.

It’s been a disappointing last few weeks. No way to around that. We’ve been in a way worse position before. Drop ya nuts, stay calm, and let’s see what happens with this portal window.

 

[Angry Ibis]

When you look at the season in perspective without emotions, CMC said what was coming up "We're going to have to out score the other team."

He was essentially saying the defense will give up pts, they did, and he tried to load the roster with pass rush types in case we get ahead by enough so the other team just tried to throw throw throw.

I still think the roster is a strong enough roster, just that the talent isn't coming of age yet all together (i.e., the DL hasn't matured yet), the talent is buried right now, but will be there, outside of DB, that's a work in progress.

I don't see the massive drop off like the majority of you. I think its a wait and see approach due to the Portal. Teams like FSU lose a lot on defense, Louisville loses a lot as well, including their QB, UND has had similar roster composition as us (they're strong on the DL OL recruits and lighters on the skill position and QB), UF will be interesting, I don't see their OL and DL getting substantially better. Vtech likely lose their QB and they have a sr laden roster. SU loses McCord.

The portal has changed things and talent has been buried on the top end teams like OSU, UGA etc and some guys just need film so they can get to the NFL, were a pretty good spot for that and have a good example in Cam Ward.

We were close to being 8-4 this year, and I think we can go either way next year again (this is assuming defense gets marginally better and we get a QB that is above average, which I believe it likely). Hence wait and see.

I think at worse next year the floor is 7-5

7-5 is fireable.