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College Football Overtime: Early Success of Miami, FSU Gives Fans Plenty to Gloat About

Neither team is booking travel to Charlotte in early December for the ACC's annual championship game, but after the past half decade you can't blame them for being what some might call overly excited

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At this same point during the 2021 season, the Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles were a combined 1-3 with the 'Canes having a blowout loss to Alabama and a two point win over Appalachian State. FSU, meanwhile, was coming off arguably the most embarrassing loss in program history after being defeated by FCS member Jacksonville State.

Fast forward to just after Week 2 of the 2022 season and it's a much different story. The 'Canes and 'Noles are a combined 4-0 on the season for the first time since the 2016 season. Miami has outscored its opponents by a combined 100-20 while FSU is coming off a huge win in New Orleans last weekend against LSU.

Neither team is booking travel to Charlotte in early December for the ACC's annual championship game, but after the past half decade you can't blame them for being what some might call overly excited.

Both teams are on their third full time head coach since the 2016 season started. Miami has had slightly more success over the last five season, but has just one Coastal Division title, no bowl wins and one losing season. Oh yeah, and one of the program's most embarrassing losses with a 2019 defeat to FIU.

FSU is in the middle of a streak of four straight losing seasons - something they haven't done since the mid-1970s - and has been to just one bowl game over that span. They have beaten Miami just once in the last five seasons, haven't beaten Florida since the 2017 season and haven't beaten Clemson since the 2014 season.

It may be insane for those who remember the 'Canes winning five national titles in 19 seasons or the Seminoles winning a national title less than a decade ago to think about a 2-0 start being celebrated. But maybe it's time to move forward and plan for a future instead of polishing trophies from decades before.

Both teams still have some potential speedbumps ahead of them, with games coming up against Clemson (FSU hosting on October 15, Miami traveling on November 19) while Miami plays at Texas A&M next week and FSU ends the season on November 25 against Florida.

Of course, the teams will play each other on November 5 inside Hard Rock Stadium in a game that - if things go on the current pace - could mean a lot more than we thought when the season started.

The last time each team started the season 2-0 - FSU in the 2016 season and Miami a year later - each team ended up with double digit wins and a berth in the Orange Bowl. At this rate, with what has taken place in the last four seasons both teams would take that outcome in a heartbeat.

But for now, the goal is simple: start of the 2022 season with a 3-0 record for each team, something that hasn't happened since the 2013 season.

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