Preseason College Football Top 25 Countdown - #18 Miami

The college football season is less than three weeks away and as I try to pass the time between watching baseball highlights and Brett Favre speculation, I can't wait for the gridiron action to get started. So, if we can't watch football, we're going to talk football. So let's continue the Preseason College Football Top 25 Countdown.

#18. Miami Hurricanes - With a 2009 schedule that started with games against four Top 25 teams, expectations were tempered for the Miami Hurricanes. After starting 3-1 with a win against OU there was talk of a Heisman in Jacory Harris' future. Fortunately, for the fashoin concious, Jacory and his purple suit didn't grace the stage in Downtown Manhattan after the Canes finised '09 7-2 with losses against Clemson and UNC.

This year things wont be much easier for the Canes with non conference tilts at Ohio State, at Pitt and home against South Florida to end the season. But Harris is a year older and with a more experienced supporting cast, his touchdown to interception ratio is expected to improve. Harris will also be helped by the emergence of former DB Damien Berry who had 600 + yards rushing in limited action last season.

Defensively the Canes will have to get after the quarterback better than last season. Miami's legacy includes visions of fierce pass rushers like Kenny Holmes and Warren Sapp. Defensive end Allen Bailey, a first-team All-ACC performer in '09, should help in that area but he'll have to have help along the line and in the defensive backfield.

Its going to be tough knocking off Virginia Tech but if Harris plays to his ability and Shannon gets the defense more in line with Miami's past then this could be the year Miami finally steps to the forefront in the ACC.