Podcast: The Miami Hurricanes’ guide to upsetting the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide
The Miami Hurricanes’ biggest game in years is finally here. Miami is headed to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to open the 2021 college football season against the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and the Hurricanes travel to Atlanta as massive underdogs to the defending national champion.
It won’t be easy, but there is a path for No. 14 Miami to knock off Alabama on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Georgia.
On a new episode of the Eye on the U podcast, David Wilson and Susan Miller Degnan, the Hurricanes beat writer for the Miami Herald, lay out how.
First, let’s catch up on the news, though. Star tackle Zion Nelson is on track to start, coach Manny Diaz said, and the Hurricanes need him to be near full strength if they want to spring the upset. The good news is he did work as the first-team left tackle in practice Tuesday, meaning he has at least gotten close to a full week of work in Coral Gables after missing time earlier in training camp.
He’s also sitting atop the depth chart at left tackle, with fellow offensive lineman Jarrid Williams surprisingly landing as his backup. It’ll all make sense if Nelson isn’t ready for his full workload in the opener. The Hurricanes’ initial depth chart in 2021 also points to a changing defensive identity and highlights the newfound depth at wide receiver. We break it all down before finally diving into our Week 1 preview.
The Crimson Tide is favored by about 20 points. It has a preseason All-American left tackle, a preseason All-American wide receiver and two preseason All-American linebackers. Alabama realistically could have 10 players picked in the first two or three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Miami has a preseason All-American punter and Nelson is really the only player getting any sort of first-round Draft buzz. On paper, the Hurricanes don’t have the edge in many areas, except for one critical one: quarterback.
D’Eriq King is about to make his 34th start. Bryce Young is about to make his first. Young may well become a star in 2021, but King is already proven and if he outduels the other quarterback — and if Young looks like a freshman — then Miami might be able to secure its biggest win in 20 years.
The season is finally here, so please continue to rate, review and subscribe.
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
