The Miami Hurricanes are having their best start to the season since 2017. Many people have come to see them as real ACC and playoff contenders but are they title contenders?

The way I see it is that they are on the cusp of greatness. They have willed their way into multiple wins late in the game such as Virginia Tech and California. The Hokies game had officiating controversy; however, I personally believe they got the call right and Miami deservingly won the game. As for the game in Berkeley, Miami stormed back after being down 25 points late in the game, a comeback for the storybooks. Both games are ones that Miami would not have won any of the past few years. They are a different team this year and are led by a Heisman contender in Cam Ward.

An analogy I heard from Josh Pate given briefly felt quite accurate as to how this season will go for the Hurricanes. They are very similar to two well-known LSU teams: 2019 and 2023. The 2019 LSU team struggled on defense early but were led by eventual Heisman, Joe Burrow. Having Burrow allowed the coaches time to clean up the defense and get to a spot where they could contend with the best of the best. 2023 LSU was similar. They were led by eventual Heisman Jayden Daniels, but had trouble with their defense early on. The difference between the two is that the 2023 Tigers could not figure any of their issues out on defense with their secondary being the most glaring issue.

Miami is right there with those teams. They are being led by a potential Heisman winner who is allowing the defense time to work on their sloppy play. They didn't exactly struggle off the bat the way that LSU had, but once they started to play real opponents, the issues became clear. The defensive backs have struggled to cover receivers at the snap of the ball and the pass rush is being brutalized by that. The Hurricanes have also been prone to allowing explosive plays on the ground and through the air, giving up 15 plays of 10+ yards. Included in that were 7 plays of 20+ yards. Opponents have taken advantage of this and scored quickly, adding pressure to the offense. They have been able to respond nearly every time and they lead the country in scoring, passing, and yards per game.

If DC Lance Guidry can find a way to tighten up in the secondary and prevent missed tackles, leading to explosive plays, it gives the pass rush time to get to the QB. Reuben Bain Jr. has been exceptional on the defensive front without the extra time and can continue to feast on the lines with any help at all.

Without the defensive changes, the Miami offense will be forced to routinely outscore every other team in a shootout and eventually they will be stuffed. That may come against Clemson in an ACC championship bout, it may come in the playoff. It will eventually happen if they don't fix the sloppiness in the defensive backfield.

The Hurricanes should imitate the 2019 LSU blueprint and get these problems solved, fast. If they do, they can be real title contenders come December. There will be a very high ceiling for Cam Ward and the team from Coral Gables and they could go toe to toe with the likes of Georgia, Ohio State, and Cristobal's former Oregon team. For now, they are just outside of that picture, but the verdict is still out. Will Miami feast by the time Thanksgiving rolls around? Or will there be a great famine for the Canes?