The No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers are getting set to take on the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Saturday night, so to get the inside scoop on the Hurricanes we asked Gary Ferman of CaneSport.com a few questions about 'The U.'
Our questions and Gary's answers are included below.
Now that I've got an expert on the subject here I have to ask: is The U "back" under Mark Richt? He's certainly had an impressive first two seasons at Miami since taking over for Al Golden. What changes did he bring to the program, and do you think the Hurricanes will be hanging around near the top of the ACC for a while?
Gary Ferman: I thought former Miami Coach Jimmy Johnson summed it up perfectly what he was asked this question a few weeks ago. He said The U would be back when Miami started winning championships again. So based on that criteria, no The U is not back yet. It just has taken steps in that direction. And this Orange Bowl game is a big deal in that equation. Miami needs to win Saturday to keep the vibe around the program carrying that theme. If the Hurricanes win, they also would unquestionably start next season in the top 10, maybe even the top five. If they lose, everything they felt accomplished this year will pretty much be forgotten. But either way, to answer the question, yes the Hurricanes should be hanging around the top of the ACC for a while. Mark Richt brings great leadership and the program is recruiting very well.
What kind of offense do the Hurricanes run? Who are the names to know, and what do you think is their biggest strength and weakness?
Gary Ferman: They run a basic offense similar to what you see throughout college football today with a lot of run/pass options. You will see the quarterback, Malik Rosier, function as a primary player in the running game. The Miami offense has been decimated by injuries, though. The running game will revolve around Travis Homer and designed runs by Rosier. Braxton Berrios is a key receiver target, but they will spread the ball around. Other than the fact but they have lost three of their greatest play makers, Miami does possess enough athletes to pose a threat to Wisconsin. The weakness is inconsistency of the offensive line and that will be a key variable in this game.
Everyone who follows college football has heard of the Miami defense and their Turnover Chain this year. What has allowed the Hurricanes to become a ball-hawking defense this year, and where did that Turnover Chain come from?
Gary Ferman: Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz came up with the idea as a vehicle to get his guys juiced about forcing turnovers. Boy has it worked. Not only has Miami been among the nations leaders in forcing turnovers, but I really think the turnover chain has gotten into the heads of a lot of opponents. The goal is to apply enough pressure to force the quarterback into mistakes.
I think the Hurricanes and the Badgers were in a similar boat for a while, starting their seasons undefeated and wondering when they would get some national respect. Miami jumped all the way to No. 2 after they thumped Notre Dame - but then scored just 17 points in their last two games, losses to Pittsburgh and Clemson. What happened that helped the beat Notre Dame - and then lose their last few games?
Gary Ferman: The play of Rosier Took a massive drop in the last two games and Miami just lost too much fire power due to injuries to Ahmmon Richards and Chris Herndon. The offensive line also played very poorly. I think the best way to describe it is that Miami essentially hit a wall. The team ran out of gas.
How do you see this game shaping up? Who wins and why?
Gary Ferman: I look at this game as being very similar to Miami‘s game against Notre Dame with the exception being that Miami is not as potent on offense as it was at that point in the season. That said, Wisconsin is going to have to be very good to get out of Hard Rock Stadium with a victory. There is a special bond between Miami and what will essentially be a home crowd. I am sure Wisconsin is going to come in and try to impose its will physically as it typically does. The onus is on Miami to match that physicality and then allow its speed advantage to impact the game. Miami usually matches up well in games like this. I see the Hurricanes winning a close game.
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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.