FanHouse Jacory Harris

MIAMI -- Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford or mustachioed Landry Jones?

Miami coach Randy Shannon has said all week that it doesn't matter which Oklahoma quarterback starts against the Hurricanes on Saturday because they are both dropback passers. Of course, that was settled Thursday, when Sooners coach Bob Stoops announced Jones would make his third consecutive start in place of the recovering Bradford. Truthfully, that might be the least of UM's concerns.

The Hurricanes' showdown with No. 8 Oklahoma at Land Shark Stadium represents their fourth consecutive game against a ranked opponent. No team in ACC history has opened its season with four games against nationally ranked teams.

Crazy as it sounded but a few weeks ago, there is a chance neither Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy or Sam Bradford will win the 2009 Heisman Trophy. Maybe that's a good thing. Their journey of inevitability has taken on some water surprisingly early this year.

When BYU's Coleby Clawson slammed Bradford to the turf causing a shoulder injury, Bradford's repeat hopes were finished. He has still yet to play a down since then. Last Saturday against Kentucky, Tebow also sustained a concussion injury while being driven to the ground. It is unclear whether he will play Saturday against LSU in Florida's first real test this season.

Meanwhile, Colt McCoy already has five interceptions although he completed 80 percent of his passes Saturday against UTEP as the Longhorns appear to have turned a corner offensively in pouring 64 points on the Miners.

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Late in the second quarter Saturday at Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium, Miami quarterback Jacory Harris threw a quick strike over the middle just as official's yellow flag darted through the air toward one of Harris' blockers. Harris put his hands on his hips. His chest heaved with a deep breath. His head rocked back.

Harris was having one of those Murphy's Law moments, and for good reason.

He'd already fumbled, which Virginia Tech turned into a touchdown in little time. A teammate on defense, Chavez Grant, lost his footing on the slip 'n' slide disguised as a football field and got beat on a 48-yard touchdown catch by Hokies receiver Jarrett Boykin. Now a holding call was about to derail some desperately needed momentum for Harris and his Hurricanes as they stared at a 21-0 deficit.

Matt Daniels doesn't even want to think about the repercussions if Duke loses to North Carolina Central University on Saturday.

The two campuses are just five miles apart, and locals in Durham, N.C., have been chatting for months about whether the Eagles can compete against a Blue Devils team that already this season has lost to a Football Championship Subdivision school.

"A lot of heads are going to be turning," said Daniels, Duke's sophomore safety.

The Florida State and Miami football rivalry is back if just for a thrilling Labor Day night after the Hurricanes rallied to a 38-34 victory that went down to the game's very last play. The Hurricanes stymied six Seminole tries from within the 10-yard line, punctuated by an incomplete pass as time expired, to secure victory.

It was simply the best game of a great, sometimes controversial opening weekend of college football. The fourth quarter was a see-saw of excitement, the teams trading leads right to the final minute. The Hurricanes rallied from 31-24 and 34-31 deficits before claiming the final margin thanks to a Graig Cooper touchdown run with just under two minutes left.

Miami's quarterback depth took a major hit Tuesday as two backup quarterbacks have decided to leave the program. Redshirt freshmen Taylor Cook and Cannon Smith announced their departures, effectively leaving the Hurricanes with just two scholarship quarterbacks.

This is on the heels of quarterback Robert Marve announcing he would transfer in January and the program replacing offensive coordinator Patrick Nix with Mark Whipple. Sophomore Jacory Harris remains the starter but true freshman A.J. Highsmith has been elevated to backup.

Those with even a passing familiarity with Miami football last year know full well what an absolute horror show the offense was, especially at quarterback. As listless as the offense was under departing senior Kyle Wright, co-starter Kirby Freeman was absolutely brutal. We're relatively sure that had Freeman not transferred to Baylor, they would have locked them in the Orange Bowl before its demolition.

So this leaves head coach Randy Shannon with something of a quandary: Miami has three quarterbacks, all of whom are freshmen (Robert Marve a redshirt, Jacory Harris and Cannon Smith true). Of them, Harris and Marve are the only real threats to start; while Cannon Smith has a legendary name for a quarterback (topped only by, like, "Rocketarm Throwball-Manning"), the three-star prospect from Hargrave isn't "there" yet. So the question to Randy Shannon is, who's it going to be: Marve or Harris?

Shannon's answer, it seems, is "yes."