The comments on this post are interesting but very disappointing- it appears the majority are resigned to 5/6 MAC wins , a win over a weak non conference team and get to the MAC championship game with an occasional win. Why no aspiration to be a Boise State, Tulane or James Madison program ? With our tradition, culture, academic reputation, campus, and potential NIL upside we could ( and should ) have a much better FB program. As long as CM is our HC and refuses to get a qualified OC and let him have significant authority Miami will be just an above average MAC program. Yesterday was yet another example. It was clear WMU was going to put max pressure on our young QB ( two roughing QB in the first quarter ). Yet we tried to run a traditional drop back deep route offense- result -QB sacks, QB hurries, poor throws and little to no offense and great TOP advantage to WMU. No use of our TEâs, no short passing game, run game and our big backs not used smartly, no nun pass options, etc. Our young QB had no chance to succeed and was injured. A questionable on- side kick call , not running on fourth and two on a crucial late game call , etc . Yesterday,s game with some common sense play game calling was winnable with a better game plan ( remember Wisconsin , UNLV and many similar games in past years ). There is a reason CM has not been voted MAC coach of the year , recruited by other programs etc.- he is not a good game day coach and refuses to have a true OC on his staff. Even our MAC ranking is in doubt - we had a losing record this year against MAC bowl bound teams. My expectations for Miami FB are much higher than many on this site and no doubt our Administration and our AD- so be it - maybe we will play better in our bowl game and we again hope for a better 2026.
That said, I read first sentences. Note the question presented by Bruce was expectations for the season. Not what we would all aspire to be. We would all like to be higher profile.
That being said, of the 70 or so G5 teams, miami is consistently one of the top twenty-five every year. Just not top 10 every year.
It is nearly impossible to consistently beat P4 teams with payrolls 10 times as large.
And 6-2 in the MAC is not exactly awful. It is the equivalent of a NFL record of 12-4. 12-4 is literally the best record the Bengals have ever had.
So you want to be Boise? Great. But be thankful you arenât Akron, Kent, Buffalo, or even WMU.
Iâve stopped expecting anything from Chuck Martin a few years back. What we see every year is what we are. 5-7 MAC wins, maybe a title game, and a horrible OOC. Players in, players outâit doesnât matter. This is who Miami is, and will be, for as long as Martin is coach.
I find the âmaybe next year will be differentâ comments just as naive as the comments calling for a change at HC. I am in the latter group, myself, but realize itâs a pipe dream.
Starting next season, instead of these long, exhausting threads bemoaning the mediocrity of Chuck, maybe we could just stipulate these facts in August or at the very least cut and paste this thread. Save everyone a lot of time and energy.
The question was about this yearâs expectation. Of course the goal every year is a MAC championship, beating the green commie bastard hillbillies of Hocking JC and OOC wins. I donât think anyone on this board would aspire to anything different.
I think the expectations of a lot of people were raised when we thought we would be getting Toledo Rockets Finn . Obviously things didnât turn out the way we wanted there. But we were able to find a new gunslinger. Coaching gaffes also got in the way. The modern college football landscape makes it difficult to make any expectations. Itâs more hopes than expectations.
But can we be top 10 (or even top 5) some years? I think so. And if Chuck just said âhey with the right schedule and right roster we are shooting for a playoff spotâ I think it would help the perception of the program from the hard core fans, casual fans, students, etcâŚ
JMU is very good. They certainly didnât perform miracles this year thoughâŚ.
Not to get too into weeds but if we went 12-1 this year (losing to either Wisconsin or Rutgers and blanking the MAC)⌠we are in the G5 conversation for sure. But I digress.
Next year is the year to make the âpushâ for the CFP in my opinion. UConn (new coach) at home, holy cross at home, UC neutral site, and Pitt away. Plus potentially weaker MAC with Toledo and OU coaching situations
Thereâs an irony to the school pushing the upcoming Cradle of Coaches documentary while having a coach whoâs been here a dozen years and is approaching 60 yrs old with an overall record below .500.
Are we the Cradle or are we not? Why would we be scared of a coaching search? Brad Bates isnât walking back through that door, thank god.
I think Central will be a factor next season. Kent might be a spoiler. A MAC team will need to run the conference and be 12-1 to make the CFP. The committee has no respect for either the MAC or CUSA.
