Dear Coach Golden,
Please, for God's sake, turn this damn thing around.
I am utterly disgusted with what I saw on the field on Friday afternoon. I get it. It's the Sun Bowl.
But it was Notre effing Dame. I can count on one hand the number of guys who showed up for the game. It was pathetic.
I am sick of walking into work and not being able to say a word about college football without getting laughed at.
I am a Miami fan. My office is full of USC (resepctable, but still, it's USC), Washington, Arizona and Notre Dame fans. When that is the b.s. mix of people I am talking to and they are talking down to ME about college football, something has gone wrong.
I supported Coach Shannon to the very end. But now I am beginning to think we were one hundred percent correct in going in a different direction.
I tried to be the bigger man this morning. I have a guy in my office who claims to be a fan of both Notre Dame and Washington (which disqualifies him as a fan of both, I know). I walked into his office and congragulated him on his big weekend. This guy didn't even know the name of Notre Dame's quarterback until he turned the game on. I tried to be the bigger man, against every impulse.
What was my thanks?
Five minutes later he walked onto the floor and made an announcement about Miami being terrible. Everyone laughed. I had to clench my jaw andkeep working. Aside from these people being beneath me by virtue of their rooting interest, I really had no response.
Moral? No more Mr. Nice Guy. It doesn't get you anywhere. A loser is a loser and a winner is a winner.
Maybe that was Randy's greatest failing. He tried to do things the right way. He didn't run up scores. His teams did not taunt opponents. As a result, they also didn't know how to step on the jugular when it was time to do so.
You know what? Screw doing it the right way. I want to kill other teams. I want to hurt their players and then celebrate over the top of them. I want a team that wants blood. I want to win by 50 and keep throwing. I want the starters in in the 4th quarter. I want our offense to get in our defense's ass if they mess up, and vice versa.
No more being polite. I want a team that craves violent contact. If that means we take a personal foul or two, so be it. I wouldn't have minded to see Allen Bailey body slam Tommy Rees the other day (FYI--that's the Notre Dame quarterback you fake fan) even if it meant that we got labeled as dirty. You know why? Because that is how you send a message.
"Mess with The U and your ass is grass."
I don't want us to be buddies with the guys on the other team, even if we have known them our whole lives. I want to go back to the days of beating the hell out of the opponent on every play and then telling them about it. You disrespect our hat during your recruitment press conference? You better hope you're not on our schedule anytime soon, because otherwise you are a target.
And targets of the University of Miami do not fare very well. Ask Tamarick Vanover.
I love Coach Shannon and appreciate everything he did. I do not want a team of criminals and delinquents. UiF and FSU can have that.
But it is time to turn a page. I want a team full of men. Of wild dogs. I am done with the little boys that piss like puppies. If your feelings get hurt when you get benched and you go in the tank? Sorry. I hear it is a lot easier to get playing time at FAMU or FIU or UCF or any other damn school, and I don't care how many "stars" you were.
This is Miami, and it ain't for the faint of heart.
Coach Golden, you seem to understand this. Please go out there and instill it. Because right now we have a roster full of prima donnas and pansies. They need to be toughened up.
No more Mr. Nice Guy.
It's all about the U. Always has been and always will be. Time to remind everybody what that means.
Signed,
Dan Stein, B.S. '09
Loyal fan since birth
Monday, January 3, 2011
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Good vs. Evil?
Hello All,
Alright, I have been trying to figure out what to write about this matchup for a few weeks now.
I mean, this is Notre Dame. Aside from the obvious (Florida, Florida State, Virginia Tech) there is no one I hate more in the country than Notre Dame.
I hate their “holier than thou” aura.
I hate that they get a different set of rules than everybody else.
I hate that they still are considered “elite” even though they have not won anything since the days of Rocket Ismail. And I know, if you are under the age of 25 you probably did not get that reference.
I hate that they labeled our rivalry “Catholics vs. Convicts”. I hate it even more that the media ran with it. If Miami labeled our matchup against UiF as “Graduates vs. Pizza Delivery Men”…how do you think the media would like it?
I hate that the refs screwed us out of the 1988 National Title in the infamous game I just
referred to.
I hate their uniforms.
I hate touchdown Jesus.
And yet, I still find myself a little underwhelmed by this matchup. Maybe it is because of all the turmoil around the Canes right now. Maybe it is because we are finally getting another crack at these wussies…and it is in the freakin’ Sun Bowl.
Regardless, it has been hard to write about.
I have recently been reading a book called “Perfect Rivals: Miami vs. Notre Dame”.
It labeled the series played in the 1980’s as a battle for the soul of college football.
This rivalry really did tell the perfect story, and reminds me now why I am so invested in my hatred for Notre Dame even though I wasn’t old enough to have any clue what was going on while these games were played.
Notre Dame is part of the “royalty” of college football. Always have been. They’re the ones with the gold dust in the paint for their helmets. They’re the program of “Rudy” and a zillion Heisman Trophies and a bunch of national titles back before integration.
They are everything that every young man growing up in America is supposed to want to be a part of.
And then there is Miami. Thug U, filled with black guys who should have been left in the street to rob people instead of given a chance to share the field with the all powerful Fighting Irish.
Miami is the underdog story. Only this is the underdog story that kept going. The charm wore off and everybody was left to deal with the fact that these guys who weren’t supposed to be here in the first place had crashed the party for good. Not only that, but they just went into the bedroom with the host’s girlfriend.
This is what frames this rivalry. It is bigger than the current teams. This game is not about who takes the field Friday. It is about everyone that has taken the field before them. It is about the ghosts in the smoke of the Miami tunnel and about playing for the pride of the U on your helmet.
This is the ultimate battle of good vs. evil.
Only the good and the evil are not who you might think.
Notre Dame is bad in the same way that Cobra Kai and the Yankees are bad, only not nearly as successful.
They get every break. They get every call. A kid dies taping their practice and the administration is found to be negligent? Story dies the next day. A girl from a sister school accuses a player of rape? You hardly hear about it. That’s Notre Dame, all that is right about college football.
They’re the guy at the party that roofies a girl and then gets their rich mom and dad to make the charge go away. And then probably has the cop fired for even bringing it up.
Now let’s flip it around.
Even when Miami was at their “worst”, the peak of “Thug U”, the greatest empire since the Roman, they graduated their football players. These were not the thugs they were made out to be.
Those guys have gone on to become very successful businessmen, lawyers, educators and civil servants. Does that story get told? No.
What gets told is how bad their attitude was. The attitude of “just win baby”.
Another thing that isn’t told? Notre Dame, with all the advantages, all the calls, all the homerism and all the protection, had the same mantra. Miami was just better at it.
And that’s why I am still pumped for this game, even with its diminished meaning. I would love for this to be a national title game. But it isn’t. I would love for it to have more national stature. But it doesn’t.
What it does have is Miami and Notre Dame.
Alright, I have been trying to figure out what to write about this matchup for a few weeks now.
I mean, this is Notre Dame. Aside from the obvious (Florida, Florida State, Virginia Tech) there is no one I hate more in the country than Notre Dame.
I hate their “holier than thou” aura.
I hate that they get a different set of rules than everybody else.
I hate that they still are considered “elite” even though they have not won anything since the days of Rocket Ismail. And I know, if you are under the age of 25 you probably did not get that reference.
I hate that they labeled our rivalry “Catholics vs. Convicts”. I hate it even more that the media ran with it. If Miami labeled our matchup against UiF as “Graduates vs. Pizza Delivery Men”…how do you think the media would like it?
I hate that the refs screwed us out of the 1988 National Title in the infamous game I just
referred to.I hate their uniforms.
I hate touchdown Jesus.
And yet, I still find myself a little underwhelmed by this matchup. Maybe it is because of all the turmoil around the Canes right now. Maybe it is because we are finally getting another crack at these wussies…and it is in the freakin’ Sun Bowl.
Regardless, it has been hard to write about.
I have recently been reading a book called “Perfect Rivals: Miami vs. Notre Dame”.
It labeled the series played in the 1980’s as a battle for the soul of college football.
This rivalry really did tell the perfect story, and reminds me now why I am so invested in my hatred for Notre Dame even though I wasn’t old enough to have any clue what was going on while these games were played.
Notre Dame is part of the “royalty” of college football. Always have been. They’re the ones with the gold dust in the paint for their helmets. They’re the program of “Rudy” and a zillion Heisman Trophies and a bunch of national titles back before integration.
They are everything that every young man growing up in America is supposed to want to be a part of.
And then there is Miami. Thug U, filled with black guys who should have been left in the street to rob people instead of given a chance to share the field with the all powerful Fighting Irish.
Miami is the underdog story. Only this is the underdog story that kept going. The charm wore off and everybody was left to deal with the fact that these guys who weren’t supposed to be here in the first place had crashed the party for good. Not only that, but they just went into the bedroom with the host’s girlfriend.
This is what frames this rivalry. It is bigger than the current teams. This game is not about who takes the field Friday. It is about everyone that has taken the field before them. It is about the ghosts in the smoke of the Miami tunnel and about playing for the pride of the U on your helmet.
This is the ultimate battle of good vs. evil.
Only the good and the evil are not who you might think.
Notre Dame is bad in the same way that Cobra Kai and the Yankees are bad, only not nearly as successful.
They get every break. They get every call. A kid dies taping their practice and the administration is found to be negligent? Story dies the next day. A girl from a sister school accuses a player of rape? You hardly hear about it. That’s Notre Dame, all that is right about college football.
They’re the guy at the party that roofies a girl and then gets their rich mom and dad to make the charge go away. And then probably has the cop fired for even bringing it up.
Now let’s flip it around.
Even when Miami was at their “worst”, the peak of “Thug U”, the greatest empire since the Roman, they graduated their football players. These were not the thugs they were made out to be.
Those guys have gone on to become very successful businessmen, lawyers, educators and civil servants. Does that story get told? No.
What gets told is how bad their attitude was. The attitude of “just win baby”.
Another thing that isn’t told? Notre Dame, with all the advantages, all the calls, all the homerism and all the protection, had the same mantra. Miami was just better at it.
And that’s why I am still pumped for this game, even with its diminished meaning. I would love for this to be a national title game. But it isn’t. I would love for it to have more national stature. But it doesn’t.
What it does have is Miami and Notre Dame.
It has all the pent up hostility of twenty years. It is a chance to drudge up all those bad feelings from all those years ago and put it toward cheering like hell for your team. All the media miscasting and stereotyping and another chance to throw it in their effing face.
And a chance for Miami to play the villain again.
I hope we embrace it like we used to.
It’s fun to be the bad guy, especially when you know you’re better than the good guy.
Clear eyes, full hearts, Go ‘Canes.
And always guard the inbound passer.
Sidenote: I have been weighing getting a tattoo for a few years now. I have always known if I got anything, it would be the ‘II__II”, probably between the shoulder blades. It’s the only thing besides my family that I really care that deeply about. Anyway, I have decided that after going through a stretch like the last few seasons and not seeing my fire for the ‘Canes go out, it is time to do it; I have put it on my New Year’s Resolutions list. I feel like it is a fitting tribute to the ‘Canes. After all, don’t all the bad guys have tattoos?
The reason I bring it up is to gather any strong feedback one way or the other. Let me know if you have any.
And a chance for Miami to play the villain again.
I hope we embrace it like we used to.
It’s fun to be the bad guy, especially when you know you’re better than the good guy.
Clear eyes, full hearts, Go ‘Canes.
And always guard the inbound passer.
Sidenote: I have been weighing getting a tattoo for a few years now. I have always known if I got anything, it would be the ‘II__II”, probably between the shoulder blades. It’s the only thing besides my family that I really care that deeply about. Anyway, I have decided that after going through a stretch like the last few seasons and not seeing my fire for the ‘Canes go out, it is time to do it; I have put it on my New Year’s Resolutions list. I feel like it is a fitting tribute to the ‘Canes. After all, don’t all the bad guys have tattoos?
The reason I bring it up is to gather any strong feedback one way or the other. Let me know if you have any.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Bowl Spectacular!!!!!!!!! (This Should be a Premium Service)
Hello All,
Time for me to do everyone in my Bowl Picks pool a solid favor.
I know, I know, I am the king of picking college football games. My record this year was a staggering 52-33. Oh yes, my always sound picking schemes (mostly consisting of trying to reverse jinx teams I hate and allow for snide social commentary) produced a record 19 games over .500. And this just in: d-bag Hurricane fans just flew a banner over my office calling for me to be fired! Ba-dam-cha!
Anyway, time for the second annual Bowl Picks Extravaganza. Excited to be here. And I am putting this up before picks are due to me just so that all the people in my pool looking to do some research can get behind my very sound research methods.
New Mexico: UTEP over BYU
Every sororostitute’s dream game…both teams are written in Abbrevs!
uDrove Humanitarian: Northern Illinois over Fresno State
This will actually probably be a pretty good game. Northern’s coach is named Jerry Kill. Which is awesome from a pure name standpoint, but also because he is a legitimately good coach. And we all know that Pat Hill at Fresno does a good job. Wait, we don’t? Maybe I should stay off the message boards…
R+L Carriers New Orleans: Troy over Ohio
Troy is sneakily fun to watch. And I will always take the Rebs over the Yanks if I have no other basis to make my prediction. Kind of a rule I have when picking bowl games.
Beef O’Brady’s St. Petersburg: Louisville over Southern Miss
Two coaches moving in different directions here. Larry Fedora seemed to be a rising star when he took over at Southern Miss but has since plateau’d. Meanwhile, Charlie Strong is building something at Louisville and is quickly becoming a star.
While we are here, let’s talk about how terrible a chain of restaurants Beef O’Brady’s is. This is the chain that sponsors a “wing challenge”, which my brother beat in half the time allotted while barely breaking a sweat. He then had to pay for his meal in its entirety, was not given a t shirt and did not even get his picture on the wall. What is this, amateur hour? Who’s the next restaurant to get a bowl game, Jack in the Box? Can we play the “Dan Stein’s Chili Santa Monica Bowl” next season?
MAACO Las Vegas: Boise State over Utah
Wow. How the hell did the freakin’ Maaco Las Vegas bowl stumble into this high quality matchup. These are teams that with a month left in the season both had legitimate BCS hopes. Christ, I still think Boise would beat Oregon and probably come down the wire with Auburn. Instead, they meet on December 22. I am just glad Miami doesn’t have to play either of them. That would be a slaughter.
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia: Navy over San Diego State
I literally forgot SDSU even played the sport. Also, is this the longest bowl game title ever? Was that the point of this?
Sheraton Hawaii: Hawaii over Tulsa
Well, this is the annual slot where I care so little about the game that I would rather talk about music.
Last year, I gave my ten best songs of the decade. This year, I will give my all encompassing song of the year. And the winner has to be Cee Lo Green for “Fuck You”.
This is the rare rap song that I could play for my mom and dad and they would enjoy. It joins the list of “I Like The Way You Move” by Outkast and…that’s actually the whole list. And what’s even better is that it is an entire song about a guy telling the girl he likes and her boyfriend to go eff themselves. Literally. And what’s even better is that everyone is eating it up. This guy is going to win every Grammy there is for this song. He went on Ellen the other day and the audience of middle aged women was LOVING it…granted, it was the cleaned up “Forget You” version.
Genius. Brilliant. Love listening to it. And it was easily the song of the year, in a year that was actually decent for music. At least country music. Which I have been known to enjoy. (For the record, second place goes to “As She’s Walking Away” by Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson)
Little Caesar’s: FIU over Toledo
Did I already use my spot to talk about music? I did?! Damn it.
AdvoCare V100 Independence: Georgia Tech over Air Force
Two triple option teams. GTech is more explosive. And I will probably watch. Not because I want to. Because I am compelled to.
Champs Sports: West Virginia over North Carolina State
This is part of my new “when in doubt, go against the ACC” corollary. And that’s all I have to say about this game played in a shitty stadium on a shitty field in most likely shitty weather.
Insight: Mizzou over Iowa
Part of my “the Big 10 still sucks and is overrated” corollary.
Military: Maryland over East Carolina
We gotta get a couple here and there down Tobacco Road
Texas: Baylor over Illinois
And be ready for a crap load of “the team that saved Waco” articles. Because every time Baylor does anything we need to be reminded that this is the same town that saw the Branch Davidian Slaughter and the basketball scandal in which one player murdered another and the coach covered it up. Yeah, I am sure that Baylor beating Illinois in this worthless bowl game will really take the sting off of that.
Valero Alamo: Oklahoma State over Arizona
Blowout.
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces: SMU over Army
How many games are the Armed Forces sponsoring?!?!?
New Era Pinstripe: K State vs. Syracuse
Hope a meteor hits the stadium just because it would leave the Yankees homeless. And because this is just too cutesy for me.
Franklin American Mortgage Music City: Tennessee over North Carolina
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: Nebraska over Washington
What is Bridgepoint Education?
“Bridgepoint Education provides quality, higher education and online learning opportunities at affordable rates for both traditional and online students.”
Well, that solves that. Glad we did this.
Meineke Car Care: Clemson over USF
Because it will make us look better.
Hyundai Sun: The U over Notre Dame
God made Notre Dame #1. Miami made them #2. Ahhhh yes, we finally get our shot. Of course, it happens to be after a wildly disappointing season with an interim head coach and a group of players that most likely will not be motivated. And it is a day game. In El Paso. Snarl. Still, screw you Notre Dame. I will have more on this before the game.
While we are here, my quick thoughts on the Al Golden hire. I made fun of him in my last rant, which was written in anger. That being said, I support the hire. He is a fiery guy with a lot of intensity. If you have passion, it brings a lot to the table. He is a recruiter and a motivator. He has a lot to prove, but reminds me a lot of Jimmy Johnson. Most underrated aspect: Masters in Sports Psych. Also, looks like a GOP Presidential Candidate.
AutoZone Liberty: UCF over UGa
Weird year for both teams.
Chick Fil- A: FSU over South Carolina
Again, weird seasons. FSU is turning back into a power and South Carolina will either win by two scores or lose by four.
Also, reason 54584984 I despise LA: no Chick Fil-A. Anywhere. Snarl.
TicketCity: Texas Tech over Northwestern
First one to 50 wins.
Outback Bowl: Penn State over Florida
As Russo so eloquently put it on her picks sheet: “Fuck you Florida”.
Capital One: ‘Bama over Michigan State
I could write the non-UiF SEC team vs. any Big 10 team joke, but we all already know it.
Gator: Mississippi State over Michigan
Stunned that Michigan made this bowl. Oh wait, bowls are a joke and not based on merit. Silly Dan.
Rose: Wisconsin over TCU
They were playing REALLY well down the stretch. Even if it was against the shitty Big 10. This one’s for you Doug.
Fiesta: Oklahoma over Connecticut
Yikes
Orange: Stanford over Virginia Tech
Really good game. I just like Harbaugh. And DESPISE Tech.
Sugar: Arkansas over Ohio State
I hate Ohio State.
GoDaddy.com: Middle Tennessee over Fake Miami
Will Danica Patrick be there stripping? That’s the real question…
Cotton: LSU over Texas A&M
The Mad Hatter will win this one when A&M, with one minute left and up 8, takes a safety and then gives up a Hail Mary touchdown. Write it down.
BBVA Compass: Kentucky over Pitt
Who the hell knows? I literally know nothing about Kentucky, but I know Pitt sucks.
Kraft Fight Hunger: Nevada over BC
ACC loves to make itself look bad.
National Title Game: Auburn over Oregon
Hope they enjoy it until they are stripped of their title in 2015.
Also, I don’t think Cam Newton is clean. But damn that kid can play. And he is fun as hell to watch. This is like LeBron on a college football field. Or Lance Armstrong. Or Tiger Woods. Or Bo Jackson. Simply baffling how one kid could be so much better than all the rest.
Time for me to do everyone in my Bowl Picks pool a solid favor.
I know, I know, I am the king of picking college football games. My record this year was a staggering 52-33. Oh yes, my always sound picking schemes (mostly consisting of trying to reverse jinx teams I hate and allow for snide social commentary) produced a record 19 games over .500. And this just in: d-bag Hurricane fans just flew a banner over my office calling for me to be fired! Ba-dam-cha!
Anyway, time for the second annual Bowl Picks Extravaganza. Excited to be here. And I am putting this up before picks are due to me just so that all the people in my pool looking to do some research can get behind my very sound research methods.
New Mexico: UTEP over BYU
Every sororostitute’s dream game…both teams are written in Abbrevs!
uDrove Humanitarian: Northern Illinois over Fresno State
This will actually probably be a pretty good game. Northern’s coach is named Jerry Kill. Which is awesome from a pure name standpoint, but also because he is a legitimately good coach. And we all know that Pat Hill at Fresno does a good job. Wait, we don’t? Maybe I should stay off the message boards…
R+L Carriers New Orleans: Troy over Ohio
Troy is sneakily fun to watch. And I will always take the Rebs over the Yanks if I have no other basis to make my prediction. Kind of a rule I have when picking bowl games.
Beef O’Brady’s St. Petersburg: Louisville over Southern Miss
Two coaches moving in different directions here. Larry Fedora seemed to be a rising star when he took over at Southern Miss but has since plateau’d. Meanwhile, Charlie Strong is building something at Louisville and is quickly becoming a star.
While we are here, let’s talk about how terrible a chain of restaurants Beef O’Brady’s is. This is the chain that sponsors a “wing challenge”, which my brother beat in half the time allotted while barely breaking a sweat. He then had to pay for his meal in its entirety, was not given a t shirt and did not even get his picture on the wall. What is this, amateur hour? Who’s the next restaurant to get a bowl game, Jack in the Box? Can we play the “Dan Stein’s Chili Santa Monica Bowl” next season?
MAACO Las Vegas: Boise State over Utah
Wow. How the hell did the freakin’ Maaco Las Vegas bowl stumble into this high quality matchup. These are teams that with a month left in the season both had legitimate BCS hopes. Christ, I still think Boise would beat Oregon and probably come down the wire with Auburn. Instead, they meet on December 22. I am just glad Miami doesn’t have to play either of them. That would be a slaughter.
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia: Navy over San Diego State
I literally forgot SDSU even played the sport. Also, is this the longest bowl game title ever? Was that the point of this?
Sheraton Hawaii: Hawaii over Tulsa
Well, this is the annual slot where I care so little about the game that I would rather talk about music.
Last year, I gave my ten best songs of the decade. This year, I will give my all encompassing song of the year. And the winner has to be Cee Lo Green for “Fuck You”.
This is the rare rap song that I could play for my mom and dad and they would enjoy. It joins the list of “I Like The Way You Move” by Outkast and…that’s actually the whole list. And what’s even better is that it is an entire song about a guy telling the girl he likes and her boyfriend to go eff themselves. Literally. And what’s even better is that everyone is eating it up. This guy is going to win every Grammy there is for this song. He went on Ellen the other day and the audience of middle aged women was LOVING it…granted, it was the cleaned up “Forget You” version.
Genius. Brilliant. Love listening to it. And it was easily the song of the year, in a year that was actually decent for music. At least country music. Which I have been known to enjoy. (For the record, second place goes to “As She’s Walking Away” by Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson)
Little Caesar’s: FIU over Toledo
Did I already use my spot to talk about music? I did?! Damn it.
AdvoCare V100 Independence: Georgia Tech over Air Force
Two triple option teams. GTech is more explosive. And I will probably watch. Not because I want to. Because I am compelled to.
Champs Sports: West Virginia over North Carolina State
This is part of my new “when in doubt, go against the ACC” corollary. And that’s all I have to say about this game played in a shitty stadium on a shitty field in most likely shitty weather.
Insight: Mizzou over Iowa
Part of my “the Big 10 still sucks and is overrated” corollary.
Military: Maryland over East Carolina
We gotta get a couple here and there down Tobacco Road
Texas: Baylor over Illinois
And be ready for a crap load of “the team that saved Waco” articles. Because every time Baylor does anything we need to be reminded that this is the same town that saw the Branch Davidian Slaughter and the basketball scandal in which one player murdered another and the coach covered it up. Yeah, I am sure that Baylor beating Illinois in this worthless bowl game will really take the sting off of that.
Valero Alamo: Oklahoma State over Arizona
Blowout.
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces: SMU over Army
How many games are the Armed Forces sponsoring?!?!?
New Era Pinstripe: K State vs. Syracuse
Hope a meteor hits the stadium just because it would leave the Yankees homeless. And because this is just too cutesy for me.
Franklin American Mortgage Music City: Tennessee over North Carolina
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: Nebraska over Washington
What is Bridgepoint Education?
“Bridgepoint Education provides quality, higher education and online learning opportunities at affordable rates for both traditional and online students.”
Well, that solves that. Glad we did this.
Meineke Car Care: Clemson over USF
Because it will make us look better.
Hyundai Sun: The U over Notre Dame
God made Notre Dame #1. Miami made them #2. Ahhhh yes, we finally get our shot. Of course, it happens to be after a wildly disappointing season with an interim head coach and a group of players that most likely will not be motivated. And it is a day game. In El Paso. Snarl. Still, screw you Notre Dame. I will have more on this before the game.
While we are here, my quick thoughts on the Al Golden hire. I made fun of him in my last rant, which was written in anger. That being said, I support the hire. He is a fiery guy with a lot of intensity. If you have passion, it brings a lot to the table. He is a recruiter and a motivator. He has a lot to prove, but reminds me a lot of Jimmy Johnson. Most underrated aspect: Masters in Sports Psych. Also, looks like a GOP Presidential Candidate.
AutoZone Liberty: UCF over UGa
Weird year for both teams.
Chick Fil- A: FSU over South Carolina
Again, weird seasons. FSU is turning back into a power and South Carolina will either win by two scores or lose by four.
Also, reason 54584984 I despise LA: no Chick Fil-A. Anywhere. Snarl.
TicketCity: Texas Tech over Northwestern
First one to 50 wins.
Outback Bowl: Penn State over Florida
As Russo so eloquently put it on her picks sheet: “Fuck you Florida”.
Capital One: ‘Bama over Michigan State
I could write the non-UiF SEC team vs. any Big 10 team joke, but we all already know it.
Gator: Mississippi State over Michigan
Stunned that Michigan made this bowl. Oh wait, bowls are a joke and not based on merit. Silly Dan.
Rose: Wisconsin over TCU
They were playing REALLY well down the stretch. Even if it was against the shitty Big 10. This one’s for you Doug.
Fiesta: Oklahoma over Connecticut
Yikes
Orange: Stanford over Virginia Tech
Really good game. I just like Harbaugh. And DESPISE Tech.
Sugar: Arkansas over Ohio State
I hate Ohio State.
GoDaddy.com: Middle Tennessee over Fake Miami
Will Danica Patrick be there stripping? That’s the real question…
Cotton: LSU over Texas A&M
The Mad Hatter will win this one when A&M, with one minute left and up 8, takes a safety and then gives up a Hail Mary touchdown. Write it down.
BBVA Compass: Kentucky over Pitt
Who the hell knows? I literally know nothing about Kentucky, but I know Pitt sucks.
Kraft Fight Hunger: Nevada over BC
ACC loves to make itself look bad.
National Title Game: Auburn over Oregon
Hope they enjoy it until they are stripped of their title in 2015.
Also, I don’t think Cam Newton is clean. But damn that kid can play. And he is fun as hell to watch. This is like LeBron on a college football field. Or Lance Armstrong. Or Tiger Woods. Or Bo Jackson. Simply baffling how one kid could be so much better than all the rest.
Figured I should tip my cap as the year of Cam comes to an end. Should be a great game.
Always guard the inbound passer.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Careful What You Wish For
Hello All,
Now, let’s take a further look at the situation.
Greg Peterson, Boise State- See “Patterson, Gary”.
The best hire would be Will Muschamp from texas, but good luck out bidding Texas for their head coach in waiting.
Who else will be able to keep every player in the program, a program located in the world center for night life and sports agents, on the straight and narrow?
What happens when the new guy loses a game or two? Do we start flying banners over the stadium? After all, the message has been sent: win now or go home.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Senior Day
Hello All,
Well, this is kind of strange. We have reached the end of another season, and this one seemed to go by faster than any in history.
It is not time for final reflection yet, as there is still more football to be played.
However, I think it is safe to say that the depression that is my life for 8 months a year with no ‘Canes football has begun to set in.
Win or lose, the ‘Canes give me something to look forward to every week. Watching these kids go out and compete and grow is my favorite thing.
One of my co-workers was talking to me the other day and said “You should be glad you have your thing. You are more passionate about the ‘Canes than anyone in this office is about anything. It keeps you going. I can’t honestly say I have a thing and that is kind of sad.”
She was absolutely right. But before this turns into a cry fest, it is time for final reflection on one group of players.
Saturday is the last home game for a Miami senior class that has actually turned into The U’s
best in five years.
Roll Call
Damien Berry, RB – Berry has been my favorite player for 4 years. He initially came in as a safety and played injured his freshman year, making a contribution only on special teams. After a mostly non-descript sophomore season he made the switch to running back, where most thought he would get lost on the depth chart. Instead, Berry became UM’s best runner since a healthy, in-shape Tyrone Moss and will leave as a fan favorite after two seasons of hard-nosed, take no prisoners running.
Graig Cooper, RB – Coop is another personal favorite who was derided by fans for years for no reason. He made plays, ran hard and did the best with what he was given. Sometimes he danced too much, and his speed wasn’t all that was advertised. Still, he was an all everything recruit that stuck by his ‘Cane commitment when everything was going wrong. He played hard despite being surrounded by mediocre talent for two seasons and will end up a Top 5 statistical player in the history of the program that will stick with an NFL team.
Leonard Hankerson, WR – What can I say about Hank that hasn’t already been said this season? The kid was labeled a bust after two seasons. I wrote that “there is no point in having a receiver that cannot catch the ball…move him to linebacker” back when I was writing my column in the school paper. Boy did he prove us all wrong. He committed himself through tireless work in the offseason and has now put together arguably the strongest two year statistical stretch of any receiver in program history. He still drops some easy ones but has become UM’s Go-To Guy in almost every situation and has positioned himself as a high draft pick. He will do great things and will probably be the most missed of all the seniors next season.
Allen Bailey, DL- The Freakshow seems like he just got here from his Island home in Georgia. He lost his freshman year to an ill-advised experiment at Middle Linebacker and was learning on the fly his sophomore year. After being shuttled back and forth between tackle and end for the last two seasons, it seemed like Bailey was always on the verge of a massive breakout where he put together 2 or 3 dominant games in a row. It never happened, and he is one of those guys you wish you could have for a couple more seasons. He is a member of the All Time Freak team for Miami and will be a first round pick based solely on potential. He showed glimpses throughout his career; hopefully some position stability will allow him to reach his Suh-like potential.
Matt Bosher, K/P- Bosh was the toughest kicker I have ever seen. He was also damned good. A little streaky as a placekicker but phenomenal as a punter, Bosher will forever be remembered for his willingness (eagerness?) to not only come up and tackle but also come up and lay the wood; this was important, given our coverage teams’ complete inability to cover kicks lately. My favorite moment will always be when he recovered his own onside kick in the Champs Sports Bowl (which I prefaced by saying “the only way we will recover this is if Bosh gets in there because he’s all we got”) that lead to my brother saying “If we had a sister Bosher could definitely f*ck her right now”. Others include his personal foul penalty for body slamming an FSU kick returner and his going down into the scrum to rip away an onside kick recovery in a doomed comeback attempt against Virginia this year. I never thought I would be this invested in a freakin’ kicker, but this is not a normal kicker.
Colin McCarthy, LB- If you can get past expecting him to be Dan Morgan (just because he is white and plays the same position and wears the same number) then he had a pretty damned good career. Was a little slow and not great in coverage, but the guy was mean and nasty and played with a chip on his shoulder. Also holds the current heavyweight title belt for banging slutty Delta Gammas and D Phi Es. Another likely 3rd-5th round pick that will make an impact somewhere in the league.
Orlando Franklin, T- Franklin was a three year starter at guard and then moved to left tackle. He will be a guard in the NFL, where his size will play well and his semi-slow feet can be hidden. I loved Franklin at guard but have been disappointed this year with his mental game at tackle, as he has repeatedly false started and been called for holding. Franklin will be missed more than some folks think, and he has certainly been a program leader. He will most likely be a mid round pick in the draft and will one day be saying “The U” on Sunday Night Football.
Pat Hill, FB- One of my favorites because of his unselfishness. Was very content with blasting linebackers for three years and clearing the way for other guys to get stats. Hill will be hard to replace, as was evident last year when the running game slumped after he was hurt.
DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB- A great cover corner who almost never got beat but also had NO ball skills. Is in the same camp with Coop when it comes to uncalled for personal attacks by fans. Will not be drafted but his speed will get him a shot and he might be this year’s Sam Shields if he can learn to tackle.
Joel Figeuroa, OL- Good guy, good run blocker, that’s about it. Wish him well.
Ryan Hill, CB- This was the ultimate company man. Moved from DB to WR as a highly touted frosh because we needed bodies. Made some big catches but was too inconsistent, so switched back to DB halfway through his career. Worked for two years and finally got on the field for his senior season, where he won a starting spot and…gasp…made some plays on the ball. Also, as an aside, was a very nice guy and my roommate Graham’s favorite player.
Josh Holmes, DT- Role player who really never lived up to his potential as an inside pass rusher. Most of his time was spent as a body in the rotation, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Kylan Robinson, LB- Came in as a record setting running back but could not gain any traction and was moved to linebacker. Career highlight was starting this year’s season opener. Really, that was about it.
JoJo Nicolas, S- He might be back next year, I am just putting him on here as wishful thinking. Nothing personal, he’s just not good at all and takes minutes from young guys for some reason.
Richard Gordon, TE- Freak show that looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane. Was a good run blocker but looked about as coordinated as a giraffe trying to take a piss while walking on a frozen pond when going out on a pass route.
Jared Campbell, S- Not sure if he is a senior but this was a guy who maxed out his minimal talent (which still didn’t lead to much production) and was a benefit to have on the scout team.
Corey Nelms, DB- Walk on special teams guy who made an impact with some big hits over his career and shows the value of working in conjunction with the track team.
To each of them, I thank you for your time in a transitory phase of the program and wish you the best of luck.
Quick Picks (Doing these early Friday morning):
‘Bama over Auburn
West Virginia over Pitt
Nebraska over Colorado
Oregon over Arizona
Ohio State over Michigan
Michigan State over Penn State
Kansas over Mizzou (Upset Special!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Arkansas over LSU
The SAT over UiF and FSU
Utah over BYU
Wisco over Northwestern
Clemson over The Real USC
Oklahoma over Oklahoma State (BEDLAM!!!!!)
The Meteor over Notre Dame and USC (I can hope, right?)
Well, this is kind of strange. We have reached the end of another season, and this one seemed to go by faster than any in history.
It is not time for final reflection yet, as there is still more football to be played.
However, I think it is safe to say that the depression that is my life for 8 months a year with no ‘Canes football has begun to set in.
Win or lose, the ‘Canes give me something to look forward to every week. Watching these kids go out and compete and grow is my favorite thing.
One of my co-workers was talking to me the other day and said “You should be glad you have your thing. You are more passionate about the ‘Canes than anyone in this office is about anything. It keeps you going. I can’t honestly say I have a thing and that is kind of sad.”
She was absolutely right. But before this turns into a cry fest, it is time for final reflection on one group of players.
Saturday is the last home game for a Miami senior class that has actually turned into The U’s
best in five years.Roll Call
Damien Berry, RB – Berry has been my favorite player for 4 years. He initially came in as a safety and played injured his freshman year, making a contribution only on special teams. After a mostly non-descript sophomore season he made the switch to running back, where most thought he would get lost on the depth chart. Instead, Berry became UM’s best runner since a healthy, in-shape Tyrone Moss and will leave as a fan favorite after two seasons of hard-nosed, take no prisoners running.
Graig Cooper, RB – Coop is another personal favorite who was derided by fans for years for no reason. He made plays, ran hard and did the best with what he was given. Sometimes he danced too much, and his speed wasn’t all that was advertised. Still, he was an all everything recruit that stuck by his ‘Cane commitment when everything was going wrong. He played hard despite being surrounded by mediocre talent for two seasons and will end up a Top 5 statistical player in the history of the program that will stick with an NFL team.
Leonard Hankerson, WR – What can I say about Hank that hasn’t already been said this season? The kid was labeled a bust after two seasons. I wrote that “there is no point in having a receiver that cannot catch the ball…move him to linebacker” back when I was writing my column in the school paper. Boy did he prove us all wrong. He committed himself through tireless work in the offseason and has now put together arguably the strongest two year statistical stretch of any receiver in program history. He still drops some easy ones but has become UM’s Go-To Guy in almost every situation and has positioned himself as a high draft pick. He will do great things and will probably be the most missed of all the seniors next season.
Allen Bailey, DL- The Freakshow seems like he just got here from his Island home in Georgia. He lost his freshman year to an ill-advised experiment at Middle Linebacker and was learning on the fly his sophomore year. After being shuttled back and forth between tackle and end for the last two seasons, it seemed like Bailey was always on the verge of a massive breakout where he put together 2 or 3 dominant games in a row. It never happened, and he is one of those guys you wish you could have for a couple more seasons. He is a member of the All Time Freak team for Miami and will be a first round pick based solely on potential. He showed glimpses throughout his career; hopefully some position stability will allow him to reach his Suh-like potential.
Matt Bosher, K/P- Bosh was the toughest kicker I have ever seen. He was also damned good. A little streaky as a placekicker but phenomenal as a punter, Bosher will forever be remembered for his willingness (eagerness?) to not only come up and tackle but also come up and lay the wood; this was important, given our coverage teams’ complete inability to cover kicks lately. My favorite moment will always be when he recovered his own onside kick in the Champs Sports Bowl (which I prefaced by saying “the only way we will recover this is if Bosh gets in there because he’s all we got”) that lead to my brother saying “If we had a sister Bosher could definitely f*ck her right now”. Others include his personal foul penalty for body slamming an FSU kick returner and his going down into the scrum to rip away an onside kick recovery in a doomed comeback attempt against Virginia this year. I never thought I would be this invested in a freakin’ kicker, but this is not a normal kicker.
Colin McCarthy, LB- If you can get past expecting him to be Dan Morgan (just because he is white and plays the same position and wears the same number) then he had a pretty damned good career. Was a little slow and not great in coverage, but the guy was mean and nasty and played with a chip on his shoulder. Also holds the current heavyweight title belt for banging slutty Delta Gammas and D Phi Es. Another likely 3rd-5th round pick that will make an impact somewhere in the league.
Orlando Franklin, T- Franklin was a three year starter at guard and then moved to left tackle. He will be a guard in the NFL, where his size will play well and his semi-slow feet can be hidden. I loved Franklin at guard but have been disappointed this year with his mental game at tackle, as he has repeatedly false started and been called for holding. Franklin will be missed more than some folks think, and he has certainly been a program leader. He will most likely be a mid round pick in the draft and will one day be saying “The U” on Sunday Night Football.
Pat Hill, FB- One of my favorites because of his unselfishness. Was very content with blasting linebackers for three years and clearing the way for other guys to get stats. Hill will be hard to replace, as was evident last year when the running game slumped after he was hurt.
DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB- A great cover corner who almost never got beat but also had NO ball skills. Is in the same camp with Coop when it comes to uncalled for personal attacks by fans. Will not be drafted but his speed will get him a shot and he might be this year’s Sam Shields if he can learn to tackle.
Joel Figeuroa, OL- Good guy, good run blocker, that’s about it. Wish him well.
Ryan Hill, CB- This was the ultimate company man. Moved from DB to WR as a highly touted frosh because we needed bodies. Made some big catches but was too inconsistent, so switched back to DB halfway through his career. Worked for two years and finally got on the field for his senior season, where he won a starting spot and…gasp…made some plays on the ball. Also, as an aside, was a very nice guy and my roommate Graham’s favorite player.
Josh Holmes, DT- Role player who really never lived up to his potential as an inside pass rusher. Most of his time was spent as a body in the rotation, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Kylan Robinson, LB- Came in as a record setting running back but could not gain any traction and was moved to linebacker. Career highlight was starting this year’s season opener. Really, that was about it.
JoJo Nicolas, S- He might be back next year, I am just putting him on here as wishful thinking. Nothing personal, he’s just not good at all and takes minutes from young guys for some reason.
Richard Gordon, TE- Freak show that looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane. Was a good run blocker but looked about as coordinated as a giraffe trying to take a piss while walking on a frozen pond when going out on a pass route.
Jared Campbell, S- Not sure if he is a senior but this was a guy who maxed out his minimal talent (which still didn’t lead to much production) and was a benefit to have on the scout team.
Corey Nelms, DB- Walk on special teams guy who made an impact with some big hits over his career and shows the value of working in conjunction with the track team.
To each of them, I thank you for your time in a transitory phase of the program and wish you the best of luck.
Quick Picks (Doing these early Friday morning):
‘Bama over Auburn
West Virginia over Pitt
Nebraska over Colorado
Oregon over Arizona
Ohio State over Michigan
Michigan State over Penn State
Kansas over Mizzou (Upset Special!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Arkansas over LSU
The SAT over UiF and FSU
Utah over BYU
Wisco over Northwestern
Clemson over The Real USC
Oklahoma over Oklahoma State (BEDLAM!!!!!)
The Meteor over Notre Dame and USC (I can hope, right?)
Friday, November 19, 2010
Virginia Tech Preview
Hello All,
Well, after harping on consistency last week, I am going to go ahead and stay consistent with my lack of a breakdown for the game again Vagina...errrr, Virginia...Tech. Which is actually Virginia Polytechnic Institute, which is abbreviated as VPI. And yet, The Hokies (still not sure what a Hokie is) are commonly referred to as VT. And yet I digress.
This is a weird week for Miami fans. It is a rivalry game that Miami has to win in order to stay alive in the conference race and have any hope of playing for the conference title...so in that sense, it is huge.
There is a feeling of impending doom though. Even if we win this game, which is a coin flip (more on that in a second), VPI would still have to lose to Virginia the following week. Not bloody likely. VPI is really good (and yes, they did lose to James Madison) and Virginia sucks something awful (and yes, they did beat Miami). Which means as 'Canes fans, if we win hell will be raised...after all, this team lost to JMU so they can't be very good/were overrated/are possibly behind the JFK assassination attempt; if we lose, the next week will go something like this: VPI comes out flat against the Cavs, who outplay the Hokies at the outset only to fail to capitalize fully...you know, go up 10-0 when it could have
been 21-0, something like that...and then fall during a 3rd quarter blitz featuring two highlight reel plays from Tyrod Taylor and touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams for the Hokies. Final score: VPI 42, UVa 17.
Anyway, the moral of the story is that Miami put itself in yet another bad situation in which we have to rely on an inferior team to clean up our mess (this year it is Virginia, last year it was Duke) because we could not take care of business ourselves.
As much as it pains me to say this, at this point it is time to start looking toward next season. To get some momentum to carry into the spring, it would be nice to win out and send the message that this team really is able to batten down the hatches when necesarry. In doing so, the 'Canes might catch a break. Virginia might rise up again. But that would just be gravy at this point. The rest of this season serves one purpose: win out and shut some people up.
Win the bowl game.
Finish off this recruiting class and put the inconsistencies of this season in the rearview.
Establish an identity going forward: We are going to run the ball and play smashmouth d. If you don't like it, there's the door. And that goes for coaches too.
No breakdown of this game is necesarry or even really worthwhile. The teams are pretty even talent wise. VPI has been more consistent this season, but Miami at its best wins this game. The stats don't matter here; VPI may be ranked 65th in run d, but until I see us gash them a little I will assume they are the same Tech D that shows up every year and hits us in the mouth. They play intense, borderline dirty football. Every yard will be a fight.
I look forward to it, and if I were a player with any sort of desire to lock down some stature heading into the offseason, so would I. That's what these final games have become: a proving ground.
Other Picks
Last Week: 2-6
Season: 42-31 (2-7 in Upset Specials)
LSU over Ole Miss
-Seriously guys, think of a better name than "Magnolia Bowl". Like "Battle for the Prize Double Wide"! Kidding. Seriously Bill, kidding.
Nebraska over TAMU
Iowa over Ohio State (the rankings say I am supposed to care about this one)
Miss St. over Arkansas
-That joke I made about the Magnolia Bowl? I immediately regret not using it here. Damn it.
Baylor over Oklahoma (Upset Special)
- I have noticed that I have certain trends I stick to with these picks. Early, I had a hunch on FIU...let's not talk about it. I think I have picked Baylor in this space 4 seperate times. I have picked against Auburn twice. And my record is 2-7, so you know this is great strategy. And yet, I keep doing it...
Always guard the inbound passer.
Well, after harping on consistency last week, I am going to go ahead and stay consistent with my lack of a breakdown for the game again Vagina...errrr, Virginia...Tech. Which is actually Virginia Polytechnic Institute, which is abbreviated as VPI. And yet, The Hokies (still not sure what a Hokie is) are commonly referred to as VT. And yet I digress.
This is a weird week for Miami fans. It is a rivalry game that Miami has to win in order to stay alive in the conference race and have any hope of playing for the conference title...so in that sense, it is huge.
There is a feeling of impending doom though. Even if we win this game, which is a coin flip (more on that in a second), VPI would still have to lose to Virginia the following week. Not bloody likely. VPI is really good (and yes, they did lose to James Madison) and Virginia sucks something awful (and yes, they did beat Miami). Which means as 'Canes fans, if we win hell will be raised...after all, this team lost to JMU so they can't be very good/were overrated/are possibly behind the JFK assassination attempt; if we lose, the next week will go something like this: VPI comes out flat against the Cavs, who outplay the Hokies at the outset only to fail to capitalize fully...you know, go up 10-0 when it could have
been 21-0, something like that...and then fall during a 3rd quarter blitz featuring two highlight reel plays from Tyrod Taylor and touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams for the Hokies. Final score: VPI 42, UVa 17.Anyway, the moral of the story is that Miami put itself in yet another bad situation in which we have to rely on an inferior team to clean up our mess (this year it is Virginia, last year it was Duke) because we could not take care of business ourselves.
As much as it pains me to say this, at this point it is time to start looking toward next season. To get some momentum to carry into the spring, it would be nice to win out and send the message that this team really is able to batten down the hatches when necesarry. In doing so, the 'Canes might catch a break. Virginia might rise up again. But that would just be gravy at this point. The rest of this season serves one purpose: win out and shut some people up.
Win the bowl game.
Finish off this recruiting class and put the inconsistencies of this season in the rearview.
Establish an identity going forward: We are going to run the ball and play smashmouth d. If you don't like it, there's the door. And that goes for coaches too.
No breakdown of this game is necesarry or even really worthwhile. The teams are pretty even talent wise. VPI has been more consistent this season, but Miami at its best wins this game. The stats don't matter here; VPI may be ranked 65th in run d, but until I see us gash them a little I will assume they are the same Tech D that shows up every year and hits us in the mouth. They play intense, borderline dirty football. Every yard will be a fight.
I look forward to it, and if I were a player with any sort of desire to lock down some stature heading into the offseason, so would I. That's what these final games have become: a proving ground.
Other Picks
Last Week: 2-6
Season: 42-31 (2-7 in Upset Specials)
LSU over Ole Miss
-Seriously guys, think of a better name than "Magnolia Bowl". Like "Battle for the Prize Double Wide"! Kidding. Seriously Bill, kidding.
Nebraska over TAMU
Iowa over Ohio State (the rankings say I am supposed to care about this one)
Miss St. over Arkansas
-That joke I made about the Magnolia Bowl? I immediately regret not using it here. Damn it.
Baylor over Oklahoma (Upset Special)
- I have noticed that I have certain trends I stick to with these picks. Early, I had a hunch on FIU...let's not talk about it. I think I have picked Baylor in this space 4 seperate times. I have picked against Auburn twice. And my record is 2-7, so you know this is great strategy. And yet, I keep doing it...
Always guard the inbound passer.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Rapid Reaction
Hello All,
About to sit down and watch the UNC- Vagina Tech....errrrrr, Virginia Tech...game and decided to rattle off the quick response to today's beat down of Georgia Tech.
What I liked the most about it was the consistency.
It was multi-fold.
First of all, the gameplan was great. Pound the rock against the worst run defense in the conference with a deep stable of running backs. Take pressure off your freshman quarterback and let him work out of playaction. Attack the option and force Georgia Tech's green quarterback to make plays to win the game.
The most remarkable thing about this pretty standard game plan was that Miami stuck to it consistently, for a full game. 4 different running backs scored touchdowns, and the success in the play action and quick hitter passing games (both set up by the running game) lead to big plays.
Secondly, the players finally put together a consistent MENTAL game. There were few penalties. The refs taking another score off of the board did not send them in to a shell. There were mental mistakes, but no glaring mental errors that lead to points or big plays. Penalties were kept to a minimum. This was all offset by two forced turnovers when backed up in the opponent's red zone and a knack for coming up big when it really mattered on offense. All in all, this was a big effort for 4 quarters.
That is what I asked for heading into this week. 4 quarters of consistent effort in a winning cause. We caught a glimpse for the first time since UNC of what this team can become on any given Saturday. Next week, we will see if we can put this type of effort together two weeks in a row for the first time this season. The potential for it to be a playoff game would obviously add to the environment;it would make it the biggest game of Randy's tenure, as a matter of fact. But even if the Hokies beat UNC today (which i think they will) it will be an important game. It will give this team a final chance to prove that they aren't soft, they aren't weak and they CAN get the job done.
Here's to hoping they get the chance to prove it in a game that would mean a trip to the title game, because otherwise I will be mad I skipped my upset special pick coming true over on the other channel in order to watch a game in which I hate both teams...
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