The Miami Hurricanes continue to have a glamorous season. They are coming off a massive victory over the Florida State Seminoles, successfully claiming the "Sunshine State" championship.
The Hurricanes, up to this point, have beaten three in-state opponents, three ranked opponents, and remain undefeated, only one of 15 teams in the nation. As the team reaches a great level of success, it also contributes to individual accolades.
Quarterback Carson Beck began the season as a strong Heisman Trophy candidate. However, after a sloppy performance in week four against the Florida Gators, his stock began to dip. The following week, the team entered a bye, which gave other players a chance to surpass him in the race.
Beck had a chance to regain lost ground against the Seminoles, which was also the Hurricanes' first road game of the season. He finished strong performance, completing 20 of 28 passes for 241 yards and four touchdowns, the most in a single game thus far.
However, in the latest rankings by On3, Beck virtually stayed the same, tying for sixth, along with defensive lineman and teammate Rueben Bain Jr.
"Beck didn't have his best stuff in a win over Florida a couple weeks ago," they wrote. "He was absolutely on point against Florida State on Saturday night. More importantly, he got a ton of help from his receivers."
In the game against the Seminoles, Hurricanes wide receivers CJ Daniels and Malachi Toney exploded, combining for 185 yards, and were the recipients of all of the team's touchdowns.
As for Bain, the network made it known that his impact went beyond the stat sheet.
"In the game against Florida State, it was teammates Akeem Mesidor who took advantage of Bain's pressure by racking up the disruptive stats in the backfield," they wrote. "Make no mistake about it, Bain had a huge impact in slowing down Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos."
Bain has emerged as one of the best defensive players in the nation. He's also viewed as a first-round draft selection for next year's NFL draft.
Bain is among the top candidates for defensive player college honors, such as the Chuck Bednarik award, the Lombardi award, and the Bronko Nagurski trophy.
For a defensive player to be among the top-10 for the Heisman is rare, as only two have been recipients of the award in college football history: Michigan Wolverine defensive back Charles Woodson and Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter, who won it last year.
Both Hurricanes players could build stronger cases as they prepare to face unranked opponents for the rest of the season. However, both value team success above all, and they have a legitimate chance to win the program's first-ever ACC championship.