There has been one and only one focal point for Miami over the last two seasons: beating Florida State.

But investing everything into its annual rivalry game proved exhausting not physically, but emotionally. The Hurricanes never recovered after dropping those games in 2013 and 2014, and players vowed this offseason to approach the matchup a different way.

"We can't let that define us," linebacker Raphael Kirby said back in July at ACC media day.

Whether Kirby agrees or not, the game Saturday will in many ways define Miami in 2015. Coming off a miserable loss to Cincinnati last Thursday night, Miami is staring at a pretty stark reality. Disenchantment with Al Golden is at an all-time high, so much so that the ubiquitous "Fire Golden" banners that fly in South Florida appeared over Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati calling for his ouster.

A sixth straight loss to the Seminoles will be met with a disdain that even the much-maligned Golden has yet to experience in South Florida -- with the majority of its schedule remaining (including a game against No. 6 Clemson on Oct. 24). Tension could reach combustible levels.

Now consider: Miami went 2-6 combined the last two years after losing to the Seminoles, including losses immediately after playing them. So it makes sense that Miami players and coaches want to be sure the Florida State game is not the be all, end all to the season.

But this is where those comments seem counterintuitive. While it makes sense that players have said, "It's not just about Florida State," everything this week needs to be just about Florida State. Miami cannot afford to play with any less passion or intensity than it always does in the biggest game of the year. Especially since the Seminoles are not as dominant this year as they have been over the last two. This game is winnable.

The Canes must be completely invested to win without worrying about what comes next. There can be no complacency, no hesitation, no Groundhog Day moments. Miami needs a win here more than at any other point in the Golden era, not only to end the losing streak but to show that real, actual progress is being made.

Because at least right now, there is not much confidence from a growing segment of the fan base that Golden will ever be able to make Miami relevant again. NCAA sanctions and scholarship penalties are valid reasons used to explain away some of the issues.

But Golden and his assistants are not winning many coaching prizes, either. That was evident again last week, when penalties, another poor showing on third down and questionable play calls down the stretch doomed Miami.

The Hurricanes rank No. 126 out of 127 teams in third-down conversions (24.5 percent), an area they have gotten progressively worse despite returning starting quarterback Brad Kaaya. Only once over the last five years has Miami converted 40 percent or more on third down: In 2011, Golden's first year.

Rather than answer whether the issues are with play calls or execution, Golden just says Miami must do better.

That stands as a centralized theme for his tenure as a whole. And for Saturday in particular.

"This obviously a big game for us and something we're excited about," Golden said. "Regardless of the outcome on Saturday night, the fact remains we have to be consistent and move forward. It's not really about this game. This game is always going to be a big game. It's really about response and our quest to be a consistent team week in and week out and we weren't (against Cincinnati)."

It should be about this game, though. Now more than ever.