Preseason Coaches Poll released and there’s plenty of room for Miami Hurricanes to rise
It’s a start, but there’s still plenty of room to rise.
The 2021 USA Today preseason Coaches Poll was released Tuesday afternoon, and the Miami Hurricanes, 8-3 last season, came in at No. 16 — six spots higher than their final No. 22 ranking for 2020.
The Canes also finished 22nd in the final AP rankings.
Of course, if you care even the tiniest bit about college football, you know who came in No. 1 in the preseason among the coaches. That would be defending champion Alabama, whom the Canes meet Sept. 4 in the season opener Chick-fil-A Kickoff in Atlanta.
The Crimson Tide tallied 63 first-place votes and 1,621 total points to Miami’s 575 points.
UM’s only other competitor on its 2021 schedule that was ranked Tuesday is No. 9 North Carolina (In Raleigh on Oct. 16), which finshed 8-4 last season and ended 2020 ranked No. 17. The Tar Heels defeated the Canes 62-26 on Dec. 12 in their last meeting.
Both UNC and Clemson, which is No. 2 in the preseason coaches poll, are the only other Atlantic Coast Conference teams ranked in the top 25.
The Florida Gators (8-4 in 2020), who do not meet Miami this season, are No. 11.
Here are the full rankings, per USA Today.
And here is Miami’s 2021 schedule story.
