Miami Not Considered a CFP Contender after Martell Transfer
By Robert Duff in College Football
Updated: April 2, 2020 at 1:54 pm EDTPublished:
- QB Tate Martell announced Wednesday that he is transferring from Ohio State to Miami.
- Martell opted to leave Ohio State when QB Justin Fields transferred from Georgia to the Buckeyes.
- He might not be eligible this year and the Canes lost their head coach. Don’t expect a title run.
The carousel that is the NCAA transfer portal has spun Tate Martell to the Miami Hurricanes. The former Ohio State Buckeye announced his destination via tweet in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
right back like we never left…
I’M A HURRICANE! 🙌🏼🌴 pic.twitter.com/6Dh0gu4fxD
— Tate Martell (@TheTateMartell) January 16, 2019
While this announcement will dramatically increase Martell’s playing time and ensure his status as a no. 1 QB, something that definitely was undecided if he stayed at Ohio State, his decision to take his talents to South Beach probably isn’t going to have the same impact as the choice made by LeBron James in 2010.
Odds to Win 2020 NCAA Football Championship
| Team | Odds to win 2020 National Championship (Jan. 16) |
|---|---|
| Clemson | +170 |
| Alabama | +230 |
| Georgia | +850 |
| Ohio State | +850 |
| Oklahoma | +1200 |
| Penn State | +1400 |
| Michigan | +1500 |
| Texas | +1800 |
| Florida | +2500 |
| Washington | +2800 |
| Notre Dame | +2800 |
| LUS | +3000 |
| Auburn | +4000 |
| Florida State | +5000 |
| Florida | +4000 |
| Florida State | +4000 |
| Miami | +5000 |
| Michigan State | +5000 |
| Texas A&M | +5000 |
| Wisconsin | +5000 |
Miami is listed at +5000 to win the College Football Playoff national championship, and that seems about right. Miami is a program in disarray, to put it lightly.
Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz was promoted to head coach. Former Alabama QB coach Dan Enos is Miami’s new offensive coordinator.
Martell is an Upgrade for Miami
Last season, Richt alternated between N’Kosi Perry and Malik Rosier at quarterback, but neither provided the definitive answer under center. The Hurricanes ranked 13th in the ACC in total offense (358.8 yards per game), 12th in passing yardage (167.3 YPG), and ninth in scoring offense (28.8 points).
Martell should prove a step up from that. He displayed flashes in brief stints at the helm for the Buckeyes last season. As a redshirt freshman, he completed 23-of-28 passes for 269 yards, one touchdown, and an impressive passer rating of 174.6. He also ran for 128 yards and a pair of TDs.
At the Rose Bowl, Martell seemed certain as to what the future held for him.
Tate Martell was asked who is going to be the next starting quarterback at Ohio State.
"I will."
Level of confidence?
"I'm 100-percent sure on that."— Austin Ward (@AWardSports) December 30, 2018
Just 17 days later, he announced his transfer to Miami.
The 2019 Hurricanes Won’t Be a Title Contender
Travis Homer, the Hurricanes’ leading rush last season with 985 yards and an impressive 6.0 yards per carry, declared for the NFL Draft.
Diaz moved to shore up the team’s discipline issues, installing a system of punishments that begin with minor penalties for tardiness and steadily increase in severity in parallel to the infraction. How violators are dealt with will be left in the hands of a quorum of veteran leaders appointed by Diaz.
Welcome to The U, Tate Martell! pic.twitter.com/04mo6s285B
— GO ‘CANES! (@83_87_89_91_01) January 16, 2019
Another issue of concern – unless Martell, who was 43-0 as a starter at Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas – is declared a hardship case, he will be required to sit out the 2019 season. That would likely put the offense back in the hands of N’Kosi Perry. That’s not a recipe for a national championship run.
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
