Senior Day

Hello All,

This is a weird day in the history of Stein on the Sidelines. This is the last time I will write about a group of seniors that includes Sean Spence and Jacory Harris, two players that I have written about and watched play for so long and with such intensity that they practically feel like family to me. Not in a weird way. Okay, this already just got awkward.

When I was a student, the signing day class of 2008 earned me my first cover story at the paper. They represented hope, the return of Miami to the pinnacle. While I will write more in depth on this class and its legacy after the season is over, this is a sort of unofficial end to their era. There will be players left, but the nucleus of the team will shift after the season. In a way, I owe this group of players a lot more than they will ever know. While they never achieved the succes they seemed so sure to bring, they did bring a lot of good times to the lives of Miami Hurricanes fans.

This is also unfortunately the last pre-game blog I will get to post for this season as we near the season-finale against Boston College (and the 4807578923475776234785 replays of Doug Fucking Flutie we will get to watch).

This season has been one of the weirdest, most up and down times I can ever remember. It seems as though it was just yesterday that the ‘Canes were getting laced up to play Maryland. Think about how much has happened in that time.

Miami lost to Maryland in that opener. Maryland featured the ACC’s Top Returning Quarterback in Danny O’Brien and seemed poised to make a run to the ACC Title Game.

Maryland is now 1-6 in conference play and the fan base has seemingly already turned on first year coach Randy Edsall. O’Brien was benched. The program is a tire fire.

Meanwhile, Miami returned perhaps the conference’s shakiest quarterback in Jacory Harris and seemed poised to spiral out of control after Yahoo!Sports’ salacious allegations dropped two weeks before the season.

Miami was a handful of plays away from an undefeated season, improved every week and saw Harris have an ACC Player of the Year type of season.

While the season began with a loss, it will end with a self-inflicted bowl ban. The irony of this bowl ban is that the players who I feel the worst for, namely Jacory and Spence, are culprits in why it had to be done. They broke rules. I still love them, but the simple fact is that they cost the program and now have to sacrifice for the future of the program in order to make good upon their rule-breaking.

(Really hard for me to actually be mad at a kid for taking a free dinner here and there...let's not go there.)

Between the turbulent beginning and end of the season for Miami, college football enjoyed its usual madness:

Virginia was picked in the basement of the ACC; they now are playing a one game playoff with Virginia Tech for the ACC Coastal Division after knocking off Miami and Florida State in the same season.

USC struggled to beat Minnesota on opening day in a game I attended…they have since taken Stanford to triple overtime in a loss and beaten Oregon on the road, eliminating them from the BCS title picture.

Clemson started off 8-0 and then Clemsoned itself against North Carolina State and Georgia Tech. Some things will always be predictable I guess.

Oklahoma lost a home game in which they were a 39 point favorite to Texas Tech, who then lost to Kansas, a team so bad that they are about to fire their coach and currently stand at 2-9.

Wisconsin lost on a Hail Mary…two weeks in a row.

Oklahoma State lost to Iowa State. Nebraska lost to Northwestern.

Bob Davie got a head coaching job. Joe Paterno lost a head coaching job. It is a crazy world.

LSU beat Alabama 9-6 in overtime, and they are widely considered the two best teams in the country. However, Arkansas could beat LSU this weekend and force their way in to the SEC Title Game (even though they lost to Alabama, who would also have one loss, assuming they beat Auburn in the Iron Bowl) against Georgia, which means that one of LSU and Alabama would then be playing in the Cotton Bowl. Awwwww, the BCS Era, ladies and gentlemen.

There is a current 5 way tie for first in the Big East, and none of the 5 teams would be bowl eligible in the SEC. However, one of these teams will make the BCS ahead of either Houston or Boise State, the two best non-automatic qualifiers, both of whom arguably would have run the table in the Big East.

UCLA is 6-5 and still in the thick of things in the Pac 12 South.

The ACC now includes Pittsburgh and Syracuse…in Pennsylvania and upstate New York.

The SEC now includes Texas A&M and Mizzou…. neither of which is in the Southeast.

(Apparently the SEC was desperate for their own Clemson but didn’t actually want Clemson (located in South Carolina...parenthetical reference inside a parenthetical aside!), so they took the two closest things from the Big 12 and said “what the hell?”)

The Big EAST…the conference of New York City and New England… is expanding to Idaho and Texas.

The Big 10 has 12 teams and no plans to change the name of the conference.

(And still sucks)

The Big 12 has 10 teams. They want to add TCU in an attempt to save their conference, which is ironic, because once upon a time, when the Big 8 and Southwest Conference merged, TCU was one of the schools kicked to the curb (along with SMU, Rice and Houston).

Notre Dame is still independent and still overrated but expected to join the ACC soon, which makes sense, because South Bend, IN, has a gorgeous view of the Atlantic.

In other words, it has been business as usual this year in college football.

Miami is coming off a 6-3 win against USF that was not pretty but was ballsy as hell. I know that nothing is ever good enough for the Miami fan base, but to compose yourself to go on that game winning drive took a mature performance from the whole team, especially Jacory. All season we have been waiting for the team to show that killer instinct and bitching when they don’t; this week they did and it still isn’t good enough.

That is probably the theme for this senior class. Not good enough. Friday will be senior day against Boston College. As I do every year, it is time to pay tribute to those seniors that depart. In no particular order, thanks go out to:

Sean Spence, LB

Easily one of my five favorite ‘Canes of all time. This kid has been nothing but a beast since Day 1 and left it all out there on the field. Emerged as a leader…did everything you want in a ‘Cane. The difference when he was on the field was palpable. Of all the players leaving, he will be missed the most. The best compliment I can pay is that it got to the point at which whenever a play was made on defense, I assumed it was him making it and surprised when it wasn’t. This kid could play on any team in the history of this program and fit right in.

Jacory Harris, QB

It feels weird that this will be the last time we watch him. For all the crap he has taken, Jacory has quietly put together an ACC Player of the Year type of season…if the defense had held tougher in a few games and Jacory had gotten the extra inch against Kansas State, Miami is undefeated and Jacory is in the Heisman conversation. The evolution this kid has made this season has been one of the most uplifting things I have ever seen in this program. Before the season I said that if Jacory could have a Brock Berlin type of season I would take it. He has done that and more…there are few players I would rather have leading this team than number 12. I feel like Jacory has become family over these past 4 years, and it will be very weird to not have him on the squad next season.

Travis Benjamin, WR

TB3, the Blur from Belle Glade, was oftentimes lightning in a bottle. He was more than just a space guy, becoming a mostly reliable receiver as the years went by. Perhaps never fully realized his potential, but was a constant threat that defenses constantly had to monitor and will be a tough guy to replace. Will always be remembered for his freshman year torching of the Seminoles and his follow up in the season opener as a sophomore, when he scored the opening touchdown and made perhaps THE vital catch down the sideline, enabling the 'Canes to pull out a win on the road in Trailerhassee.

Jo Jo Nicolas, DB

If there was one player that I have done a complete 180 on it is Jo Jo. He was my whipping boy for three years, next in line after Lance Leggett and Romeo Davis. I thought he sucked and was a waste of a jersey. He was always out of position, couldn’t tackle and couldn’t catch. He was a talent blocker. And then this season happened. He made a believer out of me by playing the game hard and stepping up to fill al leadership void despite personal tragedy. When this team needed someone to stand up and take the reins, he and Tyler Horn were there to oblige. Not only that, he turned in to our most solid, consistent DB this year, highlighted by the Georgia Tech game when he picked off his second pass of the season and recovered a fumble for a touchdown. He should get a chance in an NFL camp and if he is unable to stick there, he is the type of kid I would want around the program as a graduate assistant. I rarely take a hardline, negative outlook on a player. When I do, I hope they prove me wrong. Jo Jo did that, and for that I thank him. Consider me the driver of the Jo Jo Nicolas bandwagon.

Tyler Horn, C

Horn was not the most talented, but he was always solid and lead the o-line. Not only that, but he became a point person that the coaches could go to during the turbulent time that was this season, and a leader that the players respected. Horn is one of those “glue guys” that you hear about oftentimes from cliché sports writers and bloggers; their value is only known when they are no longer around.

LaRon Byrd, WR

Always one of my favorites, even this year, when his role was diminished. Byrd was an unselfish player who did a lot of dirty work (blocking downfield, running clear out routes, playing special teams) and never lost his commitment. Expected a lot of himself and while his statistics never panned out, he worked his ass off. Something gives me the feeling that he will be more productive in the NFL than in college.

Marcus Robinson, DE/LB

Robinson was a solid player who had the talent to be elite in the right system. He was put on this earth to be a pass rushing flex end, and really only was able to do that this season. Made big plays but disappeared from a lot of games. On pro potential, see: Byrd, Laron.

Micanor Regis, DT

Regis is a guy who I thought could be a standout, a potential first rounder and the leader of the ‘Cane resurgence. He turned out to be a solid but unspectacular defensive tackle who had a knack for batting balls down.

Harlan Gunn, OG

I will miss the name; it is of the greatest we have ever had. 2 year starter. He was strong off the ball and, like Horn, a leader. Intelligent man and very well spoken. Doubt he has an NFL future but will be successful regardless.

Joel Figueroa, OL

I think I have written his tribute three times now. He is now done with his 6th season and he will be moving on, presumably with a PhD. I have nothing else to say except “good luck” and thank you for setting a good example your senior year.

Chase Ford, TE

Pretty much a non-factor for two years. Every now and then made a surprisingly solid catch, and spent the rest of his time blowing crucial blocks, dropping easy passes or on the sideline in pain. Worked hard and that’s about all you can say. Thanks for the contribution, and I hope you get a shot in the NFL.

Blake Ayles, TE

Blake, we hardly knew ye.

Jordan Futch, LB

Spent most of his career hurt. I was enamored with the potential, and I think that is why his career goes down as a disappointment: there was a lot expected of him and it was never delivered upon. Will get a shot in the NFL, if I were a betting man.

Andrew Smith, DE

One of the least impressive physical specimens we have ever had, he still managed to always be around the ball. Like Robinson, he was a tweener. Not really sure what else to say…this is awkward.

Mike Williams, CB

Had a mostly mediocre season in his one year with the ‘Canes, peppered with flashes of incompetence. Loved the way he plays. Kind of reminded me of one of those guys at the pickup basketball game that is slow and can’t shoot or play defense but talks so much shit that they convince you they are good.

Lee Chambers, CB

Chambers showed promise as a running back and as a defensive back, but was always too injured to get in a groove anywhere. Another sad case of what could have been.

Chris Ivory, LS

Ivory is a 4 year starter you wouldn’t know about if you weren’t a die hard. The fact you don’t know his name means he did his job as a long snapper.

Spencer Whipple, QB

Sucked hard at QB but…well, I guess he made me laugh one time when he ran down on kick coverage. And…yeah, that’s all I got.

Vernon Gholston, DB

Walk-on. Thank you for the hard work on the practice squad and special teams young man. Make us proud as a future engineer.

Miles Levine, LB

Great story, felt worthy of a mention here. Came from out of nowhere and was on the field for one career play, but his is the type of story that make college football great. And if you don't believe me, Google it.

With that, we say good luck from the bottom of our hearts here at Stein on the Sidelines to all the seniors, and any underclassmen who may move on (I see you Lamar Miller...although PLEASE GOD stay around). You have each made your impact in some way, shape or form.

This week’s Rivalry Game picks, after my 2-4 week sent me to 52-26 on the season:

Texas over Texas A&M (-8)

That is the most ridiculous line I have ever seen. Just wow.

LSU (-12.5) over Arkansas

Here’s a little secret: Arkansas hasn’t beaten anyone except for South Carolina, the week after they lost their starting quarterback for the season. Ole Miss? Crap. Miss State? Crap. Auburn? Pretty crappy. Tennessee? Crap. If they were in ANY OTHER CONFERENCE the Boise State Corollary would apply. Here’s another secret: Boise has as many quality SEC wins as Arkansas. So…yeah. Just sayin’.

Georgia over Georgia Tech (+6.5)

Clean, Old Fashioned Hate! Great name for a mediocre rivalry.

Ohio State Fighting Urban Meyers over Michigan (-7.5)

Kentucky (+9) over Tennessee

Armageddon for Vols Nation. Kentucky wins the jug for the first time in roughly 118 years. That number may be an approximation. However, it does not change the fact that they play for a jug. Really, the more important issue here is that Kentucky still champions that hillbilly fire water they call bourbon over the smooth, superior, gentlemen’s Tennessee sour mash. Ingrates.

‘Bama over Auburn (+20.5)

The Iron Bowl! Spread seems a little big...rivalry game...

VPI over Virginia (+5.5)

So, yeah, this is what the ACC has become.

Wisconsin (-14.5) over Penn State

The Big 10 still sucks.

Mizzou over Kansas (+23.5)

The Border War! And by the way, this game is called that because these two territories LITERALLY fought a series of battles over the issue of slavery. If that does not make for a good rivalry, well, screw you.

Oregon over Oregon State (-28)

The Civil War!

The Meteor > FSU > UiF (+2.5)

Miss State (-17.5) over Ole Miss

The Egg Bowl! However, there is now way in hell the Dogs are 17.5 points better than the Rebs. They both suck, but they suck about equally as bad.

Washington (-6.5) over Wazzu

The Apple Cup!

Clemson over Cackalacky (-4)

I don’t know why this game doesn’t have a better name. The Palmetto Bowl is what I have heard it referred to as. Really? Sounds like some bullshit if you ask me. How do two programs that seemingly care not have a cool name for this game? Proposal….let’s call it...The Battle for Lee’s Saddle or The Stonewall Game. Done.

Stanford (-6.5) over Notre Dame

Notre Dame blows.

USC over UCLA (+14.5)

I like what they do with the uniforms here. Really all there is to say about it.

Also, not this week, but coming up, I like Oklahoma over Oklahoma State in Bedlam, West Virginia over Pitt in the Backyard Brawl and Navy over Army in my favorite non- Miami game of the year.

Always guard the inbound passer.