College football: 5 teams that won’t be as good as you think in 2021

D’Eriq King’s torn ACL could put a Coastal Division championship out of reach

I will be the first person to tell you 2021 is not going to be about The U. In fact, it will be more of the same under head coach Manny Diaz. Yes, there will be moments where the Miami Hurricanes will look like a top-15 team in the country and one certainly capable of representing the ACC Coastal in Charlotte. However, there schedule is so daunting for them to be any better than 10-2.

Right out of the gate, Miami will lose to the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff in Atlanta. It does not matter if Bryce Young will be making his first career start for Alabama. He has the more talented team over what D’Eriq King is working worth and he will not be coming off a devastating injury suffered in the Cheez-It Bowl to Oklahoma State.

King’s health is the single most important thing regarding Miami football this offseason. If the super-duper senior is good to go, then he will be a Heisman Trophy candidate. However, he is not going to be Miami and he is probably not going to be able to beat Sam Howell and the North Carolina Tar Heels up in Chapel Hill with the ACC Coastal crown on the line.

We also need to factor in what other teams in the ACC could be decent in 2021. Look for the North Carolina State Wolfpack to be around a top-25 team. Pittsburgh or either Virginia school could be interesting. And can you imagine if Florida State or Georgia Tech making any progress forward under their relatively new head coaches. All this means is a second-place division finish for Miami.