South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Virus outbreak puts damper on Miami’s promising season
A tumultuous week for the Miami Hurricanes football team got even tougher on Friday with the news that coach Manny Diaz tested positive for COVID-19.
An increase in positive coronavirus cases among UM players had already caused the team to announce a two-week pause in its schedule on Monday, making Dec. 5 at Wake Forest the next Hurricanes game day.
What does it all mean for the rest of Miami’s season, which was the
team’s most promising since starting 10-0 in 2017?
Diaz can potentially return to the sideline for Miami’s next game. With the game at Wake Forest being 15 days from his initial positive test — or at least Diaz’s announcement that he tested positive — it is outside the minimum 10-day isolation, per Atlantic Coast Conference policies.
Diaz said he is “feeling good overall” in his Friday morning tweet that revealed his positive test. He said he will continue to work with the team remotely.
The Hurricanes had 13 players unavailable for last Saturday’s win at Virginia Tech and then had an uptick of an unknown number of positive cases upon their return from Blacksburg, Virginia. As a result, the team halted practices until enough players clear COVID-19 protocols. Players not in isolation are allowed to participate in individual conditioning.
Miami was 7-1 and 6-1 in the ACC at the time of the postponement. It was ranked No. 12 in college football’s AP Poll and ninth in the Coaches Poll. The first College Football Playoff rankings are set to be unveiled on Tuesday, which will eventually help determine which team will play in which bowl game — including the CFP semifinals
Will the postponements derail the season for UM, which was building momentum during its current four-game winning streak?
Not necessarily. With Miami having lost to then-No. 1 Clemson on Oct. 10 and not looking tremendously impressive in its wins over unranked teams that followed — topping Virginia Tech, North Carolina State and Virginia in the past three outings by a combined nine points — the Hurricanes already were on the outside looking in for a College Football Playoff berth.
Their only path to get into the four-team championship playoff, which will hold its national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, would be: First, reach the ACC Championship Game; then, defeat either Notre Dame, which is usually independent but playing in the ACC in 2020, or Clemson in that conference title game.
Because Notre Dame, which Miami does not face this season, beat then-No. 1 Clemson on Nov. 8, the Fighting Irish are 7-0 in the conference. Clemson is 6-1 with the head-to-head tiebreaker over UM. The No. 4 Tigers and the No. 2 Irish likely stand to face each other again for the conference crown.
Aside from winning out, Miami would either need Clemson to lose another game or Notre Dame to lose two of its remaining three games. So the Hurricanes’ chances of reaching the ACC Championship Game remain dependent on what happens elsewhere, regardless of their COVID19 postponements. Notre Dame plays at North Carolina on Nov. 27, vs. Syracuse Dec. 5 and at Wake Forest on Dec. 12. Clemson is at Florida State on Saturday, home vs. Pittsburgh on Nov. 28 and at Virginia Tech on Dec. 5.
Miami, because it now plays Wake Forest on Dec. 5, had what would have been the home regular-season finale against UNC pushed back to Dec. 12. The Hurricanes will also host Georgia Tech, which was supposed to be Saturday’s opponent, on Dec. 19 — if UM fails to qualify for the ACC Championship Game.
What kind of physical and mental shape will the Hurricanes be in for their final three games? The Hurricanes have struggled enough after bye weeks under Diaz, going 1-4 the past two seasons. After two idle weeks with minimal physical preparation and possibly a limited practice week after Thanksgiving, it could be difficult facing an explosive Wake Forest team that’s 4-3, 3-3 in the ACC.
Miami still has a chance to complete its 11-game schedule under the “10-plus-1” revised format the ACC unveiled before the season, consisting of 10 conference games and one out of conference matchup. However, the postponements caused the Hurricanes to lose the cushion they had to get all of their games in. If coronavirus cases or concerns become too much for either UM or any of its remaining opponents, they are out of extra weeks available to reschedule those games.
How should college football’s attempts at a condensed season be viewed, given how many players and coaches are testing positive and the number of games either canceled or postponed skyrocketing past 80 this week?
“We’re eight games in. We, as athletic directors, looked at an 11-game schedule and thought it was very aspirational,” Miami athletic director Blake James said Wednesday. “I made a comment [before the season] that I thought if we got to eight, it would be a success. That’s where we’re at.”
The ACC, Southeastern Conference and Big 12 started their football seasons ahead of the more conservative Big Ten and Pac-12, beginning games in September. No Big Ten team has played more than four games entering Saturday, while no Pac-12 team has played more than two.
“There were some that questioned it at the time, but I think when you can look back, it was the right decision for us to do what we did,” James told 560-AM on Tuesday. “For us to be able to have those opportunities, for our young people to play, is a real win and something that I’m glad that we’re able to provide these eight opportunities for the young men in our program. They’ve worked hard, and they’ve earned it. I’m confident that we’re going to get more games in. Hopefully, we get all 11 in.”