Is FSU back better than is Miami back?

The mailbag segment is up.

I appreciate Ms. Brownlow at LE Brownlow on Twitter. Can we crank up the FSU hype machine? I am here for that. So I'll pose this question. I'll pose this question. Is is FSU back better than is Miami back?

I cautiously am going to say yes. Okay, because when you the Miami mentioned is triggering. Let's just be honest. Because honestly, I was not one of those people until the last couple years. I held out with Miami like I would not let it fool me if I thought they were going to be the best team. Then I was I was willing to say that you know what I mean?

And now I'm at the point where I'm like, I don't even care if I think that they could have the best team. I'm not picking up. Not picking up. Is it personal? I would have only been wrong one time.

It is personal. It's their fault. They did it. Is the problem with Miami the fact that the Miami that we remember fondly or otherwise, but that Miami is just not achievable at the University of Miami today, no matter how good the players they have, they can't possibly achieve that again. I think that that's maybe part of it. I think the other part of it is anytime they have a quarterback with the pulse, all of a sudden they're in the top 10.

You know what I mean? And I don't think that that's fair either to the quarterback themselves, who is often not that good. I mean, they have had good quarterbacks, but I'm just this is Van Dyke situation. I'm just saying like, you know, they show they have a quarterback show a pulse for half a season and all of a sudden he's the second coming.

And oh, there that's all Miami needs. Ignoring the fact that their defense has been kind of a far bigger issue over the last decade overall. Would you I mean, wouldn't you say their defense has just not been up to par? I mean, they've had good defensive players, but haven't had great defenses. They've had some pretty bad defenses. If you look at it and they can't get out of their own way and they keep making the wrong higher.

So you add all those things together. Could somebody succeed there? Yeah. I mean, I think I think probably someone could, but like, could they be the you again and like be dominant and win national titles like that?

No, I don't think so. They should rehire Butch Davis tomorrow. Did should we have hired Butch Davis? I wish we had. Did Miami make the wrong hire?

I thought looking great. Just I'm not super and I'm talking more just what I've seen in game. You know, I'm just not loving that. That's what they that's what they've always said. Right. And that's been hasn't that been the biggest issue with of Miami coaching in the last however long here since Butch Davis and maybe even including if you want to nitpick.

You know what I mean? Like, it's been an issue is in game coaching and and in game situational football. They don't play it well.

I mean, when they get together with Carolina, it's a dirt fest. Every time Mario Cristobal at Oregon, there was always how did you how are you now? How was the quarterback Justin Herbert? How was he so bad as a senior?

How was that? Was that guy not the first overall pick with everything that he's got? How was he not good? Because there were people that I spoke with that said he was just terrible as a senior. So Cristobal at Oregon, the same things were said about in there that he wasn't all that he was. He left something be desired once the game started.

He's a good recruiter. And then everything else kind of goes to write down the drain. But it's only been a year, right? Like I said, I could be wrong. Hope I'm wrong. I know a lot of people said that about Mike Norvell after a year. And I was one of those people that said, hold on a minute. I see something here.

So maybe I'll end up being wrong. But it just feels like we've seen the same movie at Miami year after year after year since they joined the ACC practically. All right.

So tell me why my why Florida State is different. And I know that this is one of the major thrusts of the mailbag. I won't give away the mailbag. I want people to read the mailbag at WRAL sports fan dot com. Click on Lauren Brown. Let's picture Brown.

Let's picture and read it. What's different about FSU? I mean, to me, to even ask if they're getting overhyped feels silly because they return a ton of offensive talent and defensive talent for that matter. But they return their starting quarterback that I think is one of the better ones in the ACC. Um, you know, could be on pace to be the best quarterback in the ACC. We don't know that yet. In terms of the way he plays this year.

He could win player of the year. So you can see that. And they return a lot. They played a good schedule last year. They won their and they won their last what was it 10 games in a row. They won. They ended the season very strong. They beat some really good teams lately or good programs.

You know what I mean? Right. They beat good programs. And honestly, if we're doing this with LSU, why would we not do this with FSU? I mean, I'm not I'm not trying to do it just because they beat them. I'm not saying that's the only reason that was early in the year. Talk about dirt filled.

The end of that game was I still remember that it was a classic in all kinds of ways, but at the same time they they were right there with them. Clearly from a talent perspective, LSU kind of had an up and down year and ended on a better note. But like, why should we be on the LSU hype train if we're not also on the FSU hype train? I don't know. I know why. I know people are self-deprecating, but at the same time, like if SEC teams get to feed off of hype, that's sometimes unearned. Why can't ACC teams?

It doesn't make any sense to me. The answer is over your left shoulder. Lauren Brown, load the go ACC hashtag. I had to make sure was left and right.

That's how I did the L right here. The the that's the that's the answer. LSU will get the benefit of the doubt. Florida State 15 years ago would get the benefit of the doubt. But Florida State now isn't because they haven't been good. And the ACC is the ACC. So let me throw this to you.

You want to say something about that? Well, I would just say, like, if a team that finished 10th in the country last year, that returns almost everyone. I don't know where you're supposed. I saw them six in a preseason top twenty five. Where were they supposed to be? Or no, I saw them seven. Right. And I'm thinking like, what's wrong with seven?

I mean, to me, that makes perfect. Where else would you put a team like that objectively? To me, it's almost like you would demote them because you expect them to fall on their face. And that's not fair either.

Unless it's Miami. That is perfectly fair. All right. I teased your appearance with this question.

I am going to ask you a question that I believe is going to ruffle some feathers. Can you make a scenario that Clemson will not be even the second best team in the ACC this year? In the entire league?

Wow. I'm very down on the Clemson Tigers. I'm not up on them. But who like who's sliding into that slot except for you?

September 4th, September 4th and Wallace Wade. Don't do this. OK. Yes.

See, this is why you bring this up, because you. I also did a video mailbag segment which you can find on WRL sports fan dot com and Duke's schedule. So tough. Yeah. Tougher than last year's schedule. Very much so.

That's my that's a big area of pause for me. And how much better can that defense get? It's going to have to get a lot better. And the offense is going to be really, really tested. They're going to play some really good defenses. Otherwise, if Duke were playing last year's schedule, give me and they had Clemson in the beginning of the year.

I'm on the hype train with you. You know what I'm saying? I just and Clemson's defense is still Clemson's defense, to be fair.

So I don't know, man. I'm with you on the raised eyebrow at that. And I'm I'm being somewhat facetious here. I do think that Duke can beat Clemson in the opener at Wallace Wade Stadium.

I agree. Negotiating the rest of it. That's where it's going to be very difficult for the Blue Devils, because ultimately, I don't know, maybe. Two losses with the right tiebreaker could get you second place in the league. I'm not sure Florida State's going to go undefeated in the league or anybody's going to go undefeated in the league, but two losses if you have the right tiebreaker could work. But Duke's got Notre Dame. They've got both FSU and Clemson on the schedule. So obviously they're at Louisville as well.

Right. And Louisville should be better. So if Duke beats Clemson goes 4-0 to start the season, is College Game Day here for the Notre Dame game?

Oh, they're kind of they're weird sometimes about showing up to Notre Dame games, I feel like. It'll it'll be an ESPN game. I'm afraid to hope because we pushed so hard for Duke, Kansas, and no one listened to us. By the way, Riley Leonard for preseason ACC Player of the Year.

I would totally buy it. Again, though, my concern for him is my same as my concern for Duke, which is that the defenses they're going to be facing are really tough. I mean, Notre Dame, you know what they can do defensively.

They're really brutal. Clemson still clumps in defensively. Yeah, I just I don't I don't love.

FSU's defense is much better. That's three games already where he could really struggle. That might be enough to keep him out of the conversation. I hope not. I want to be optimistic. I'm just trying to be cautious. I understand.

I understand the eggshells on which you are walking Lauren Brown. No final thing. Isn't Miami a basketball school now, though, anyway? It is. They don't know that, though. That's the problem. I think there's well, they might be coming to grips with it at some point. Miami fans will never. You have the wrong fan base.

That's not happening. No. Lauren Brown logo. Check her out. Go check the mailbag out and the video mailbag out. Do you read? Do you actually take the letters out?

I had to do football questions, which were about Riley Riley Leonard ceiling and about how many will Duke beat Clemson by? Really? Yeah. Look at that. Lauren Bralo at L. E. Bralo on Twitter. WRL sports fan dot O. A. C. C. Thank you so much. Anytime.