FanHouse JacoryHarris

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.

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.

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."