Miami Hurricanes 2010 College Football Predictions – BCS Odds 2011: The old swagger is back at Miami-U. Football coach Randy Shannon begins his fourth season at the helm of the Hurricanes program after a successful 9-4 campaign where the Canes finished third in the ACC Coastal Division with a 5-3 conference mark. Shannon expects his kids to build on that in 2010, to compete for an ACC championship, and be in position to play for a national title. Miami finished the season ranked 19th in both AP and USA Today college football polls.
In a close vote among media members who cover ACC football, at the 2010 ACC Kickoff meetings in Greensboro, N.C. last week, Miami was picked to finish second in the ACC Coastal Division.
BetUS.com lists Miami's BCS championship odds at +2000 or 20-to-1. The Hurricanes are the oddsmakers choice to win the ACC at +240 odds, best in the league, edging out Florida State at +275 and Virginia Tech at +300.
Shannon will welcome back 16 returning starters, six on offense, eight on defense, and Matt Bosher on special teams who serves as both punter and place kicker. Offensivelly, coordinator Mark Whipple's biggest concern this fall will be to rebuild the Cane's offensive line which allowed Miami to top the 30-point mark on seven occasions last year while averaging over 30 points a game for the season. That job begins with two starters returning in Orlando Franklin, an honorable mention all-ACC pick at guard but who was moved to tackle in the spring, and right guard Joel Figueroa. The Hurricanes will have lots of offensive weapons to use and they begin with junior quarterback Jacory Harris who has completed 60% of his passes for his career and begins 2010 already having thrown for 4,547 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Defensively, Miami welcomes back defensive end Adewale Ojomo who missed all of last year because of a broken jaw. Ojomo will join three teturning starters on the defensive front led by fir team all-ACC honoree defensive tackle Allen Bailey, defensive end Andrew Smith and defensive tackle Josh Holmes. Two starting linebackers return from a year ago, senior Colin McCarthy and 2008 defensive rookie of the year, Sean Spence. Three starters also return in the secondary, Brandon Harris, cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke and sophomore safety Vaughn Telemaque.
As usual, the Miami schedule will be difficult. Eight of Miami's opponents in 2010 earned trips to post-season bowl games last year including Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Florida State, North Carolina, Pitt, Clemson and South Florida.
The key to the Hurricanes joing the BCS battle is what they do against Ohio State. If Miami can steal a win at Columbus they will quickly dominate the BCS conversation.
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