2008 Miami NCAA Football Betting Preview

08-05-2008, 06:56 PM

College Football Preview – Miami Hurricanes

As College Football wagering season is almost upon us, it’s time to examine the Miami Hurricanes offense and defense for the 2008 Season. Check out the NCAA Football Odds for complete lines and totals on every NCAAF betting game of the season.

The Miami Hurricanes have fallen completely off the map. Now they hope that they have passed their low point.

The Hurricanes were beaten down in ugly fashion last year and finished with only five wins. The season lowlight came in a 48-0 drubbing at the hands of Virginia in their final game ever at the Orange Bowl. A new season brings fresh air to a program looking to rebuild.

Offense

Have you noticed that there has been a lack of star power at The U? That should change this year.

At the very least, the Hurricanes should have a very good tailback tandem in Greg Cooper and Javarris James, Edgerrin James’ brother.

The running game has to be a strong point because again the Hurricanes will be looking for their quarterback of the future. They have a choice of three freshmen: Robert Marve, Jacoby Harris or Cannon Smith. Marve is a redshirt freshman while the other two are true.

The receiving corps is also suspect and surprisingly star-thin for Miami standards.

The Hurricanes have a solid offensive line but realistically, there isn’t much firepower around them. Miami will run the ball well but there are too many young players at the other spots to make this a good offense in the ACC.

Defense

The Hurricanes ranked 10th in the ACC in scoring defense, which is atrocious compared to what they are used to.

Very similar to the offense, if the defense is going to be good, many youngsters have to step up immediately.

Miami doesn’t have much depth along the defensive line, but end Eric Moncur might be one of the best players on the defense. He had six sacks in eight starts last year. Keep an eye on Marcus Forston, who is a five-star recruit at defensive tackle.

Colin McCarthy leads the linebackers and he could be a star this time next year. Darryl Sharpton, Glenn Cook and Spencer Adkins also return.

The biggest change should be at defensive coordinator where Bill Young takes over. Young inherits a pretty talented roster but he needs to get his kids to grow up quickly.

Outlook

Randy Shannon is in his second season as the head coach at The U but his first season ended with four losses. If that’s just the players from the previous regime mailing it in, that’s fine. They’ll be cleared out shortly. But if that’s the type of effort his new team gives him, he’s in a lot of trouble.

BetUS sportsbook already has tons of college football Futures betting available for those of us who can't wait. Bet on the Heisman winner, Conference and Divisional winners and, of course, the 2009 BCS National Championship winner.