The Miami Hurricanes can’t just squeak by any longer

The Miami Hurricanes earned another close win on Saturday, but they’ll need to start playing significantly better with the next two games coming up.

There were some lofty expectations coming into the season for the Miami Hurricanes in the second season under Mark Richt, and with their 7-0 record, they’re certainly holding up their end of the bargain. However, while undefeated on the year, it’s been anything but pretty for the Canes.

Miami moved to that 7-0 record on Saturday with yet another nail-biting win, this time over a 1-7 North Carolina team. They actually nearly lost this one, needing a Tar Heels fumble by Jordon Brown as North Carolina was in Miami territory driving for the potential win. The Hurricanes are still unbeaten, although they had to sweat out this win.

But, that’s pretty much how things have gone recently for the Hurricanes and Richt. Since they dismantled Duke on a Friday night a few weeks ago, they’ve needed some late-game magic to come away with wins over lesser competition. Miami nearly lost to what we now know is one of the worst Florida State teams in ages, pulled out a close one in a monsoon over Georgia Tech, and was nearly the latest victim of a Syracuse upset. The Hurricanes have had lady luck on their side the past few weeks in many instances, that’s for sure.

The days of relying on just being able to squeak by, though, have pretty much come to a close with the next two games this team has on the slate.

Next week, Miami will welcome in the Virginia Tech Hokies — one of the better defensive teams in college football —  in a battle for ACC Coastal supremacy. Since joining the conference, the Hurricanes have never been to the ACC Championship Game, and if Richt doesn’t have this team playing significantly better, the Hokies will stomp all over those dreams, while at the same time ending Miami’s unbeaten season.

Things get no easier from there. Immediately after the date with the Hokies, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will make their way to South Beach to get a crack at the Canes. Notre Dame has rebounded nicely from that horrid 4-8 campaign last year, and if Miami goes out there against the Irish like they have against teams the past few weeks, it won’t be pretty.

An undefeated record in college football these days is something that should be commended, and definite props should be thrown the way of the Hurricanes for getting to this point. But in the next two weeks, the manner in which they’re getting to these wins needs to drastically change.