What Happens If 2024 Isn't The Year For The Hurricanes?

The Miami Hurricanes are heading into a pivotal year in the third season under Mario Cristobal with many expecting an ACC title to head to Coral Gables, but what happens if this season looks more like last?

It seems like no matter what media site you go to or personality you hear from, the expectation for a 10+ win season from the Hurricanes seems to be the consensus. FOX Sport's Joel Klatt recently said the Hurricanes should be an 11-1 team this season, while 247Sports' Josh Pate put Miami's best case as 12-0.

However in the world of sports, there is always the unknown of what can derail a season. Take for example Florida State, who if it wasn't for an injury to Jordan Travis would've certainly been in the College Football Playoff.

So let's say this season isn't as promising for the Hurricanes as expected, and perhaps they see just a one win improvement to 8-4. Here's what COULD happen in that scenario:

1. Shannon Dawson Is Fired As Offensive Coordinator

If Miami were to take just have just a one game improvement, it would likely have to do with the Hurricane's revamped and star-powered offense not meshing well. Whether that's Cam Ward still struggling with turnovers or injuries to key pieces, that first person that would be affected would surely be Dawson. He helped the Hurricanes finish just outside the Top 30 in total yards per game in 2023, but Miami needs to display a high-powered offense if they want to win games and these recruiting battles for top offensive targets. While there's circumstances to everything, there would've likely been a better chance for the Hurricanes to land receivers Brandon Inniss and Jeremiah Smith in past cycles had they had a high-level passing offense.

2. Mario Cristobal Is Officially On The Hot Seat

While fans and even figures in the media might put Cristobal on the hot seat if he drops Week 1 to the Florida Gators, he likely won't enter the hot seat officially unless he has a one win improvement as proposed. He doesn't fall under the umbrella as one of the best tactical coaches in the sport, but he's an elite recruiter and having that is essential for bringing back the greatness Miami once saw. If the Hurricanes do go just 8-4 in 2024, he'll likely head into the offseason with a tight lease and a bare minimum expectation to make the playoffs in 2025.

3. Recruiting Becomes A Whole Lot Tougher

As mentioned previously, Cristobal is an elite recruiter and has shown so at Miami so far. But if the Hurricanes can't meet expectations in 2024, Cristobal and his staff will likely face backlash and struggle to recruit blue-chip prospects. There will always be the cases of players envying to be a Hurricane and not entirely deterred by the on-field result, but surely recruits will start to lose faith in the rebuild as we've seen in the past. If Miami struggles in 2024 and recruits start to lose interest/decommit, boosters and the board of trustees will feel the pressure to find a solution ASAP.

4. Miami Could Be Shorthanded In Potential Realignment

The topic of conference realignment remains a hot topic with now the abolishment of the PAC-12 and other schools like Clemson and Florida State potentially eyeing an exit from the ACC. While nothing has been said on this front from Miami, they'd likely find a way out too if Clemson and Florida State departed. Thoughts of the Hurricanes potentially landing in the SEC have floated around, but an underperforming Miami squad wouldn't be seen as much of an asset in that case. While football isn't the only school affected by conference realignment, there's no denying it's the main asset in terms of revenue across sports.