The University of Miami’s 2021 football season has gotten off to a nightmarish start. The Hurricanes started the season off ranked No. 14, losing their opening matchup with college football’s powerhouse, No. 1 Alabama. After their opening game loss, No. 22 Miami narrowly beat unranked Appalachian State. Despite winning, the Hurricanes dropped in the AP poll, coming in at No. 24 for their matchup with unranked Michigan State. The Spartans won the game 38-17, sending the Hurricanes to a 1-2 on the season. In the week four AP Top 25 poll, the lowly Hurricanes lay unranked. When taking a look back at the history of one of the best programs in all of football, it hurts to see what has happened to the program.
Miami has five National Championships, 33 AP All-Americans, two Heisman Trophy winners and nine Pro Football Hall of Famers. Despite their long history, Miami has completely fallen off a cliff since 2006. Just how dominant was Miami, and how underwhelming have they been in recent history?
Dominance: 1980 – 2005
From 1980 to 2005, Miami had 255 wins and 57 losses. Miami completely dominated college football for these 25 seasons. The Hurricanes won all five of their National Championships during this time-frame, as well as 27 of the 33 All-Americans in school history playing during that time. Miami claimed 40 awards during this time, including two Heisman Trophy winners. Despite being in the Big East Conference for just 13 seasons, a relatively short time frame for a team, the Hurricanes won the conference nine times.
Since 1980, Miami’s five National Championships are the second most behind Alabama’s seven. Additionally, Miami produced 37 first-round draft picks in those 25 years, including the record breaking six players in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Awards won during the indicated time-frame include the Heisman Trophy two times, Walter Camp Award four times, Maxwell Award five times, Bronko Nagurski Award five times, Davey O’Brien Award four times and the Campbell Trophy Award, Rimington Award and Outland Trophy were all won once. Quarterback Gino Toretta’s 1992 season got him all five major offensive awards: the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm.
Disappointing: 2006 – present
Since 2007, Miami has 113 wins and 81 losses. In the 15 seasons during that time, Miami has had just one ten-win season. Their failures have continued into the post-season, having a 1-10 record in bowl games in that same time frame. Despite having a long history of All-Americans and award winners, their lone All-American selection and award winner since 2007 was kicker Jose Borregales in 2020. Borregales won the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation’s best kicker. Miami has been constantly rolled over in conference play as well. The Hurricanes have yet to win an ACC Championship since their entrance into the conference in 2004.
The success hasn’t necessarily transferred to the pros, either. Miami has had just ten first-round picks in the last 15 years. Of those ten picks, none of them have made a Pro Bowl. Of the 69 players drafted since 2006, just eight of those players made a Pro Bowl. Only Devin Hester and Calais Campbell stand a chance at getting in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
To sum it up, from 2006 to the present, Miami has a 58.3%-win percentage, one All-American and a 1-10 bowl record. These statistics show nothing more than mediocrity. Miami has become nothing more than an average program, which is extremely disappointing for those who grew up with the dominant Hurricanes. Until changes are made from the top down, it is unlikely the Miami Hurricanes will return to their former glory.
