Back in August, it looked like the Miami Hurricanes were doomed. The University of Miami's football and basketball programs were being rocked by a huge scandal -- one of the worst scandals in recent NCAA history -- and it seemed likely that the NCAA would impose strict penalties, if not eliminating the teams all together. Under this depressing umbrella of doom, what recruits would possibly still want to go to Miami? How could they possibly keep their athletic programs competitive?
As it turns out, we shouldn't have bothered worrying.
With National Signing Day on Wednesday, the Buckeyes and Hurricanes are looking at finishing with top 10 recruiting classes. At last count, Ohio State was fourth, followed by Miami at sixth, according to Lemming's rankings. (Matt Murschel, Sun Sentinel)
For all your National Signing Day and college football recruiting news, visit SB Nation's recruiting hub.
There are only two possible explanations for this impressive (projected) recruiting class: recruits have a short memory, or Hurricanes head coach Al Golden is a spectacular salesman. The truth is probably a bit of both -- everyone has been distracted by the scandals at Ohio and Penn State -- but Golden's impact can't be understated. Even ignoring the scandal, the Hurricanes are a tougher team to sell; they had a mediocre 2011 season and have numerous holes in their roster going forward. Golden has done yeoman's work, and hopefully it will all pay off tomorrow.
For more on the Hurricanes, visit SB Nation's blog on the 'Canes, The Seventh Floor.