Miami’s playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. With ESPN’s playoff predictor giving them a 26% chance to make the final field, Mario Cristobal’s crew needs to handle business this week against Pittsburgh and hope for some chaos above them. But Monday morning brought some news that can turn a season around.

The head coach announced on his weekly WQAM radio appearance that several key injured starters are expected back for Saturday’s crucial matchup against the Panthers.​​ The injury updates were music to Miami fans’ ears. Mario Cristobal said he “feels pretty good” about defensive tackle David Blay returning against Pittsburgh. He also expects cornerback OJ Frederique Jr. back as well. Even better, running back Mark Fletcher and wide receiver CJ Daniels, who both played in a limited capacity against Virginia Tech, should be “100% this week,” according to the head coach. 

Mario Cristobal also took time to praise defensive end Akheem Mesidor, too. He said on the Joe Rose Show that “Akheem Mesidor does not get talked about enough” and “it’s time he is mentioned along with the best players not only on this team but the entire country.” These returns couldn’t come at a better time for a Miami team that’s been decimated by injuries over the past month. However, they managed to beat Virginia Tech 34-17 despite missing several of their best players.​​

Mark Fletcher’s 100% return might be the biggest boost of all for an offense that’s been searching for consistency in the ground game. The Hurricanes’ leading rusher went down with a lower extremity injury at the end of the SMU game on November 1. Then, he missed the next two contests against Syracuse and NC State before playing sparingly against Virginia Tech. 

Before the injury, Fletcher was rolling with 636 rushing yards and nine touchdowns while averaging a solid 5.1 yards per carry. His absence forced true freshman Girard Pringle into a featured role. And while the youngster responded admirably with 116 yards and two catches for 32 yards against NC State, having Fletcher back at full strength gives Miami the experienced, physical runner they need for a hostile road environment in Pittsburgh. 

The secondary also gets a massive upgrade with O.J. Frederique Jr. expected to return after missing the last three games with an upper extremity injury. Frederique, one of Miami’s starting cornerbacks, has been sidelined since the Stanford game on October 25. It has forced the Hurricanes to shuffle their defensive backfield against SMU, Syracuse, and NC State. Getting Frederique back gives Miami more depth and experience on the back end. 

On the other side of the ball, getting David Blay back would be huge for a defensive line that’s been dominant all season. Blay has been battling injuries for weeks. He played through pain before finally being shut down and missing games against NC State and Virginia Tech. Without the starting defensive tackle, Virginia Tech nearly rushed for 200 yards. This was the most anyone has gained on the ground against Miami’s stout defense all season. 

Blay’s absence was glaring, as he’s been one of Miami’s best run stoppers up front alongside stars like Akheem Mesidor and Ruben Bain. Meanwhile, CJ Daniels’ return gives Beck his top red-zone weapon back. Getting these guys back at full strength for a must-win game against Pittsburgh gives Miami its best shot at keeping playoff dreams alive. They might also crash the ACC championship game in Charlotte.​

Finebaum blasts committee over Notre Dame bias

Paul Finebaum has become an unlikely champion for Miami in its battle against what he perceives as blatant favoritism by the CFP committee toward Notre Dame. “There is a bias. Let’s just go ahead and admit it,” Finebaum declared on ESPN’s Get Up this week. His frustration boiled over as he watched the Irish remain comfortably at No. 9 while the Hurricanes languished at No. 13 despite identical 9-2 records and Miami’s head-to-head win back in Week 1. 

Finebaum doubled down on his criticism throughout the week. He hammered the committee’s logic at every opportunity. “I wish the selection committee would actually consider that these two, Miami and Notre Dame, once met on the field like on the final Sunday night in August, but they have seemingly forgotten that,” Finebaum said on SportsCenter. He also said that the committee will probably continue ignoring that result this week. They will compare Miami’s 17-point win over Virginia Tech to Notre Dame’s 14-touchdown demolition of Syracuse and favor Notre Dame.

“That’s not the way we should be deciding teams,” he emphasized. His point is that “one of the biggest tiebreakers,” head-to-head results, has been completely disregarded by this committee. Even when CFP chairman Hunter Yurachek tried to explain that Notre Dame has “better losses” and that Miami and Notre Dame aren’t in the same “pod” yet for comparison, Finebaum wasn’t buying it.