The Miami Hurricanes are on their way to the College Football Playoff (CFP) national championship game after a thrilling 31-27 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels. And Miami head coach Mario Cristobal is pleased about that.
But don’t ask him if the “U” is back.
Cristobal put on the headphones to talk with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt mere moments after his team’s narrow win over the Rebs, a win which saw more than its fair share of back-and-forth scoring and amazing plays.
Van Pelt began leaning into a question that would have led Cristobal to say precisely what he wanted him to say: that Miami is all the way back. But
The victorious head coach sensed where the questioning was going and immediately stopped it in its tracks.
“I love what you told me last time about cringing initially about the idea of being back,” Van Pelt said. “And there’s still 60…”
Cristobal interrupted, “Don’t! Don’t say it. Don’t. Don’t do it. Don’t do it, brother.”
Van Pelt shot back, “Do you trust me enough to ask a question? Let me ask a question.”
Cristobal relented, “You’re a professional, brother. You’re a professional.”
Van Pelt then asked Cristobal a much less controversial question about what he was most proud of in his team’s efforts.
It’s bizarre that Van Pelt would ask Cristobal whether the U is back, since the coach already said he “cringed” whenever he is asked that. Van Pelt claims he wasn’t going to ask Cristobal that question, but his lead-in certainly seemed like he was on that track.
And the coach is correct for not wanting to answer it. No good can come from saying Miami is back before they win the national championship. All it would do is heap more pressure on the program and give Indiana or Oregon some bulletin board material.
Good job, coach.
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