Taking measure of Miami, if the Hurricanes are even able to play

— -- I understand why the ACC decided not to play a nine-game conference schedule, but I don't agree with it, and I think it will come back to hurt the league's champion in playoff considerations. Every time the ACC champion is compared to its counterpart from the Pac-12, Big 12 or Big Ten, it will have played one less conference game.

2. The Hurricanes are starting four freshmen, including at all three linebacker spots. With archrival Florida State on deck, someone asked Miami head coach Mark Richt what sort of confidence he had in his first-year starters. "It better be high, because that's all we got," Richt said.

Linebackers Zach McCloud, Shaq Quarterman and Michael Pinckney have combined for 8.5 tackles for loss and one interception. The Seminoles, though, will be different. "The [freshmen] have not been through certain types of games that they're about to go through," Richt said. "They might hear it and visualize what it might be like, but until you live through it, it's a different animal."