Behind the Mic with Joe Zagacki
I was asked the other day to sum up the University of Miami football season in a sentence and I would say that ‘it exceeded all expectations.’
We ended up in the Orange Bowl game, which is an iconic bowl game. We won 10 games, beat Florida State, beat Notre Dame, beat Virginia Tech, which were all things we have not done in the past.
To win 10 games – to me – is always the goal. If you win 10 games today in college football, you’re probably playing for something special. You’re probably playing for a division title, a conference title and the playoff. The fact that the University of Miami won 10 games in Mark Richt’s second year speak volumes to where the program is going.
I’m excited about the early signing period. We signed 19 new players, all of who seem to be blue chip players, so it appears that Mark Richt and his staff have been able to upgrade the talent and that ultimately is going to carry the football program to where we want to go.
Roster management and upgrading the talent are the keys in putting together a strong team.
We have to find a way to get older because that was the difference in the Orange Bowl. Wisconsin was older and more mature and the way you get older is that you keep your team together, which has been a challenge for Miami.
Despite the outcome and despite the three losses to wrap up football and despite the way the year ended, I am very optimistic about spring football and the way the season is going to begin next year.
The Orange Bowl game was a great experience for everybody and it was winnable game. But when you win 10 games then at the end of the year, you’re playing good teams and you are playing teams in the top 10 to end the season.
Switching over to men’s basketball, things could be very exciting this season.
Because of the competition level, the ACC presents those type of storylines year in and year out.
The competition is so fierce and the separation between the very best team and the worst team is probably the smallest compared to any sport anywhere else – that’s how close the league is from top to bottom.
Playing in the ACC is a great education for what it’s like to have a real job because most of the time you have to think about your job almost on a 24/7 basis and when you’re in the ACC that’s what is required when you’re in league play.
Games come at you fast, there’s not a lot of time to prepare, so you have to live it and breath it everyday if you are going to play at the highest level.
We’ve had guys in our program know what it’s like to battle the rigors of ACC play and I think we have talent meet those challenges this year.
