I hate Virginia. Why, you might ask? For a few of the following reasons:
1.) The Orange Bowl. Enough said.
2.)They beat Hopkins in lacrosse sometimes.
3.) Their uniforms could be so much cooler than they actually are.
4.) Their "Cavalier" mascot is the worst and I spend half of every game I see him at dreaming up ways in which he might get knocked off hsi horse.
5.) They suck at football and basketball but win titles in non-revenue generating sports and then talk about how awesome their athletics program is.
6.) I really hate their mascot.
7.) Everyone that goes there is a douche.
8.) Those people think they attend an Ivy league school. This is kind of like UNC or UCLA or Madison or any other snobby, huge state school. If you're from the state, you really don't have to be all that great to get in. Not a dummy, but probably not winning awards as a student either. I know people that went to Madison (I went to high school in Wisconsin) that were very smart and could have gotten in a lot of other places (that's for you Doug). I know a lot of dumbasses that went there that wouldn't have gotten in to any good schools out of state but got in to Madison because they had decent numbers and were residents (Doug, I think we both know who I am talking about). And since 90% of these state schools are comprised of in-staters...you can put two and two together. Listen, they're good schools. I went to Miami. Another good school, but not elite. I would never compare Miami to Stanford or Harvard. I am very content that my education was great without that comparison. Why can't these people just be the same way?
9.) Navy and orange reminds me of Gators colors.
10.) The Orange Bowl. Guess it wasn't enough before.
Anyway, nothing made me happier than the 'Canes running it up on the Wahoos (a stupid nickname) last season. Here's to hoping they do it again. And here's to a blazing fast breakdown:
QB
Well, let's see. Would you rather have Jacory or...wait....looking it up...really?!...I thought they benched this guy two years ago...Marc Verica, PhD? I thought so. EDGE: Miami
RB
Damien Berry looks to extend his streak of 100 yard days to 5. Virginia is averageing about 5 ypc, but this ain't Eastern Michigan or William & Mary. Oh, and here's a fun fact: Virginia's run defense is 79th in the nation.EDGE: Miami
Receivers
Hankerson, Byrd and Benjamin all bounced back with touchdown catches last week for the first time in 2.5 seasons of playing together. Virginia's Kevin Burd is one to watch, as he has made some plays for the 'Hoos. The emergence of Asante Cleveland as a pass catching tight end for the 'Canes can not be discounted. EDGE: Miami
Offensive Line
Have you seen Allen Bailey lately? EDGE: Miami
Defensive Line
Seriously, have you? EDGE: Miami
Linebackers
UVa is giving up a ton of yards as it struggles to go from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme. EDGE: Miami
Secondary
Miami's guys, particularly Telemaque, are ballhawking and are 2nd in the nation in interceptions with 14. EDGE: Miami
Special Teams
Miami housed one against UVa last year. Hear that, TB3? Coverage still has to improve, although it was much better last week. EDGE: Miami
Miami should win this one by three scores minimum.
OTHER PICKS
Last Week: 3-3
Season: 34-21 (2-5 in upset specials...2 in a row!)
Clemson over BC
South Carolina (the REAL SC) over Tennessee
Tulsa over Notre Dame
Iowa over Michigan State
Mizzou over Nebraska
UiF over UGA (Cocktail Party!)
Texas over Baylor
Utah over Air Force
USC over Oregon (Upset, but not my upset special)
UPSET SPECIAL
Ole Miss over Auburn
Never underestimate Nutt. Divisional game, at home, an offense quitely averaging 30 points and a the feisty Landshark defense....
Let's not book a trip to the ACC Title Game just yet.
Let's not look ahead to the two Techs.
We have been down that road too many times.
Instead, let's just talk about the ASS WHUPPING that Miami put on North Carolina the other night.
I know, 'Canes fans, UNC was playing without some studs. Blah blah blah. Before this game, everyone and their mother said that if Miami lost than Randy Shannon should be gone. So what happens? Miami puts an old school beat down on a team that has had their number for years, and they do it with style.
And in typical 'Canes fan fashion, North Carolina goes from an opponent to be feared to an overrated tomato can.
I don't buy it at all.
UNC was a scrappy team that won 4 games in a row, and was a few plays from being undefeated, for a reason. They came out and hit Miami in the mouth early, which prompted everyone in the stadium to pucker their butt cheeks and get ready for the inevitable 17-3 halftime deficit followed by a long-shot comeback attempt in the 4th quarter.
Instead, Miami stepped up and made a huge play to keep themselves out of the pothole. They played three quarters of highlight reel football and turned in a complete, even performance.
Playmakers stepped up and made plays.
More importantly, leadership emerged.
I texted my friend Francis on Monday and said: "How great would it be to read a report that Damien Berry called a players only meeting?"
Turns out, it happened. The players got together and decided they were done with the lacksadaisical play. They decided they were no longer going to walk on eggshells.
There were several moments that stood out to me from the game. Spence and Vaughn Telemaque combining on the big turnover in the 1st quarter. Spence and Brandon Harris dancing their way off the field after Harris' pick. Jacory running down the field to celebrate another touchdown throw. Allen Bailey standing over a limp T.J. Yates. Travis Benjamin's highlight reel catch. Tyrone Cornelius going Robert Bailey on the UNC kick returner. Asante Cleveland's huge catch on 4th and short.
None is more important than Vaughn Telemaque and his offensive teammates scuffling on the sideline, however.
It showed accountability throughout the roster. It showed fight. It showed maturity. It showed a willingness to do whatever it takes to win.
Some guys are stoic leaders. Randy Shannon and Jacory would rather lead by example than by words. That's fine. You do need some people that are willing to ruffle someone's feathers, however.
From the time of the sideline incident on, Miami loosened up and began to play like sharks that smelled blood in the water.
Randy Shannon realized his team was finally taking charge of itself and let his guard down a little.
This is what happens for good teams. It looks like the light might have come on for this group of young men on the field on Saturday night. They finally took the game by the balls and bent it to their will.
While all this was going on in Miami, my roommate Graham and I were freaking out in Los Angeles. The noise was not limited to the 'Canes woofing on the field; after the game, Graham and I found out that our property manager had gotten three calls complainging about our noise level during the game. On a Saturday night. Before the sun even set.
Even the fans had swag on Saturday night. It was a sight for sore eyes.
Alright, I admit, I usually think it is cheesy when people try and write about sports mirroring real life. It is usually trite and cliche. So consider this a waiver. I am trying to do something with this post that I have never really done before and it might suck. But it is my blog and I guess that means I can do whatever the hell I want.
For the last couple of weeks I, like most 'Canes fans, have been unhappy with the way the team has played. That is an understatement. I have been thoroughly disappointed. We got our asses handed to us by FSU and then played with our food against Duke. It has not been pretty, to say the least.
Over the last two weeks, I have also been dealing with things outside of football for the first time in a while. Last football season, I was living at home and working a stable, 9-5 job. I had no real social life to consider, so I was able to devote all of my energies to watching college football and drinking beer with my Dad. I enjoyed the hell out of it, even though some might call it "arrested development".
This year, things are different. I work three jobs, one of which requires me to wake up at 3:30 every morning. I am starting over in a new city and doing just enough to keep my head above water.
I burn both ends of the candle and spend beer money that I don't really have. It's all good and normal and healthy. Hell, I am having a fantastic time. However, it sometimes leaves me feeling like I am not putting things in their proper perspectives. Every now and then I need to take a step back and refocus.
A few weeks ago I met a girl who I actually like (notice the tense). We hit it off. As the night progressed, it came to light that the girl has a boyfriend (of course she does, Dan).
I made a decision a couple of years ago after a 2 year saga with a girl took up too much of my life and time to ever get back.
After debriefing that situation I figured out that it went bad because I dilly-dallied. I am a firm believer that people know things instinctually and quickly;essentially what Malcolm Gladwell wrote about in "Blink". In other words, I messed up and paid for it because I went against my gut. As my father once told me: "Keep It Simple Stupid".
I decided that in the future I was going to find out what I really wanted and go after it one hundred percent. I decided that I would never be able to say that I had not given it my all. I will follow my instinct and ride out the storm, because at least at the end of the day I did what I believe. It lead to me moving to Los Angeles, amongst other things.
The reason I tell you all this is because as sad as it may sound, all of the above has enetered into my thought process lately as I think about this week's game against UNC. I have drawn some paralells.
I decided long ago that the Miami Hurricanes are something I will give one hundred percent to. When they lose, it is easy to see the impact it has on me. If you need proof, look at my last three blog posts. Not my strongest work. I spent a good part of this week thinking about the 'Canes and how I felt about various subjects.
That is when I realized that none of the micro-subjects matter. All that matters is the macro. Maybe this is where I differ from most of the Miami fanbase, which I am completely turned against at this point.
In the short term, bad things happen. It is part of football.
Just like with this new girl.
One of my favorite rappers is Kid Cudi. This is one of my favorite lyrics:
I'm on the pursuit of happiness and I know,
Everything that shine ain't always gonna be gold.
I'll be fine once I get it, I'll be good.
It tells the tale perfectly of staying enthusiastic and passionate about things even when they seem crappy. The pursuit of happiness is long, and that is why it is called a pursuit.
Sometimes the team you think is poised for a title run loses.
Sometimes the girl you hit it off with has a boyfriend.
In either case, you have to keep pushing through and let things play out. The pursuit of either is long and difficult. It is full of speed bumps. Both are going to leave you feeling miserable some days. You will wake up one day and things will be great. The next, you might wake up and feel angry at the world. The next, you might feel helpless. Passion is a great thing but can be a double edges sword. And I wouldn't trade my passionate style of living for anything.
However, no matter how hard the traverse, there is always beauty to be found. Sometimes it isn't the destination, but the journey (again, thanks Dad).
It is fun to watch a young team learn how to win through difficult times. It is fun to develop a friendship with a new person, even if ultimately your goal is bigger.
The important thing to remember is that passion is what gets you through rough times in ANYTHING, whether it is work, relationships, sports, etc. If you find yourself in a daze, you have to ask yourself if the juice is worth the squeeze. If it is not, then walk away, because there is no use in half assing something. It just leaves you unfulfilled.
After a pensive week which resulted in this blog, I am a rededicated 'Canes fan. I think Randy Shannon is the right man for this job. Even if I didn't, I would support the hell out of him until a decision was made to go in a different direction. At which point I would support the hell out of the next guy in line.
That's called being a fan. And as such, with a new lease on fanhood (sparked by, of all things, a girl), I give you my UNC preview.
QB
TJ Yates is playing very well right now. Better than Jacory. I think Jacory is going to have a great game, but there is no denying the last few weeks, in which Yates has been lights out. EDGE: UNC
RB
Damien Berry and Mike James are running like men possessed. And now the 'Canes are going to get sparks from Coop and Lamar Miller. EDGE: Miami
WR
Hankerson continues to ball out for the 'Canes, although he is dropping some easy ones. Meanwhile, LaRon Byrd is quietly emerging as the No. 2 guy. UNC is badly hurt by the loss of tight end Zach Pianalto. EDGE: Miami
OL
UNC will play with discipline as usual. Miami will not, as usual. EDGE: UNC
DL
Miami's guys are playing with fire again, while UNC's two best are done for the season. EDGE: Even
LB
UNC has Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant, two potential all americans. Miami has Sean Spence and a few guys whose jusgement is still waiting, including Ramon Buchannon, Colin McCarthy and the new guy in the mix, Kelvin Cain. EDGE: UNC
Secondary
Miami's guys have been ballhawking, especially Vaughn Telemaque. Brandon Harris has locked his man down as well for the 'Canes, while UNC is without its two starting corners. EDGE: Miami
Special Teams
UNC plays with more discipline here. EDGE: UNC
While Miami would seem like the favorite, Sean Spence said it best when he told reporters that UNC owns the 'Canes until Miami finally beats them. Miami is certainly capable, but they have to come out and play great football for four quarters. We will see.
In "Any Given Sunday", Al Pacino's character famously opines:
We’re in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me. And, we can stay here -- get the sh*t kicked out of us -- or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb outta hell one inch at a time...You know, when you get old in life things get taken from you. I mean that's...part of life. But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff. You find out life’s this game of inches. So is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small -- I mean one-half a step too late, or too early, and you don’t quite make it. One-half second too slow, too fast, you don’t quite catch it.The inches we need are everywhere around us.They’re in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch, because we know when we add up all those inches that’s gonna make the f*ckin' difference between winning and losing! Between livin' and dyin'!I’ll tell you this: In any fight, it’s the guy who’s willing to die who’s gonna win that inch. And I know if I’m gonna have any life anymore, it’s because I’m still willin' to fight and die for that inch. Because that’s what livin' is! The six inches in front of your face!
I bring this up for a few reasons. First of all, this is my favorite football movie and this is my favorite scene in the movie. I think it is completely underrated and I have wanted to include this in a blog of mine pretty much since I started writing one. Second of all, the italicized section is particularly poignant when digesting Miami's win over Clemson.
As fans, sometimes we get to live in our own world. We have the luxury of being able to sit down and watch a game as an observer and say things like "Jacory should have thrown that ball to the guy's back shoulder" and tally up errors and dissect and dissect and dissect as the game goes along.
We do not, however, have access to the player's point of view. We are not on the field when the proverbial bullets start flying.
We live in a world of theory. The players live in a world of actuality.
Football is an imperfect sport. After every game, even the best teams come away with a laundry list of things to work on. That's just football. The true test of your grit is if you can adjust when the game starts going in the other direction. When the inches become harder to win or, worse, you start losing them. When you are punched in the mouth a couple of times and have to respond.
Let's not lose sight of what Miami did in this game.
Jacory once again made some bad throws. They sucked. Period. He could have very easily checked out. But he didn't. He kept attacking. He showed a Favre-like resolve in rallying and rallying his team. He threw four touchdowns against a good defense. He scrambled out of a sack on 1st and 20 and turned it in to a 17 yard gain. He checked down to Leonard Hankerson for a key 3rd and 5 conversion late in the 4th quarter that kept the clinching drive going.
He played like a winner. It wasn't pretty. He had to scrap for it. He had to kick and fight and spit and claw his way out of some bad situations, created both by himeself and his offensive line and a good Clemson front four. But he got it done.
Miami also had to overcome a talented team playing in it's own stadium on Homecoming in front of a LOUD crowd. It had to overcome it's third straight road game. Most importantly, it had to overcome the refs. The refs were terrible. Period. I am a lifelong Miami Hurricanes fan. I have seen some TERRIBLE officiating go against us. This might have been the worst, highlighted by the following, which as far as I know is a first in the history of football:
Tommy Streeter is essentially handed the ball by the Clemson return man ona muffed fair catch. Miami has the ball inside Clemson's 30. The refs challenge the play. The call is overturned, citing a rule that states if a fair catch is called and the returner loses possession but the ball does not touch the ground then the returner must be allowed space to recover the ball. Fine. that's a stupid rule, but the rule nonetheless. Here's what got me. The golden rule with challenges is that you cannot use them to assess a penalty or take one away. Not allowed. It was a huge sticking point during the replay debate. The refs called no penalty on the play in question. And yet, somehow, Miami came out of the challenge without the ball AND WITH A 15 YARD PENALTY. On a play that I personally watched Clemson replicate 3 times during the course of the game without being whistled. Annnnd scene.
There were 5 instances wherein Miami got called for a bad penalty/screwed on a replay in this game. 5. It was such a comedy of errors that my buddy Francis texted me "if these good ol' boys are going to be so blatant they might as well just call the penalty on N-word #86". I hate going racial, but I almost have to agree.
And yet, despite that, Miami pressed on. The entire second half was one big momentum shift toward Clemson. And yet, Miami came up with 6 turnovers, none bigger than the forced fumble/fumble recovery by the benched Demarcus Van Dyke. They held strong on a BIG 4th&1 late in the game that should have been a gimme for Clemson. They held strong even though a true freshman right tackle was going against Clemson's Freakshow DeQuan Bowers in his first career start.
They held on, won the inches and won the game. Isn't that really what matters?
It has been said too many times too count about this team that they are too soft mentally and physically. That they are talented but can't go on the road and win a big game. That they are talented but they can't win if they are not one hundred percent on their game. That they shrink from big spots and big moments.
This was a game where Miami played to maybe 80% of their potential. It was on the road. It was against a good team. It was filled with pressure points, those moments when you see how big an inch really is. And Miami knocked it out of the park.
Sure it was ugly. Sure it was at times frustrating. Sure I had to call my dad and make sure his ticker was tickin' the way it should.
But good teams go on the road and win the tough ones. They win ugly. They see the games that everyone deems a "yardstick" game and they win them. Bottom line is that they find a way to get the job done.
Already, Miami fans are saying Clemson was overrated (even though they all predicted Clemson to win the game) and are saying FSU is the real test. It will be the same thing if we beat FSU. Fans have the luxury of sitting on their high horse. They dwell on the negative and don't talk about Sean Spence emerging past DeAndre McDaniel as the top defender in the ACC. Or the d-line continuing to get pressure. Or the run game churning out yards. Or the 6 turnovers.
They also often forget the most important thing: The W.
Miami got The W and Clemson didn't. They got it because they won the inches.
So, can we just pretend that Ohio State game didn’t happen?
That’s what I have been trying to do this week. Well, the last two days anyway. Sunday and Monday were marked by my perpetual scowl that prompted several “you sure you’re doing ok?” comments Monday morning at work. It also inspired this exchange:
Random lady (presumably my superior) walks in to the office of the guy across from me (a fellow football fan): “Hey, how was your weekend?!”
Guy across from me: “Good, the Seahawks won.”
Random lady: “Yeah, my team won too!”
Guy across from me: Cuts her off by pointing at me
Random lady: Looks at me and says “You’re a Miami guy?”
Stein on the Sidelines:
Random lady: “Well that’s too bad.”
Stein on the Sidelines:
Annnnnnd scene. This will not be in the next, updated edition of How to Win Friends and Influence People. It will also, most likely, not do wonders for my schemes to get hired on full time at this office.
But, now that the initial malaise has worn off, some thoughts from the game:
- Jacory is taking a ton of heat for this one. People are saying he has not progressed and is not the guy to take us to the promised land. I say that of the four picks, two (possibly three) were on the receivers. Additionally, the best throw he made all game was a DART to Aladrious Johnson in the end zone that the usually clutch and sure handed Johnson dropped. In total, there were 9 drops (according to Randy Shannon). That means that nine times Jacory hit a receiver in the hands and didn’t get a completion.
- Lamar Miller is the most explosive player Miami has had since Devin Hester. Oh, by the way, I called his kick return touchdown. Before the game started. Excuse me while I pat myself on the back.
- Annndddd…yep, pretty sure Harlan Gunn just jumped offside again. Alright, this is one thing that infuriated me almost above all others. I get it when Jermaine Johnson commits a bad penalty. This was his first playing time as a Miami Hurricane. That happens. However, Gunn and Joel Figueroa are in their fourth and fifth years, respectively, in the program. Gunn jumped the gun at least twice, possibly three, and Figs got called for a bad penalty too.
- The defense acquitted itself very well given that the Buckeyes’ average starting position had to have been near midfield (I have not seen the stats yet because they will only make me angry). However, take out the 3407653458734265 missed tackles and three dropped interceptions and this is a Miami route.
- Best players for the game: Jacory Harris (kidding), Miller, Sean Spence, Marcus Forston, Allen Bailey, Colin McCarthy, Brandon Harris, Brandon McGee, Damien Berry (2nd Half), Olivier Vernon’s Mohawk
- Special teams is a mixed bag. The return game is explosive and will be great to watch all year. There will be punts blocked this year. However, we have got to stop taking momentum and then giving up a big return.
- Bottom line is that this team is clearly the most talented we have had in a while but got punched in the face on the road and couldn’t strike back well enough to win. They fought all game but in the end beat themselves with penalties and poor execution. Against Duke, maybe you get away with this. Against Ohio State you lose. If the team takes this loss seriously and puts the pedal to the metal, they will be serious threats to win out, crack the top five and be in the title discussion if a few teams lose. If this loss fails to register and the team doesn’t take it to heart, then we will probably end up at 9-3 and in the Capital One Bowl as the most talented 3 loss team I have ever seen.
Quick Picks for the Week, after my dismal showing last weekend:
Gainesville Police Department over Florida Cincy over NC State (Thanks for playing this week’s game of “Embarrassing OOC Losses”) UGA over Arkansas FSU over BYU Texas over Texas Tech (Will be closer than you think) Stanford over Wake Forest (I now appreciate the time difference excuse) Wisconsin over (INSERT CUPCAKE HERE _____________) Auburn over Clemson (Wraps up another strong week for the ACC)
UPSET SPECIAL
Duke over Alabama
PSYCH!
Let’s go with Washington over Nebraska. Why the hell not?
Baseball is getting down to brass tax and games are played with an unrelenting intensity. That is, unless you’re the Baltimore Orioles, who are mathematically eliminated from having a winning season in late August. And yet, I digress.
The days are the prettiest in late summer and early fall, as cold weather has not arrived yet but temperatures become more bearable. If you live somewhere with trees, the leaves turn color. If not, well, you get to be homesick thinking about how awesome it is when the leaves change color. Score another for Los Angeles.
The NFL is getting ready to start up, which is great for several reasons. Fantasy football brings the ultimate medium through which to talk smack to your friends. Going in to a bar on a Sunday and sitting in the middle of the groups of die-hard fans for various teams is always fun, especially since none of them harbor any ill-will toward the Dolphins…they don’t have any reason to. And, best of all, we get to hear Gator fans make up bad excuses for why their latest crop of rookies is busting. Again.
SIDENOTE: I can’t wait until Tebow has his first five interception game and the Gator bandwagoners say something like “It is the offense’s fault, he shouldn’t be throwing this much.” To defend a quarterback. But hey, at least he has a bright future as a moyel.
SIDENOTE TO A SIDENOTE: I drafted Tebow with my 15th pick in one of my fantasy drafts. Just to have the satisfaction of cutting him.
Best of all, college football is back. College football engenders more passion and pageantry than all of the other sports in this fine nation of ours combined.
I have made and lost friends based on college football. Is that even remotely possible when it comes to the Dolphins or Orioles? Not at all.
College football for me means playing Kanye West’s “Amazing” on repeat as I struggle to sleep the night before gameday.
It means getting up at 9am and starting to tailgate by drinking a Budwesier. It means grilled food and Corn Hole. It means going into the stadium 90 minutes before kickoff because I want to watch the ‘Canes warm up.
It means eating the same food and listening to the same music and watching the same pump up videos before every game and only changing things up after a loss. It means my buddy getting up to take a pee after every bad play to “get rid of the bad urine”.
It means losing my voice before kickoff, even when I am watching alone on my computer. It means getting chills watching “I was born of a Great Storm” and watching the players come through the smoke.
It means calling my dad after every series of plays to discuss the overwhelming importance of each play. It means calling him after a tough loss just to make sure this wasn’t the game that killed him. It means talking to my mom to make sure this wasn’t the game that made her want to file for divorce from my father as well.
College football means all of these things and more. It is literally an indescribable feeling, that which I get when just thinking about the season.
It also means I get to write a season preview.
Now, these things generally go one of several crappy directions. The main problem is that they are written by people not close enough to the situation to write well about it, are over-generalized (Miami is only about speed, OSU is only about strength, etc.) and come out months before fall practice even starts.
There is a reason that young teams don’t win national titles. It is hard for young players to treat every play as if it is the last. They have to be punched in the mouth a few times, bloodied up and left in a crumpled heap by a loss to a team they should have beaten.
It is why repeat national championships typically do not happen in this sport. The upperclassmen dominate on dominant teams, and after a championship season they all leave. Which is why expecting a championship of Miami the last two seasons was ludicrous. Freshmen and sophomores can certainly contribute to title teams, but they usually are not relied upon to win or lose the game.
Alabama, for instance, had Mark Ingram (a sophomore), Julio Jones (a sophomore) and Trent Richardson (a freshman) play big roles last season. However, the guys they relied on to win were on their offensive line-yes, I am fairly certain Javarris James could have won a Heisman behind that line—and upperclassmen Rolando McClain and Terrance Cody on defense. Everyone else was a complimentary piece.
Miami’s big problem last season was that they played to the level of their competition too often. That meant getting amped up and playing big time football early on, but it also meant trouble when it came time to play the Dukes, Wake Forests and Clemsons of the world. That, plus a fluky string of injuries, doomed the ‘Canes chances of winning a division title.
Injuries are a part of the game, but I certainly think this year has to be better to the ‘Canes in that regard. It certainly cannot be worse.
Miami has holes and questions to answer, but so does every team, including Alabama.
There are the obvious ones: Can Jacory stay healthy and limit interceptions? Can the linebackers (whoever they are) cover a tight end? Can the defensive line set the rest of the defense up for success by pressuring the quarterback?
And then there is the one that people seem to be missing: Have the ‘Canes developed a killer instinct?
You seem the good thing about a young team is that they keep getting better. I thought this team looked great for much of last season, and I do not think that it peaked. However, listening to a lot of Miami fans, you would get the sense that because Jacory threw a lot of picks last season he will do it again this year. They don’t take in to account the fact that he might possible be even better in his second year as a starter and his second year in Mark Whipple’s system. They want to live in the present (“every year we expect a title”) and yet base all of their assumptions off of thepast (“Jacory throws too many picks to ever win here”).
I am not worried about the team being physically better. I think that if the offensive line keeps opening holes for the run game as well as they did last season then opposing defenses will have nightmares trying to stop the ‘Canes of offense. I also think the offensive line will be better (they got more talented after having a solid year last season). So let me ask you this: how do you stop Mike James, Damien Berry, Lamar Miller, Graig Cooper AND Storm Johnson in the running game while also stopping Laron Byrd, Aldarious Johnson, Travis Benjamin, Leonard Hankerson, Kendall Thompkins AND Chase Ford in the passing game if the offensive line, which was solid last season, got even better?
I am worried, however, about the team playing with the kind of fire that past Hurricane champions had against teams like Duke and Wake Forest and Virginia.
In the old days, the ‘Canes got insulted that they had to share the field with those teams. They were the ‘Canes, these other teams were nobodies and they were going to prove it. Last year’s team had that mentality in the big games but lost it in the lower profile yet equally important conference games. The key to this season will be whether or not they can maintain their focus week to week. The schedule is packed with big time opponents and payback games, but there are potential traps against Maryland, Duke and Virginia. If the ‘Canes stay focused, they will avoid the traps and could be in the BCS Title conversation. If they lose focus, they likely will also lose the divisional race, and that would be a disappointment for this team.
NOTE: There will be no game preview for the FAMU game. I tried to do one two years ago for the season opener against Charleston Southern and it was terrible. There is not a lot of info out there about these teams and I haven’t found a forum to discuss these teams with their fans. In order to not make myself look like an idiot, the first game preview will be for Ohio State.
Sorry for the delay in between posts...that is aimed at my 7 loyal readers.
I have been a little busy lately. Last week I started my first paying job in the entertainment industry, as a Research Intern at CBS.
It is nothing glamorous, more like Ratings Boot Camp in their Domestic Distribution Department, specifically pulling numbers for syndicated programming starting every morning at 5 AM. TRANSLATION: I tell women I work at CBS, directly with
Oprah's production company.
The reason I am writing today, however, is to talk about the best day of every summer: the day that Miami starts Fall Camp.
As we have seen in the position previews I have written (and I will be posting the last group soon...they are already written), this team has a huge number of question marks.
For some reason, Miami fans have turned in to a group of people I don't like to be included in.
They are bloodthirsty for a coach who has done nothing but improve the team every year (both observationally AND statistically speaking) since taking over a BARE roster. If you need further proof of how bare it was, let's take a look back to my sophomore and junior years:
Lance Leggett was our top receiver. Brian Monroe, our punter, was our emergency 5th receiver. Charlie Jones was our starting running back. Khalil Jones was getting serious playing time. So was Romeo Davis. So was Lovon Ponder. and let's not even start with Kirby Freeman and Kyle Wright.
To say that we have improved the talent and the production is an understatement. Anyone who says otherwise clearly does not know what they are talking about, or is just arguing because they like to argue.
Randy Shannon is not great with the media, nor should he be. He is a man that has been around the program long enough to know exactly how the media should be treated: like mushrooms.
At Miami, the media turns on the team faster than anywhere else in the nation. Any step out of line and "Thug U" gets plastered everywhere.
"Same old Miami", they will say.
If he is a nice guy, like Dennis Erickson, he will get turned on just as quickly as if he is stoic and short with the media. Miami's press corps is fickle and usually temperamental to a fault. They are like the Miami culture at large: fairweather (with few exceptions). They will love Randy when he wins and hate him when he loses. Period.
For a man that does not like speaking in public in the first place (probably because media members are always quick to nitpick his speech patterns) and is under great pressure to win not from others but from himself, it comes down to utilitarian calculus; the answer, unfortunately for the beat writers, usually comes out that the media cannot help Randy in accordance with the time and information that the media thinks it deserves. So he doesn't give it to them. Call it going with his gut. He would rather take the fall and let the media snipe at him than his players. That is a good coach. He will never get the benefit of the doubt from those media members, but the people that matter understand what is at play.
Call me crazy, but unlike the Miami "fans" that I keep talking to I am very excited for this season. I see a team that is growing up and is full of talent. It has its thin spots, but guess what, so does everyone else...including Alabama.
I am pumped to see the team run through the smoke again.
I am excited to start smiling every time I see Miami during an ESPN promo spot.
I am excited to see Damien Berry and Sean Spence and Jacory and Kylan Robinson and every damn player on the team.
I am excited to write about the team from a new angle: die hard 'Canes fan trapped in LA and desperate to find a way to watch my team, which I have followed at an ulcer-inducing rate since I was 5.
So instead of focusing on every little detail and it's "HUGE" implications, as people in the media love to do in the age of the 24 hr. News Cycle, I am taking a big picture approach.
I don't think the depth chart on the first day of practice matters. I think what happens during the next month of practice does.
I think that it is impossible to say that Miami doing well in the APR is a bad thing.
I think that what happened to Thearon Collier is a shame and I wish him all the best, either at UM or somewhere else. I also think he was a very good player and that he will be a lot tougher to replace than others want to believe, but I also believe that we can do it without missing a beat.
I think that Randy Shannon is a definition of what it means to be a Hurricane.
I consider myself one, and I think that it is one of the things I am most proud of.
It is why I am excited for football to start again.
Today is the day that the march to Title #6 began.
Changes are comin', whether it is in Coral Gables or Los Angeles, and that is a damn good thing.
I was just wondering when it is that I should expect your magazine’s expose entitled “Why Florida Should Drop Football”?
Or maybe a story about how Joe Paterno has lost control of his program in his old age?
Maybe an extended feature on USC and how they should rightfully be stripped of a national title and Reggie Bush of his Heisman?
Or how about a piece on Oregon, everyone’s pre-season darling, having to boot their three best athletes for player-conduct and legal issues (including one on national television)…in less than a year?
After all, this is the same magazine that once ran its sole text-only cover story about why Miami
should do the same (does the photo to the right ring a bell?). This is, after all, the same magazine wherein Rick Reilly once wrote “Miami may be the only squad in America that has its team picture taken from the front and the side”. This was after a series of arrests that stained the reputation of the university. Your cover story was about a Pell-Grant Scandal that shamed everyone involved. It was about an institution that clearly lost control.
Now, you have a UF program that has had 28 players arrested (as of now, but who knows what the number will be next week?) in Coach Urban Meyer’s tenure. The same Meyer that your publication wrote a glorified puff piece about last season (that I am sure has been copied and sent off to every UF recruit by the UF Sports Information Department) in which he is lauded as a...gulp...disciplinarian. Well, maybe if you criticize one his players, but certainly not if you actully play for him. Tim Tebow is worth 12 covers in less than four years (according to the SI Vault) so that your magazine can once again tell us how awesome the young man is (not to take anything away from him), and yet this arrest-streak isn't worthy of some attention? So much for journalistic objectivity.
Now you have Penn State, one of the “Blue Bloods”. The way college football is “supposed to be”, lead by the legend, St. Joe Paterno, who always does things the right way. ESPN seemed to notice the bad things going on in Happy Valley a couple of years ago when they ran an Outside the Lines feature that stated the following: As of Summer 2008, 46 Penn State players had been arrested and faced 163 criminal charges…since 2002. No cover story for that? Oh wait, I forgot, we're not allowed to insult Joe Paterno. How dare I?
Now you have USC, the current glamour program who people have labeled the “West Coast Miami”. Well, first of all, Miami won 5 titles in less than 20 years. USC has 1 in the decade since they climbed back out of their dormant period. And what’s interesting is that they won’t even have that 1 for much longer after it was ruled that Reggie Bush was receiving illegal benefits and was ineligible for that championship game, during which he gained 149 all purpose yards. Reggie Bush, the biggest college football star between Peyton Manning and Tim Tebow, was ineligible to play for that championship game and his entire Heisman Trophy Campaign the following season... and the coaches knew about it! And yet, no cover story? Let’s just say that if it had been Clinton Portis and the 2002 Rose Bowl in question, it probably would have made the cover.
Now you have Oregon, who kicked off LeGarrette Blount for the season after he punched a Boise State player in the face in the aftermath of their 2009 Season Opener. Except, for the season just meant until they needed him to help wrap up a Rose Bowl berth in their Rivalry Game with Oregon State. What would happen if Miami let a player back on the field after openly assaulting an opponent?
SIDENOTE: We found out in 2006 after the FIU brawl. A brawl, I might add, which was started when an FIU player threw Miami’s walk- on placeholder to the ground and stomped on his helmet (people forget this, but that’s the great thing about YouTube). Miami suspended 20+ players for their next game and fired the head coach at the end of the season. And yet, this sent the press howling for not just a suspension, but once again for the program to be dropped.
Blount’s situation would have probably been explainable if it had been isolated, but it wasn’t. Since, Oregon has “booted” star running back LaMichael James and Heisman Hopeful quarterback Jeremiah Masoli from the program for varying degrees of trouble with the law (and in Masoli’s case, repeated trouble with the law). I place booted in quotations because I don’t actually think either of them is gone from the program for good. And yet, no cover story?
And let's not forget Florida State's massive cheating scandal of 3 years ago, Tennessee's annual contender-status for the Fullmer Cup (named, not ironically, after their former coach) which charts player arrests; hell, even Duke is getting in to the act lately. Maybe if the SEC is really looking to expand the Blue Devils would be a good fit.
Now you have Miami. Since hiring Randy Shannon, the program has had one arrest. It was a misdemeanor charge that was dropped. The player, Robert Marve, served a suspension for the season-opener, which would have been his first career start. Marve transferred at the end of the season, ostensibly because of playing time. Many close to the program say that it is really because Marve could not deal with Shannon’s disciplinary system. In times like these, it is weird that this is refreshing.
And yet, no cover story? No puff piece about Miami, of all programs, becoming one of the Top 10 programs in the APR Report every season while also improving on the field? This isn’t Duke or Vanderbilt we are talking about, but Miami. At Miami, they actually win (although admittedly not as much lately as we have grown accustomed to)!
You know, forget the cover story. I don’t want your jinx to hit my program. Instead, I will happily sit and wait for you to print a retraction of your story; better yet, a correction. Maybe an update? I don’t really care. I just want your magazine, the most highly respected sports publication there is (by many, not me, although I am a subscriber), to finally own up to this double standard. And until you do, look forward to getting this exact same letter in your inbox once a week.
Well, just got back from a thrilling evening at Ocala Jai Alai and had some stuff I wanted to vent on here.
First of all, it turns out Jai Alai is the most fun thing in the world. I got cleaned out, but never had so much fun losing $12. It is like racquetball on crack, only you can bet on it. And the players all have names like Manolo. And it is only a twenty minute drive from my house. Is this a dangerous cocktail that could lead to a gambling addiction? Yes. Am I even a little worried about it? No.
That being said, I have been thinking a lot about the college football recruiting process, as I always do this time of year. I have also watched “The American President” like 15 times this week (I had a rough weekend in Miami, lay off me) and actually stayed awake for Obama’s entire speech the other night. Bear with me.
Now, last year I posted a guide to surviving recruiting season on my old blog. It said things like “18 year olds will always change their mind, so nothing is final until the dotted line is signed” and “SEC kids stay SEC kids” and “LSU is a bunch of dirty cheaters” and “always bet on the school closest to mom” and “LSU is a bunch of dirty cheaters” and “can’t spell slut without LSU”. You know, the important concrete pilings that support the foundation of college football recruiting.
Well, this year’s recruiting process has made me even angrier than last year’s. I follow this stuff closely, although I refuse to let the whims of 17 and 18 year old kids who have never done a thing in college influence my mood anymore.
I think the first crack in my resolve was when Patrick Johnson bailed on us a couple of years ago. I finally became disenfranchised for good by the Bryce Brown thing last year though.
I am of the opinion that the process has allowed for inmates to take over the asylum. Why on Earth would a 17 year old kid hold a press conference to announce his college decision? Further, why the hell would anyone actually pay attention?
However, that is what happens now. Coaches get fired over this stuff. Fan bases lose sight of reality when a “5 star” recruit jilts their school for another. Websites that focus on nothing but recruiting sell thousands of dollars of subscriptions each year. It is ridiculous.
On Wednesday, Miami’s signing class will become official. The coaches will then spend a couple of months de-recruiting the kids in the class. Their will be a good number of players in the class that will have to be reminded, sometimes forcefully, that they are now completely unproven freshmen with dues to pay. No one wants to listen to them bitch, and they don’t get to hold a press conference about their current status on the team.
To Miami’s credit, Randy Shannon seems to have soured on these types of prime donnas as well and, all things being equal, seems to prefer the kid without the hype. And you know what? No one can say that this is a bad strategy. At least not right now. Because it takes AT LEAST 3 years to judge one of these classes anyway!
That is why I implore Randy Shannon should take a stand. Let it be known that this is an elite program both athletically and academically and that we will not suffer fools.
Randy should release a statement saying something like this:
“Over the last few years I have taken my share of lumps for not being willing to bend over and take it in the rear end from a bunch of 17 and 18 year olds. I insist that kids who want to come here…gasp…work and get the minimum GPA and test scores required. I ask that once they give me their word, or commit, that they stop taking trips to other schools, or at least let me know if they are going to. Worst of all, I am not omnipotent. I have failed to “lock down” South Florida, because apparently in order to do so that means I would have to take about 50 Miami-caliber players per year from the area. These are all, apparently, terrible things. Let me address the issues one at a time.
First, the academics. Let us not forget that this is a freakin’ college, people. West Virginia might be able to let anyone in they want, but we are a Tier 1, private research institution. We are not West Fucking Virginia. Further, we are not exactly asking these kids to be rocket scientists. They are required to be roughly half of the student that would be accepted to the university for non-athletic purposes. Maybe a few less interviews with Rivals.com here and a few more hours studying for the ACT there and we wouldn’t have this problem. We are offering these kids a $160k education and they dare throw in my face that they couldn’t raise their test score a point so it is MY fault they can’t come here? You gotta be kiddin’ me. While we are on the subject, let me talk about conduct. Every scholarship offer I make is conditional. Conditional upon keeping your grades up, keeping your performance up and staying out of trouble. I make this very clear from the outset and if my conditions are violated, you have broken our agreement and are therefore no longer welcome.
Second, I ask they keep their word. Or, as we might say in the real world, be a man. I know, I know, “let them enjoy the recruiting process” will be the answer. That’s fine, enjoy the hell out of it. Just don’t expect me to hold your spot if you can’t decide that you really want it.
Third, the “State of Miami” issue. First of all, this is one of the worst cities for public high schools in the nation. I start talking to these kids in Optimist ball, imploring them to work on their grades. For the ones that still have problems yet have the talent and attitude to be ‘Canes, I draw up road maps. Some of them still can’t get it done. What the hell am I supposed to do? Also, since I know these kids from Optimist on, I know which ones are bad kids. I am friends with their friends and families and neighbors. Anyone really want a team full of drug dealers and gang members? Didn’t think so. And trust me, some of these kids are drug dealers and gang members and just bad people. I will never put winning above the integrity of my program.
Fourth, losing out on kids in South Florida happens. Florida is a great program. Florida State is a great program. So is Ohio State. So is LSU. And Auburn. And Georgia. The list goes on. Back in the day, we might have been able to get every one we wanted (even then, we didn’t though). Now, everyone knows about South Florida. Some of these kids will be blinded by money or women or sellout crowds for all their games (ahem, ahem…I’m looking at you fans). Some just want to get away from home. Some just want a big college feel. WE WILL NOT GET EVERYONE WE WANT. I’d say sorry, but screw you for even implying that.
Oh, and last, let me say this. If I ever see another recruit pick up a Miami hat during a press conference and then throw it on the ground, flip it in the air, or disrespect it in any way (as judged by me), I will be sending some of my friends from where I grew up to pay them a visit. And for the record, I grew up in the slums of Miami. The city which I currently live and work in. And have my whole life. Just putting that out there. I have no problem with you choosing another school. However, The U is bigger than any one kid ever will be. Never think twice about the repercussions of messing around with it.
This is Miami. We will continue to TRULY recruit the top 1 percent of the top 1 percent to play here. Kids will not only become better players, but they will develop in to men. My name is Randy Shannon and we are The U.”
Wow. I made it up and I still get shivers thinking about it. This would definitely scare some recruits off. It might scare some parents off. It would definitely cause a message board meltdown.
To that I say good. If a kid heard this and didn’t want to come or accept it as a challenge then he probably isn’t a Miami-type of kid.
Deep down, this is what a Miami kid wants. They want to prove themselves. They want nothing handed to them. They want to become men. They want to win like men. If that means we take a 3 star instead of a 5 star, fine by me. I don’t care how many people have heard of them before they get to school. I care about how many people know who they are when they leave.
Well, I don’t know about you, but I am psyched for the roughly 323 “trick or treat” references the are sure to come during a game matching teams whose primary colors are orange and black AND after anything close to a trick play.
Speaking of excited, let’s take it down a notch on the message boards 'Cane fans. After the loss to Clemson, I learned that Randy Shannon will never be anything more than an 8 win coach, Sean Spence is too small and too slow to play linebacker, every assistant coach needs to be fired, Shannon is really just using the ‘Canes as part of his plan to become a highly paid defensive coordinator at a big-money school, Jacory Harris is the 5th best quarterback in the ACC and the ‘Canes are going to lose out. All of these taken directly from fan message boards…and these are the better boards that I read.
I think everyone is losing sight of the fact that Miami, while it did make a lot of mistakes, was beaten by three in overtime by a talented team, despite committing 4 turnovers and being without several key players. It was a bad loss, but it was not as terrible as it felt. It was the type of game that had the ‘Canes won those same message boarders would be writing about the virtues of Jacory’s calm under pressure and the development of Shannon as a head coach. Those three points, in the eyes of many fans, now serve as the difference between a young, promising program going nowhere but up and a program stuck in the mud.
The reality is that Miami has to put that gut punch loss behind it. The energy around the program turned sour very quickly thanks to the loss, and that is yet another problem to overcome. It is, after all, hard to win when even your biggest fans are telling you how much you suck.
Wake Forest is a tough, well coached team. This will not be a walkover for the ‘Canes, especially when you couple the discipline of the Deacons with their anger coming off two consecutive losses.
So here is the breakdown of what will be a tougher game then most people like to see, message board style.
Quarterback: A message boarder would say that Jacory is an overrated beneficiary of the U on his helmet and that Riley Skinner is by far a better decision maker and therefore quarterback. The reality is that Jacory has been outstanding. He has some turnover issues, but these are created by hanging on to the ball too long while he tries to get the ball downfield. It is a problem, but it is a better problem to have than, say, a quarterback with happy feet. Skinner is definitely solid, boasting a 16-9 touchdown to interception ratio and a ranking inside the Top 20 in national passer rating. EDGE: Miami
Running Back: A message boarder would say that Damien Berry is good and the rest of the backs suck. Bring on Lamar Miller! The reality is that Berry has been the homerun hitter, but both Coop and Baby J have been solid every down workhorses who have the ability to break off a long run. Coop will be the workhorse, as Baby J is out this week, but all three have played well and deserve the carries they will get. Berry , Mike James and Lee Chamber swill have to step up to fill the void. Wake Forest has a steady run game lead by Josh Adams and Kevin Pendergrass; Pendergrass can go the distance. EDGE: Miami
Receivers: A message boarder would say that the crew is underperforming. Why can’t LaRon Byrd who up every game? Why is Aldarious so fragile? Why is Hankerson so slow? Benjamin runs awful routes? This is called “not seeing the forest for the trees”. At least one receiver has been a stud in each game, and the fact that one has not been the clear cut go to guy is more a product of injuries and matchups than anything else. Strength in numbers is the takeaway lesson here. Wake’s Marshall Williams is their biggest homerun threat, and he will make some big plays. EDGE: Miami
Offensive Line: Message boarders would say that the whole group is terrible. In reality, there aren’t any individual studs, but the unit has played very well against teams like Oklahoma and Clemson, so it isn’t all bad even though it isn’t pretty. The problem is that they played down to the level of UCF. I have no idea what they will do this week, but I do know that Wake’s o-line is giving up 2.5 sacks per game and and their scoring offense ranks 83rd in the nation. EDGE: Even
Defensive Line: Message boarders would say that they are all too weak, get no push and should be replaced by true freshmen next year (great logic, right?). Reality is that while Bailey and Marcus Robinson have played well consistently, the line is not at a point yet where it can generate pass rush on its own on every play. It just isn’t. Wake, on the other hand, features John Russell on their line and that’s about it. EDGE: Even
Linebackers: Message boarders would say that Arthur Brown is a bust already (after just over 1.5 seasons) and the already overrated linebackers are screwed without Spence, who is the most overrated. Reality is that the ‘Canes are definitely hurt without Spence (a missile) and Jordan Futch (a crazy person) but will be alright if Ramon Buchanan and Brown can combine to be nothing more than effective taking Spence’s snaps. Wake is lead by Dominique Midgett, but Miami still has McCarthy and Sharpton to bang in the run game. EDGE: Miami
Secondary: Message boarders would say that this is the worst secondary in Miami history and that none of these guys have any business starting because they are not Ed Reed. Well, it is true they are not Ed Reed. It is ridiculous to expect that. Lost in the confusion last week is that the secondary played pretty well, and that it was the linebackers that got shredded in pass coverage. Brandon Harris is a stud, but the safeties have yet to be tested much in coverage (meaning we know NOTHING about their skills). Wake is lead by Kenny Okoro at corner and Cyhl Quarles back deep. They will, as always, be well coached and disciplined in their schemes. EDGE: Even
Special Teams: Message boarders would say we have no kicker and no coverage. True, the coverage sucks. But the kicker thing is ridiculous. Bosher is the best in the coneference if not the country when it comes to field goals, and he has been great punting as well. Not his fault he’s the best cover guy. BIG EDGE: Miami
Coaching: Grobe is a better gameday coach than Shannon at this point. EDGE: Wake
GUEST PICKER: Last week, Trent nailed it to give the guest two in a row. One more, that’s called a winning streak. It has happened before.
This week, I’m stayin’ in the family and giving my little brother Billy (who is in a frat) another shot at picking the game. Take it away Billy!
"We, the readership, have eagerly waited; actually that may just have been me, but finally Stein on the Sidelines comes back to it roots. Its very simple big brother, when I put a prediction in the universe, it comes into fruition (like when he picked Ole Miss to steam roll South Carolina).
Auburn, Alabama: A border town of nice boutiques, Atlanta’s finest co-eds who are incapable of garnering acceptance into UGA (naturally creating a jealous hatred of the black and red), and a football program that ranks second in Alabama in everything.
Auburn is steeped in culture nonetheless. They are so close to Ole Miss in off field tradition, in fact, they even stole a back stabbing, c#$% sucking coach from us . They do it right there, from the barbecue to frocketed t-shirts.
Now let’s get down to the facts. The two are coming into this game on opposite ends of the “We need to win this game to prove something” spectrum. Auburn is riding a three game losing streak after starting out 5-0. Ole Miss, on the other hand, has won their last two .
A month ago I would have realistically given Gene Chizik’s squad the upper hand over the Rebs. However, these are both completely different teams from a month ago.
Last weekend The Tigers were incapable of running the football against the Tigers. Chris Todd was intercepted twice, and the Tiger defense was incapable of stopping Jarrett Lee from taking their last drive to the house.
Bayou Cajuns pucker your butt hole: I’m sorry, but Jarrett Lee? I thought he was run out of Red Stick permanently after the "Magnolia Bowl Blunder" last season (I am not even sure what he means by that, but whatever blows his little skirt up).
The Rebels are back on the road for the first time since the Vanderbilt game. I’m sorry to say I can’t recap that one; I hid the TV clicker so no one could interrupt me watching Miami beat Oklahoma (BOOM). But the Rebels have looked sharp the last two games after suffering an embarrassing loss to Alabama at home.
I anticipated an offensive outpouring against Alabama-Birmingham, which is exactly what I got. Note to Heisman voters: UAB’s quarterback has mine, that guy is impossible to take down.
Everybody finished chuckling? I figured that would be nicer to them than saying the token UAB fans in Oxford were very possibly ugliest couple I have ever seen.
In real games, the Ole Miss offensive line finally gave Snead time to throw the ball, and when he has time, he can make things happen. Coach Nutt finally used Dexter McCluster in his proper all-purpose role, gaining about half of our 550 offensive yards himself.
The Hungry Landshark D is the X-factor for the Rebels. They’re too fast and too stout for The Auburn offense. In order for Auburn to win the War Eagle better clip Greg Hardy during its flight; he’ll most assuredly hurt something enough not to play. Since I don’t reckon that’ll happen, the boys from Dixie are coming into town and there is blood in the water.
Ole Miss 27- Auburn 20
Side note: There was never a need to rename the rivalry game between Ole Miss and LSU the “Magnolia Bowl.” The most important game of our season now makes us sound like a floral company. I know the guy who headed the committee to change it; I can only guess by now he’s been killed in action by his own troops (well constructed reference, Billy, well constructed). Hotty Toddy."
MY PICKS: Last week I went 6-5 to up the record to 23-28. I also missed my sixth straight upset special. I think we showed signs of progress. We just have to keep practicing hard and build from week to week.
Virginia Tech over UNC: Well, the Heels couldn’t hold a three score lead at home vs. Florida State in primetime. Do I think they will beat the Hokies on the road in primetime? No.
West Virginia over USF: Screw your USF. Two weeks in a row. Screw you.
Georgia Tech over Vanderbilt: Do I think that they are the best team in the ACC? No. Am I pumped to watch them destroy and SEC team? Hell yes.
Tennessee over South Carolina: Tennessee by a field goal. Also, I am smirking to myself as I write this.
Duke over UVA: Don’t laugh, Duke is playing good football and Virginia is beat up after that game against Tech.
USC over Oregon: Too much hype around the Ducks. Let's not forget what happened to the Ducks when they played a fast, talented, physical Boise State team. If I were the Trojans, I'd stay away from the postgame handshake. Sorry Tim.
Oklahoma State over Texas: Upset special number one; call it Upset Special Lite. Oklahoma State will do just enough to knock off a Texas team that is begging for it on the road at night.
And here it is…the UPSET SPECIAL: Georgia over Florida
Wishful thinking? Definitely. Unlikely? Well, it wouldn’t be the upset special if it weren’t. But Florida is not playing well on offense, and Georgia ain’t Arkansas or Mississippi State. If Georgia can score a few touchdowns, watch out. Sports Illustrated cover: TRICKED!
Well, that was a rough Week 4 for Stein on the Sidelines.
Let’s get right in to the carnage that was Miami vs. Virginia Tech.
Pre Game
It is raining buckets in Blacksburg. Not good. Not good at all. Why? Well, Miami has been relying on their speed and athleticism. Which is nullified when the players cannot plant and drive.
Bonus: On top of the rain, we get Sean McDonough and Matt Millen for this one. I think I can see Matt Millen’s excitement over Laron Byrd from here. Seriously, we need to put this guy on the Service Academy circuit. There’s no way he could possibly find a receiver there. Right? Right???
I see Miami is wearing the white over green. Uh-oh. We never play well in big games when we wear green. I was praying for the Storm Trooper white over white. My stomach hurts.
The added benefit of being on ABC is getting to see the promos for ABC’s awful new lineup. Can’t wait. Modern Family would be chuckle-worthy, except for the fact that almost every funny moment is spoiled by the promos. And the rest…well…how should I say this?
1st QTR
-Jacory Harris picks up right where he left off, finding Leonard Hankerson for a nice third down conversion.
-Wait, why are we running these extended handoff plays? Why are we running a stretch play to the short side on 3rd down? Is Patrick Nix back? What is going on?!?!?!?!?!? Somebody answer me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (this is one of my Ari Gold moments that I have every game, only internally; the answer is yes, there are ulcers in my family)
-To make things better, Jacory gets hit on a corner blitz (hmmm…this is the second time he has been sacked this season and both are on corner blitzes…think Oklahoma will notice?) and fumbles. Alright, that’s fine, the defense will come up big.
-Tech drives down the field and Miami forces a field goal on a nice play by Vaughn Telemaque in
the end zone…but wait…pass interference…ya know, sometimes I wonder why we even use defensive backs, because they get called for pass interference every time. Maybe we should try to blitz 11, like on Tecmo Bowl when you predicted the other team’s play.
-Virginia Tech scores a touchdown after the penalty. (7-0 VT)
-Miami calls for an awful run play on 3rd down…seriously…is Nix signaling plays to Whipple. Is Whipple acting as Nix’s host right now, like in Men in Black? Egads.
-Tech almost fumbles the fair catch, but they manage to hang on to the ball. If we are going to win this game, it is becoming readily apparent that we will need some good breaks. That would have been one.
-Tech gets a play overturned on a challenge…another break for them…
-Quickly followed by a 48 yard touchdown pass on a ball that was underthrown for the receiver BUT hit him in stride anyway because Chavez Grant slipped and fell. Oh dear. (14-0 VT)
-Miami runs a 2nd and long play straight in to the line…with no lead blocker…against an attacking defense…seriously, how is this happening?
-Miami runs a 3rd down screen play to Cooper…I am at a complete and total loss…
2nd QTR
-Virginia Tech muffs a punt and Kendall Thompkins dives on it. MIAMI BALL!
-And Matt Pipho gets literally pushed over by the defensive end. The resulting sack kills the drive that began in amazing field position (the sack + Jason Fox’s false start). Well, that’s just awesome.
-Kelsey Grammar isssssssssss HANK! Part of ABC’s new fall comedy lineup!
-Tyrod Taylor is having his way with the Miami D. So far, the attacking defense seen against Georgia Tech is gone, replaced by a reactive, unimaginative defense that is swarming to the ball 8 yards past the line of scrimmage, not 3 yards behind. Well, our big play offense can bail us out. Wait, what happened to our big play offense?
-Brandon Harris takes a smart pass interference that saves a long touchdown.
-Millen just said that Ryan Williams “runs well with his eyes”. This is the new hot phrase for commentators this year. He runs well with his freakin’ feet. Let’s not kid ourselves. No one runs with their God damn eyes. That’s like saying “Pedro Martinez is pitching well with his brain tonight”.
-Tech misses a field goal… Mark Whipple will definitely go for the kill shot here to put us right back in it.
-A RUN PLAY ON 3RD AND 4? WHAT THE F#$% IS GOING ON? WHAT TEAM IS THIS???
-And lo and behold, Virginia Tech, masters of Beamer Ball, Kings of Special Teams, block a punt and score a touchdown. Did we not KNOW that they block punts? Who is coaching special teams, Eddie? (21-0 VT)
-I wonder aloud with my dad whether Whipple is refusing to change the strategy because he feels his plays are so good that they should be working and it’s the players’ fault that they aren’t. The Tech defense is destroying everything he calls, and yet he has not adapted. He is either worse than we thought (which I tend to disagree with) or is trying to prove a point.
-Miami runs on 2nd and long for a gain of 1.
-And Holly reports that Taylor takes advice from Michael Vick. Would love to hear that conversation.
HALFTIME
-GOD. DAMN. IT.
-“It’s the frickin’ green man. I’m tellin’ you, it’s a curse.” – Richard Stein
-My buddy Trent and I have the following text message exchange:
Trent: Why can’t we tackle?
Me: Or cover?
Trent: Or run?
Me: Or block?
Trent: Or catch?
3rd QTR
-Cooper starts the half with a 39 yard return, across midfield.
-Hankerson and Byrd make big catches…and Javarris in for the touchdown! Exactly the type of big play we needed. This team looks re-energized.(21-7 VT)
-Randy Phillips will miss the rest of the game. Sh!t. He is really our only reliable safety. Which means our weakest position is now without its best player. Great.
-Is it me, or does Adrian Peterson looks like he has shingles or a severe skin condition in this Nike ad? I think I am going with Under Armor…
-Miami gets the ball back quickly and has a huge drive going…Jacory to Byrd after eluding pressure…Jacory to Epps… Cooper for 13 yards…
-Jimmy Graham drops 2 balls and Miami turns it over on downs. The announcers than harp on this play for roughly 2 hours. More on this later.
-Tech FG (24-7 VT)
-We need a turnover…our punt hits the VTech up-man and is on the ground…scrum for the ball ANNNNNNDDDDDD…Tech has it. No bounces today.
-Somewhere in there Millen made a joke about McDonough paying for something, which Sean followed with “Why don’t you pay with all the money you STOLE from the Detroit Lions, Matt?”
-That that last part didn’t happen, but it would have been AWESOME, right?
4th QTR
-Taylor gets away with a ridiculous grounding call.
-Jacory throws a terrible pick. He had Byrd run a double-move that only works when the defender bites. Well, he didn’t bite, and Jacory threw it anyway. Sigh.
-Tech TD (31-7 VT)
-Don’t miss what critics are calling this year’s best “Lost” rip-off…Flash Forward!!
POSTGAME
-Well, that sucked. I have almost no notes for the 4th quarter…there was nothing worth writing.
-Jimmy Graham is going to be the scapegoat for a lot of people, and that is unfair. Everyone played a bad game, and the team lost as a team. We will need Jimmy at some point this season, and I hope he bounces back. As I have said before, he is a great kid and has worked his ass off to become a weapon for this team so quickly. He played no worse than Jacory or Spence, and they are two of our best players. To be honest, Mark Whipple probably had the worst game of anyone for Miami.
-Not much else to say. I tip my hat to the Hokies, who came out and just rocked the ‘Canes in every aspect of the game. There was never really a moment when Miami had legit shot of winning, and Tech made sure to squash any spark of hope.
-At least Miami should be angry for the Sooners next week.
The Morning After
-First of all, let me say that this loss still hurts a lot and I am disappointed in the way the team played. However, let’s not lose sight of its significance. This is only the 3rd game of the season, and the third time in a row the team had to get pumped up to play a very dangerous opponent. That takes an emotional toll on a young team. The team still has the same problems that it had coming in to the season. There are over 50 players listed as freshmen and sophomores on the roster. That is a huge number. There is no dependable depth, particularly at key positions such as offensive line and safety. The secondary plays as four separate pieces instead of one larger one, and special teams, particularly kick coverage, is spotty. This was always going to be a 2 or 3 loss team that really hit its stride late. Early success changed expectations, and everyone SHOULD want to go undefeated. But this is not a team that was going to realistically compete for a national title, not with the weakness of the upper classes on the roster. It is still a dangerous young team, and there are many good days ahead of it. But there are also going to be a few more bad ones.
-I have decided that the offense reminds me of the scene in “Pulp Fiction” with The Wolf. Jacory is the Wolf, and the rest of the team is Jules and Vincent. The Wolf is always calm, even when things are going badly (sounds like Jacory to me). As long as The Wolf is calm and Quentin Tarantino’s wife doesn’t come home, then Jules and Vincent are calm and collected and can get their job done. However, as calm as The Wolf is, if Quentin’s wife comes home from her shift as a nurse to find them cleaning up their mess (the dead body; for the purpose of this analogy, we can use Miami’s thin offensive line as the “mess”), they are all screwed. Well, against Virginia Tech The Wife came home. Jacory remained calm, but Virginia Tech’s blitz was the wife coming home too early and catching Jules and Vincent (the rest of the offense) trying to clean their mess; the result was a panic from Jules and Vincent that completely undermined the calm of The Wolf. I hope that made sense to everyone else, because it made sense to me.
-On defense, how does John Lovett not adjust at halftime? He should have been blitzing everyone, daring Taylor to beat us with his arm, which he never really did. That’s what Tech did in the first half, and Lovett saw it. I understand sticking to his game plan in the first half, but after watching Tech blow up our offense with the blitz in the first half, didn’t he think we could maybe do the same to them in the second? Or at least try it? Snarl.
Other Games I Watched
-Ole Miss vs. South Carolina: Not a good weekend for the Stein boys. Jevan Snead looked about as coordinated as Larry David trying to open his GPS.
-Nevada vs. Mizzou: As uninteresting as it sounds.
-UNC vs. Georgia Tech: Tech proved that they are indeed better than they showed against Miami. Or maybe UNC is just overrated. Whatever. Looks like another year of ACC cannibalization.
-Wisconsin vs. MSU: Flashbacks of the 9 year prison sentence that was my time in Green Bay. I flipped the channel really quickly. But I will take this time to say hello to my friend Doug that chose to study abroad in Kenya of all places (he goes to Madison). Congrats Douggie, Da Badgers are slightly less mediocre than Sparty!!!
-Yale vs. Cornell: Hey, it was on, ok? I don’t feel like I should have to defend myself for giving this game its due 5 minutes…
-Southern Miss vs. Kansas: Honestly, not much to say here.
-Indiana vs. Michigan: Or here.
-Auburn vs. Ball State: Or here.
Best Game: Iowa vs. Penn State, from what I understand. I really couldn’t bring myself to watch more football after the Miami game.
Best Uniform: Oregon, against all odds, in the throwbacks.
Game Ball Goes To: Bud Foster, Virginia Tech Defensive Coordinator. He made a great offense look silly. Well done. Prettay, prettaaay, prettaaaay, prettaaaay, prettay good (that’s 2 Curb references; I feel like Stein on the Sidelines is singlehandedly going to be responsible for the success of the current season).
Worst Uniform: Miami, white over green. Not the worst looking, but we already discussed this.
Brian Rolle “Should’ve Been a ‘Cane” Award: Charles Clay, Tulsa. Clay is a big combo back for the Golden Hurricane and is extremely productive. We recruited him as an underrated linebacker out of Arkansas and lost out to…Tulsa?? What the hell? Anyway, we could certainly use as many big, physical linebacker/running back prospects as possible.
Non-BCS Name You Should Know: Deandre Brown, Southern Miss. Stud wide receiver. If he played at an SEC school, which he could have, he would be a household name like Julio Jones or A.J. Green.
Madison or any other snobby, huge state school. If you're from the state, you really don't have to be all that great to get in. Not a dummy, but probably not winning awards as a student either. I know people that went to Madison (I went to high school in Wisconsin) that were very smart and could have gotten in a lot of other places (that's for you Doug). I know a lot of dumbasses that went there that wouldn't have gotten in to any good schools out of state but got in to Madison because they had decent numbers and were residents (Doug, I think we both know who I am talking about). And since 90% of these state schools are comprised of in-staters...you can put two and two together. Listen, they're good schools. I went to Miami. Another good school, but not elite. I would never compare Miami to Stanford or Harvard. I am very content that my education was great without that comparison. Why can't these people just be the same way?
Madison or any other snobby, huge state school. If you're from the state, you really don't have to be all that great to get in. Not a dummy, but probably not winning awards as a student either. I know people that went to Madison (I went to high school in Wisconsin) that were very smart and could have gotten in a lot of other places (that's for you Doug). I know a lot of dumbasses that went there that wouldn't have gotten in to any good schools out of state but got in to Madison because they had decent numbers and were residents (Doug, I think we both know who I am talking about). And since 90% of these state schools are comprised of in-staters...you can put two and two together. Listen, they're good schools. I went to Miami. Another good school, but not elite. I would never compare Miami to Stanford or Harvard. I am very content that my education was great without that comparison. Why can't these people just be the same way?
