Nick Saban used ESPN’s first College GameDay of the season to make a pick that will sting plenty of SEC loyalists: Miami as the national champion.
The show was in Baton Rouge for Lane Kiffin’s LSU debut, and as the panel rolled through its preseason predictions, Saban put two of his former assistants on the sport’s biggest stage. He projected a title game matchup between Mario Cristobal’s Hurricanes and Steve Sarkisian’s team, then backed Miami to come out on top.
That choice is not exactly a shock on the surface. Miami was already in the mix for a championship last season, and the Hurricanes arrive this year looking even more dangerous with Darian Mensah at quarterback. They backed that up Friday night by dominating the Stanford Cardinal.
The expectation around Miami is simple: it’s the clear favorite in the ACC, and the real test is whether the Hurricanes can run the table and take the league. The roster is loaded at every spot, just as it was a year ago, and Mensah, by the source’s account, looks light-years better than Carson Beck.
Saban’s call also lands at a time when the SEC is trying to defend its place at the top of the sport. The conference has now watched the Big Ten win the last three national championships, leaving it staring at a fourth straight year without a ring.
Miami enters the season ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll, but if the offensive line comes together, the Hurricanes may be the toughest team in the country to deal with.
In Other News...
Miamis Rebuilt Offensive Line Just Gave Fans Real Early Hope
Miamis rebuilt offensive line gave the Hurricanes a reassuring first look in the season opener against Stanford, holding the pocket together well enough for a clean sheet in the most basic category that matters up front. Miami allowed no sacks and avoided penalties entirely, a useful sign for a unit that entered the year with questions about continuity and depth, and one that had to blend veterans with a mix of freshmen and new additions right away.
Samson Okunlola, Ryan Rodriguez and Matthew McCoy were part of the starting group and each had a solid opening-night showing, while several younger players also got chances as the staff sorted through the rotation. Pro Football Focus graded the newcomers unevenly, which is hardly surprising this early, but the larger takeaway for Miami is simple enough: the line looked organized, competitive and, for one night, much further along than many expected. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Freshmen Are Forcing Their Way Into Real Roles Already
Miami wasted no time leaning on youth in its season opener against Stanford, and the freshman class was not just along for the ride. Thirteen true freshmen saw the field on offense and defense, a sign that this roster is already asking first-year players to do more than simply learn on the sideline. Jackson Cantwell led that group with 34 snaps and even helped on a touchdown, while JJ Dunnigan was right behind him with 33 snaps as he rotated through multiple defensive roles.
The larger takeaway for the Hurricanes is less about one deep September rotation and more about how quickly these newcomers are working into real plans on both sides of the ball. Javian Mallory, Gavin Mueller and Vance Spafford all logged playing time too, giving Miami a broader freshman footprint than most teams would dare to trust this early. For a program trying to build depth and keep its best athletes on the field, that kind of immediate contribution is the sort of development that can change the shape of a season. [Read more 🡒]
Darian Mensah Just Entered A Bigger Miami Conversation
Darian Mensahs early-season surge has already pushed him into the center of a much larger Miami conversation. After a dazzling opener that featured 400 passing yards and five touchdowns, his Heisman stock has climbed fast enough to make him the current favorite at FanDuel, and that kind of national traction tends to follow a quarterback straight into every bigger debate about where he stands among the sports top names.
Malachi Toneys breakout has only added to the buzz around the Hurricanes offense. His own odds have risen after he set a Miami single-game receiving yards record, giving the team another player whose start is forcing people to pay attention beyond just the final score. For Miami, the early question is no longer whether the offense can make noise, but how far this kind of start can carry it once the schedule gets real. [Read more 🡒]