0-4 start? How does 3-1 grab ya?

Before the whistle was blown to signal the official beginning to the newest season, any discussion revolving around Miami of Florida football began and ended with college football’s watered-down scheduling version of Murderer’s Row to start 2009.

Florida State.  Georgia Tech.  Virginia Tech.  Oklahoma.

An O-fer was the talk, all the rage.  As was head coach Randy Shannon‘s job security in the face of a gauntlet littered with talented and ranked teams his Hurricanes would have to navigate to start a turning-point — one way or the other — season.

Now?

One week after a beatdown at the hands of the Hokies — a beating that may have been a necessary if not painful teaching point — Miami dusted itself off, wiped the blood from the corners of their mouth, and came out swinging against No. 8 Oklahoma.  Landing enough shots, it turns out, to take down a Top Ten team in a slugfest of a football game.

Miami 21, Oklahoma 20.

Wow.

So, after an improbable journey that defies a whole helluva lot of logic based on recent “U” trends, the ‘Canes are now standing tall at 3-1 and right in the thick of BcS bowl discussions.  If not more.

Sam Bradford or not — and Landry Jones is going to be one helluva quarterback once the reigning Heisman trophy winner exchanges his Sooner reins for NFL green — UM just found a way, somehow, to beat a very, very good football team. 

And a big part of that how and way?  True sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris.  As Yoda would say, a special player, he is.

Shaking off two early picks, Harris bounced back to throw three touchdowns and basically continued his overall 2009 coolness/awesomeness that should keep him at least on the periphery of Heisman discussion.

A coolness, it should be noted, that will likely keep The U at the forefront of any and all BcS discussion for the remainder of ’09.  And beyond.