UM offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson blasts early polls as ridiculous, arguing that SEC bias and premature expectations overshadow the true strength of ACC contenders fighting for playoff respect.
MIAMI, Fla. – In Monday’s media availability, No. 4 Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson bashed the Associated Press’ Top 25 preseason poll rankings.
“There should be no such thing as preseason rankings,” he said. “That’s the most ridiculous thing on the planet. People weigh those things way heavier than they should. You shouldn’t have a ranking until October. [Texas A&M] was ranked [No. 8]; how does that look now? Obviously, everything is SEC, SEC. They have all their teams in the Top 25. The fact that we have preseason rankings is unbelievable to me.”
It does play a factor when the national media debates the Hurricanes’ National Championship contention status. No. 3 Notre Dame was the only preseason-ranked opponent on the schedule. Many point to that prime-time showdown in South Bend, Indiana, as the only game for the Hurricanes that matters and should dictate whether a return to the College Football Playoffs is deserved.
After beating Wake Forest 33-20 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, it initially wasn’t viewed as a valuable win. However, a couple of weeks later, the Demon Deacons beat No. 16 Louisville 30-27. Redshirt junior quarterback Gio Lopez completed 12 of 19 passes (63.2 percent) and threw for 225 yards and a touchdown, which was caught by senior wide receiver Carlos Hernandez, who had 194 yards on nine catches. Despite a remarkable win over a top-20 opponent, Wake Forest was unranked in the latest AP poll.
There were nine SEC programs ranked in the preseason and the count currently remains the same, but as Texas A&M and Oklahoma fell out, Florida and Kentucky are in. Meanwhile, an AP voter has left the Hurricanes out entirely from their ballot twice this season. First, it was Rutgers beat writer for NJ Advance Media Brian Fonseca in Week 1, then WSLS-TV Eric Johnson, who covers Virginia Tech.
Even without so many ranked opponents, the Hurricanes will face tough competition in ACC play. The upcoming Clemson matchup could be intriguing, and then a couple of weeks later, the Pitt Panthers travel to South Florida. Sophomore quarterback Mason Heintschel became the second in ACC history to throw for at least six touchdowns in multiple games in the same season (seven against Miami, OH, and six against Bucknell).
Duke currently has the Football Bowl Subdivision rushing leader, sophomore running back Nate Sheppard.
Plus, head coach James Franklin has led the Hokies to a 4-0 start this season for the first time since 2017.
Although the AP voters haven’t given the ACC much credit, the Hurricanes still have some strong competition looking ahead. Perhaps Dawson has a point on preseason rankings having too much value. However, the voters and College Football Playoff Selection Committee will likely still view that Notre Dame matchup as the main factor in the Hurricanes' resume.
Meanwhile, head coach Mario Cristobal is looking to keep things "1-0."
Anthony Aguirre covers the Miami Hurricanes and Miami Heat for Roundtable Sports. Contact info for tips/info: [email protected] & 305-987-3290 | Follow on Instagram/X: @AnthonyA_Sports
