In the aftermath of Cam Ward opting out of the second half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal didn’t offer much in terms of an explanation.
Cristobal stayed tight-lipped, refusing to acknowledge the premeditated nature of Ward’s decision — a move that saw the presumed No. 1 overall draft pick step aside after halftime to let his successor take snaps against one of the best defenses in the Power Four.
By keeping internal conversations private, Cristobal inadvertently opened the door for speculation. Though likely well-intentioned, his silence gave life to swirling narratives, some rooted in bad faith. As Joel Klatt cautioned on his show to his listeners, [you] should avoid “the water that circles the drain at the bottom of the bathtub,” — a not-so-pointed critique of college football’s “old guard,” which wasn’t exactly fond of Ward’s decision.
Cristobal’s reticence allowed the old guard of college football to find an opening. It didn’t help that Miami didn’t make Ward available to address the media, either. Instead of focusing on the actual reasons behind Ward’s playing just two quarters of Miami’s Bowl Game, this allowed a conversation to form—a narrative—that completely lost the plot.
For the first time, Cristobal is addressing said narrative, calling it “bullshit.”
In speaking with Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, Cristobal lambasted what he referred to as a “false narrative.” He also defended Ward’s decision to sit out the second half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl, which Reynolds wrote was “predetermined based on his likely status as the No. 1 pick.”
Mario Cristobal, on the notion that Cam Ward quit in the bowl game: “Bullshit.”
He gave a very impassioned defense against what he calls “a false narrative.” The decision on the bowl game was predetermined based on his likely status as the No. 1 pick.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) January 13, 2025
Most mock drafts have the Tennessee Titans slated to take Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Perhaps some teams will ask Ward during the pre-draft process about a decision that’s put him and the sport under the microscope and intense scrutiny; perhaps not.
It seemingly won’t affect his draft stock, however.
And Cristobal finally calling “bullshit” on those narratives was his way of putting an end to a manufactured controversy that probably never should have gained this much traction in the first place.
