The Rundown Take
Championship or Bust: U Talk Returns From Hiatus and Sets the Bar for Miami's Season
After a much-needed break following the national championship heartbreak, Devin and Larry Frank Jr. got the band back together — with Melvin "G5" Bratton calling in from vacation — and wasted no time putting the stakes on the record: this Miami team is not playing for second place.
Key Takeaways
- Bratton's on-air prophecy, timestamped for the family: Miami goes back-to-back — championships this season AND next.
- Both coordinators got extensions. The room was unanimous on Corey Hetherman earning his; Shannon Dawson remains the show's biggest question mark after the play-calling in the title game.
- Larry Frank's stat of the night: Ohio State's line entered last season with 85 combined starts — Miami's projected five opens with fewer than 25. The O-line is the whole ballgame.
- Bratton announced he's presenting his brother-in-law Mike Rumph at the UM Sports Hall of Fame induction, alongside Duke Johnson, Delvin Starks and Mark Richt.
- Circle November 7: Larry Frank says Miami must be in full playoff mode when it walks into South Bend.
The Old Miami Is Back
The opening theme was the culture flip: four- and five-star recruits are choosing Miami knowing there's talent stacked three deep in front of them — the way it was in the 80s. Larry Frank credited the class that stayed through 5-7, Bain and Mauigoa chief among them, for triggering the domino effect. Bratton went further, comparing this roster to the 1987 team that answered the Penn State loss by running the table:
"These kids have tasted success now, and that's the most dangerous thing you can give a Miami team. This is their time to shine."
The Great Dawson Debate
Bratton played the optimist — "my daughter could run this offense with these weapons" — arguing that keeping both coordinators gives Miami back-to-back continuity it hasn't had in years, and that both men coach their way into head jobs if the Canes win it all. Larry Frank respectfully pushed back with the realist case: an inexperienced line means slants, screens and RPOs early, and everything depends on whether Dawson actually coaches to it. The chat and callers were blunter still — caller B Mike's verdict was that with this receiver room, running back stable and a quarterback like Mensah, messing it up should be a fire-on-the-spot offense.
The Family Weighs In
The phone lines ran long in the best way. Chris Cane called his shot: 13-0 and a championship. Mr. Brock questioned whether Hetherman can do it twice and gave Dawson year four to finally open the playbook. Kyle Stallion passed along that Chase Smith is looking like a first-rounder in workouts, and the crew dug into the murky Hayden Lowe situation — injuries plus "personal things" that sound like a tight-ship culture doing its job. Porch Cane's contribution to the broadcast canon: Mensah is "three times better than Beck."
Two weeks between shows until August, then weekly into the season. The closing word from every voice on the line was the same one: championship or bust — and this crew believes it's championship.