1) It is SUNDAY, MAY 25. Click on Random Evidence for today's latest Sunday notes-column package, leading with Heat and the good noise/bad noise forever surrounding LeBron James. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat Hater poll, Mark Cuban's firestorm, Landon Donovan's exclusion, Dolphins rookie camp, illegal parking & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Instagram and Vine.
Click on The Closing Kings for my column from the arena off last night's Heat win. The start was sluggish but the ending sublime. Again.
THESE HEAT PLAYOFF TRUTHS WE MAY HOLD TO BE SELF-EVIDENT: Taking stock a dozen games into the Heat's postseason run and in the heart of the Eastern finals, with Miami up 2-1 on Indiana:
1. LeBron James (28.6 points) is the NBA's postseason MVP if Tim Duncan isn't, and the two are headed for a Finals rematch showdown. The team tends to mirror LeBron's slow starts, but also his big finishes.
2. Dwyane Wade looks as good the past four games as in any such stretch we can recall of late, a testament to the team's season-loing "maintenance" strategy. He isn't doing much on the defensive end, but offensively he is recalling his vigorous prime.
3. If anybody sees Chris Bosh, please turn him in to Lost & Found. Corner 3's have replaced the low post for him; no matter. How can a man that tall get so few rebounds? Wake up, dude.
4. Ageless Ray Allen earns every penny and every ounce of his Hall of Fame cred with bursts like last night's. What a gift for the Heat.
5. Norris Cole is more valuable to the team right now than starting point guard Mario Chalmers.
6. Not always sure why, but Miami is very good with Rashard Lewis rotated in. Last night the Heat was plus-21 in his 17 minutes even though Lewis himself had zero points.
7. Chris (Birdman) Andersen is averaging more rebounds and blocks than Bosh in barely over half the minutes. Tattoo You, as the Stones once said.
8. Michael Beasley and Greg Oden should hold daily CA meetings. Commisserators Anonymous.
9. Erik Spoelstra is really, really good.
G3: HEAT 99, INDIANA 87: BIG SECOND HALF LIFTS MIAMI: LeBron James' 26 points, Dwyane Wade's 23 -- his fourth straight big offensive game this postseason -- and Ray Allen's 16 off the bench carried Miami in its second-half rally tonight. I'd also mentiom Rashard Lewis. He had zero points, but Miami was plus-21 in his 17 minutes; him in the game sparked the team. Heat now up 2-1 and in charge entering Game 4 back here Monday night. The resolve and resourcefulness of this team continues to amaze. Miami trailed 17-4 early, never led until the third quarter, but found a way, as it usually does. Click on The Closing Kings for my column off the game. ..... Original post: Series came out of Indiana 1-1 but Miami is 5-0 at home in this postseason. Keep that record pristine and the Heat will be sitting 3-1 and in control after tonight's and Monday's bayside dates. That would put Miami in great shape to make this the NBA-record fifth series in a row they've won after losing the opener. Charles Barkley said this week that Miami's fans aren't very good in explaining why he hopes LeBron James returns to Cleveland. Hmm. Here's betting Heat fans will look and sound pretty damn good tonight inside the downtown bayside arena. Paul George, who had a mild concussion, is OK'd to play for the Pacers. That's big because Indiana without him (maybe even with him) just does not have the offensive firepower to match the Heat when Miami is playing well. LeBron James is having an MVP-caliber postseason and, after a three-day series rest, it says here he is due a breakout game offensively. Thinking mid-30s-plus. Dwyane Wade also has strung together three straight games that are vintage, all of that regular season "maintenance" paying off. It'll be interesting to see what coach Erik Spoelstra does with that fifth starting spot -- whether Udonis Haslem or Shane Battier is called. We also could see Greg Oden deployed briefly in his first playoff appearance since April 30, 2009. He back spasms have gone away; "I'm ready," he said. Not sure if that will matter much tonight. Also not sure the Pacers' impressive showing on the road in this postseason will bear fruit. Home-floor adrenaline and a big night from LeBron should carry the Heat.
Heat Postseason MVP Standings (updated): We name 'Heat 3 Stars' after every playoff game and award points on 3-2-1 basis. Tonight: 1. Dwyane Wade, 2. LeBron James, 3. Ray Allen. The updated standings through 12 playoff games, including tonight: LeBron James 28 points, Dwyane Wade 21, Chris Bosh 9, Ray Allen 8, Chris Andersen 2, Norris Cole 2, James Jones 2.
Poll result: Barkley leads Anti-Heat parade: In the previous blogpost we invited you to name the biggest Anti-Heat person in the national media (you may still vote), and Charley Barkley was the choice of 50.5 percent, followed by Bill Simmons at 23.9% and Skip Bayless at 15.8%. Jon Barry, Michael Wilbon and "other" split the remaining votes.
SEMINOLES DOMINATE KIPER'S FIRST '15 BIG BOARD: Mel Kiper Jr.'s first top-25 "Big Board" previewing the 2015 NFL draft is out, and No. 1 on it is Florida State quarterback Jameis "Crab Legs" Winston. Florida Gator DE Dante Fowler is 8th. Three other Noles make it: OG Tre Jackson, 15th; CB P.J. Williams, 17th; and DEMario Edwards, 23rd. Nary a Hurricane to be found.
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1) It is SATURDAY, MAY 3. I'm back at Random Evidence Laboratories luring Sunday's notes-column package. 2) R.I.P., Al Feldstein, 88, creative genius behind Mad magazine, one of the comedic mainstays of my early youth. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Silver hammer pounds Sterling with Heat reaction and poll result, Jameis Winston's purloined crabs, Bruce Springsteen concert & more. 4) Join us Twitter @gregcote.
Heat held hostage; wait continues: Brooklyn's win vs. Toronto last night forcing a Game 7 on Sunday continues the Heat's wait for its second-round foe. That second-round will begin Tuesday night in Miami vs. the Nets-Raptors winner. Click on Thrill Ride for my latest column, on the Heat waiting out the wild first round -- one that will feature a record five Game 7s.
"I'd like to announce that, effective immediately, Donald Sterling has been banned for life from reading this blog." --Greg Cote
ONE WEEK AWAY, WHAT PLAYER SHOULD DOLPHINS BE TARGETING FOR NO. 1 DRAFT PICK?:One week from today -- finally -- the pregnant NFL will be giving birth to its annual draft and Dolfans will be praising/bemoaning the team's top pick. The draft is two weeks later than usual, which means media blowhards have had more time to offer the incessant speculation known as Mock Drafts, and teams have had more time to overanalyze a process that, bottom line, remains a marriage of educated guess and fingers-crossed gamble. This draft more than most is an unsettled mystery, with the quarterback position a prime example. There also is mystery surrounding what the Dolphins will do with the 19th overall pick. Will the need on the offensive line yield to "best available talent"? Will there be a trade up or down? Only GM Dennis Hickey knows, and, one week out, maybe even he doesn't yet have a clue. I offer this poll as a pulse-read on how Dolfans are thinking one week away. The alphabetical list of seven candidates is culled from reasonable speculation based on position need, what we are seeing in major mocks, and what Herald sources are saying. Some on the list may be gone by 19 and could require a trade-up. This poll is not asking you to predict what Miami will do, but asking what player you'd most like to see Miami get, even if it meant a small trade-up. I'll reserve my specific thoughts for my annual Mock Draft coming next week. For now, it's your turn. Vote and say why.
Dolphins GM Hickey on draft: New Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey held a pre-draft news conference yesterday and skillfully told the media next to nothing, but verbosely. This showed he is adapting well to his job. "I'm not going to comment on specific positions." Alrighty then! Hickey did say they'll be "exploring all options" in terms of trades up or down, said "the draft day should be calm," and raved about the Canes on the team's UM Pro Day, saying, "We would love to keep a lot of that home-grown talent here in Miami." Hickey, the Silver Fox, also said he'd nominate Leslie Nielsen to portray him in a movie --problematic only because Neilsen died in 2010.
HEAT'S BIRDMAN RECYCLES 'BIRDZILLA': The Heat's human tattoo Chris Andersen announced the other day he wished to be called Birdzilla now, not Birdman, and of course the Heat media swooned with delight because Bird is a cartoon and because we are easily amused, especially by him. Should I rain on the aviary parade here by noting he also was called Birdzilla while playing in Denver? (See right). The phrase itself also is a recycle job. There is a Birdzilla.com devoted to birdwatching, and a BirdzillaStudios.com, too. A 2007 episode of Monsterquest was entitled Birdzilla, and that also was a character in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Oh, and the phrase is spoofed all over the Internet (see left). Sorry, Chris, but Birdzilla is sort of, well, taken.
ON STANTON AND FERNANDEZ'S APRIL: I like where the Marlins are entering May, even at 13-14 through April. Their run differential of +21 is fourth-best in the majors, and Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Fernandez had opening months worthy of the attention of MLB history. Stanton's 31 RBIs tie for 10th best ever in April; the record is 36. And Fernandez's 55 strikeouts rank 13th al-time for the starting month; the record is 65. If Miami can figure out how to win a road game once in a while, this could be a promising season.
AL TURNS DOWN GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY: Showtime wanted to do a 13-week reality-documentary on Hurricanes football this coming season a la HBO's Hard Knocks series but UM said no thanks, as first reported by TheBigLead.com. I get coach Al Golden's decision. A TV crew constantly around your program with special access can't help but be a distraction. Then again, Showtime is known for quality work and it might have been a great chance to grow The U brand, sort of a three-month free ad to attract recruits. Also, ex-Cane Ray Lewis would have been heavily involved, assuring a Cane-friendly rather than adversarial approach. While respecting Golden's decision, I think I'd have green-lighted this. You?
THANK YOU, JAMEIS WINSTON!: See, this is perfect. The rape allegation against him -- no, that was notproper fodder for mocking. It was too serious. There was a victim. But swiping 32 bucks worth of crab legs from a Publix? Sweeeet! Thank you, Jameis. I mean, if you're going to shoplift, don't make it a modest essential like rice 'n beans or toilet paper. No, make it a luxury item like crab legs! Your Friend The Internet has loved this, as illustrated by two of my favorite mockeries presented here.
RIHANNA'S PIERCED NIPPLES MUST BE FREE!: The singer Rihanna, whose affinity for nudity makes Miley Cyrus seem like a nun, posed topless on the cover of Lui, a French men's magazine, and is now at war with Instagram, which said they'd nix her account unless she removed the offending photos. I gratuitously share the magazine cover here, but with Rihanna's nipples pixilated so I don't get one of Those Calls from a nervous editor. By the way, have you ever had your nipples pixilated? Sounds like something that would tickle!
NEW KEITH RICHARDS: Anybody who loves reggae like me may enjoy this new long jam that starts with a new version of Keith Richards' 1992 song "Words of Wonder" and segues into the Marley/Tosh/Wailers classic "Get Up, Stand Up." It features musicians from around the globe for a new album that is a project of PlayersForChange.com. Enjoy.
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1) It is WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30. ICYMI, click on The Perfect Quarterback for our column on the death of Dolphins icon Earl Morrall. It generated a voluminous positive reaction. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat-Charlotte Game 4, Donald Sterling poll, RIP Dr. Jack, Dolphins draft, Herald building, Panthers firing, Jeff ireland, NCAA odds & more. 3) Join us Twitter @gregcote.
Crab theft sacks Winston: Man the folks over at TMZ are en fuego. Just days after breaking the Donald Sterling/racist tape story, they report here that Florida State has booted two-sport star Jameis Winston off the baseball team after a charge that he stole crab legs from a grocery store.
SILVER HAMMER! CLIPPERS OWNER BANNED FOR LIFE, FINED MAXIMUM: New NBA commissioner Adam Silver (pictured) wasn't fooling around yesterday. At a news conference in New York he banned Clippers owner Donald Sterling "for life" for racist views expressed in an audiotape -- views that outraged players throughout the league. Silver also fined Sterling $2.5 million, the maximum allowed by the NBA Constitution. In addition, Silver said he would seek a three-fourths majority vote of NBA owners to force Sterling to sell the team. Click Silver Lining for my latest column, online and in today's inky pulp editions.
Poll result: You support tough sanctions against Sterling: We asked what the punishment should be for Sterling and most, 58.6 percent, said he should be made to sell team or relinquish power, while 20.8% said he should be suspended and/or fined. Another 16.9% said no punishment, that he has a right to his views, while 3.7% said an apoogy was enough. (You may still vote in our previous blogpost).
Heat react to decision: Heat players and others were among the NBA family reacting strongly and positively to Silver's actions Tuesday against Sterling. A sampling from Twitter: Owner Micky Arison: "Great job Adam.The NBA is in good hands. You have my full support." LeBron James: "Commissioner Silver thank you for protecting our beautiful and powerfukl league!! Great leader!!" Dwyane Wade: "Commissioner Silver....STRONG...way to take charge and protect our great league."
THE BOSS REIGNS IN SUNRISE: We saw Bruce Springsteen at the Panthers arena in Sunrise last night (posted a couple of Vines from it) and for me he lived up to and in some ways exceeded his legend's status. Stevie Van Zandt was not in the E Street Band last night but he was mostly missed visually with that iconic bandana. The sublime Tom Morello, from Rage Against the Machine et al, more than made up musically. Attendees, in the mosh pit near the stage, included Heat prez Pat Riley and his lookalike pal, actor Michael Douglas. [Background: This was my fourth Springsteen show. The first was his famous Orange Bowl gig in September 1985 on the Born in the USA tour, the next was his Ghost of Tom Joad acoustical tour at the smaller Sunrise Musical Theater in December 1996, and the previous was I think May 2008 back at the hockey arena on the Magic tour. I call myself a big Springsteen fan, though not a know-every-lyric-to-every-song worshipper]. Last night's show was weighted to non-radio hits, though he played enough of those to satisfy casual fans. Are there casual Springsteen fans, though? You get the feeling 90 percent of the fans at his shows are devotees wearing 30-year-old Springsteen T-shirts. No artist I have ever seen live connects better with his audience, and last night that was literally. He constantly walked among the crowd to sing and at one point fell backward into the floor-level throng and was slowly transported in that fashion at least 20 yards back to the stage, singing all the while. What a sight. What a show. There were so many signtaure songs Springsteen did not perform, including "Born In the USA" and "Glory Days," but nobody seemed to mind. It was three hours of verifying his nickname with energy and excellence: The Boss.
Springsteen setlist from last night: 1--Clampdown; 2--Badlands; 3--High Hopes; 4--No Surrender; 5--I Wanna Marry You; 6--Linda Let Me Be The One; 7--Boom Boom; 8--Hearts Of Stone; 9--Talk To Me; 10--Wrecking Ball; 11--Hungry Heart; 12--Save My Love; 13--The River; 14--Prove It All Night; 15--My Love Will Not Let You Down; 16--Darlington County; 17--Shackled and Drawn; 18--The Ghost of Tom Joad; 19--The Rising; 20--Land of Hope and Dreams. Encores: Highway To Hell; Born To Run; Dancing in the Dark; Tenth Avenue Freeze-out; Shout; The Wall; Thunder Road (video of latter below).
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1) It is SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14. Did you survive yesterday? The superstition and fear of Friday the 13th is sometimes called paraskevidekatriaphobia, and its believers triskaidekaphobes. 2) To the e-mailers asking, I have bunch of back-loaded vacation days I need to use before end of year. That's why I have had fewer columns lately. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat quarter-mark poll, Marlins trade, Dear Greg & more. 4) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
WINSTON DESERVES BENEFIT OF DOUBT AS HE MUCH AS HE DOES THE HEISMAN: Last night in New York they announced Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston as the landslide Heisman Trophy winner, as expected. He deserved it. He is the indispensable catalyst for the No.1 college football team in America. There are plenty who are bemoaning the vote result, though, and trying to apply an asterisk. These are the Moralists. They think that because Winston was investigated in a sexual assualt case -- never charged, let alone never convicted, but investigated -- that he does not merit the holy company of the Heisman. That's bulls---. The presumption of innocence applies here. There are two people on Earth who truly know if Winston is guilty or innoncent or the shades of gray that sometimes exist in between. Those two people do not include you or I.
UPSET BIRD DAY: WEEK 15 NFL PREDIX: DOLPHINS BEAT BRADY, BELICHICK: Patriots at Dolphins, in December, with playoffs on the line. Doesn't get much better than this, folks. (Dolfans, y'all better fill that damn stadium!) I like Miami in a home-'dog upset. Pats' luck in overcoming big deficits exposes a flawed team, now weaker with Rob Gronkowski's latest injury. Click on Week 15 Gems for full prediction capsules on the Dolphins and all other games, and on Broncos' Record Pursuit for our Friday Page NFL notes column. (Denver remains on pace to set the NFL scoring record even after last night). My week got off to a split start. I wrongly had Denver winning, but rightly had San Diego with the points.
MANNING BREAKS A MILLION HEARTS: You could almost hear it Thursday night. The air leaving a million deflated fantasy owners as their playoff hopes sank. Peyton Manning, consensus No. 1 scorer in fantasy football this season, managed only 17 points (at least in my league) last night, less than half of what his owners surely hoped.
Poll result: Heat three-peat hopes take a hit, but still buoyant: We asked in the last blogpost, at the quarter-mark of the NBA season, if you thought the Heat would win a third straight championship -- yes or no -- and 68.2 percent said yes. (You may still vote). We'd asked the same question just before the season started and then it was 83.0% yes.
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1) It is THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12. We're on the rack in the Friday Page Dungeon materializing our latest NFL predictions. Tonight's pick is Broncos (-10) over Chargers, 31-23; capsule here. 2) To the e-mailers who keep asking: I have bunch of back-loaded vacation days I need to use before end of year. That's why I have had fewer columns lately. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): College bowls poll, Lo-gone Morrison, Brady on Dolphins, Heat-Pacers, NFL Pix 'n Fantasy, final SOPY Top 20, Book of Mormon & more. 4) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
Dose o' Dolphins on pregame show: This Sunday's The NFL Today on CBS pregame show will feature a segment in which Dan Marino interviews Joe Philbin, Ryan Tannehill, Mike Wallace and Cam Wake.
Marlins swap outfielders: Marlins today traded Justin Ruggiano to the Cubs for Brian Bogusevic, 29, who batted .273 with six homers in 47 games with Chicago last season.
PULSE-READ: HEAT'S THREE-PEAT HOPES AT THE QUARTER MARK: There used to be a public-service TV ad aimed at bad parents. It went something like, "It's 10 p.m. Do you know where your kids are?" Here's my adaptation: "It's the one-quarter mark of the NBA season. Do your know where the Heat's three-peat hopes are?" I ran this poll prior to the season in late October, so it'll be interesting to compare results. Now, Miami is 16-6, with fresh evidence suggesting Indiana is better in the East. No fewer than three teams in the West have a better record. The Heat is dead-last in rebounding. Dwyane Wade's knees need more and more pampering. On the other hand, LeBron is still LeBron. Based on what you have seen through 22 games and what your gut is saying, answer the poll question as honestly as possible -- or as if you had a sizable bet on the answer, perhaps. Vote and say why.
Poll result: Canes, FSU lead bowls poll: We asked in the previous blogpost what college bowl interests you most, and dominant were Miami-Louisville (48.1 percent) and FSU-AUburn (41.1). Considering this is a MiamiHerald.com blog, this was nio surprise. In fact, it was a lousy poll idea. UCF-Baylor got 3.6%, Michigan State-Stanford 2.7%, Clemson-Ohio State 0.7% -- ouch, Orange Bowl! -- and "other" 3.8%.
THINGS GREG COTE THINKS BUT SELDOM SPEAKS ALOUD (one in a series): I have never seen a man driving a white Volkswagen Beetle.
"DEAR GREG...": "Your blog's OK, but would be much better if occasionally you would show a picture of an Elton John Russian nesting doll. Thank you." Dear Reader: Yeah, like they even make those!
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1) It is SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30. Hope y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! My turkey soup recipe is below. (Click on the image at right for the disturbing animated version). 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Thanksgiving Special, Bird Day NFL picks, Bullygate Thanksgiving video & more. 3) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
Significant Bullygate update: The Dolphins and suspended bully Richie Incognito reached an agreement to extend Incognito's team suspension with pay. This is significant. It positions Miami to reinstate Incognito if the findings of Ted Wells' NFL investigation make that plausible from a public relations standpoint. It had earlier been reported Incognito would never again play for Miami. Well, that no longer seems nearly as certain.
COLLBALL WEEK 14
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G12: Results are in on the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 78.0 percent overall satisfaction in the wake of Saturday's 41-31 victory at Pittsburgh putting Mami's final regular-season record at 9-3 overall and 5-3 in the ACC. That is UM's highest CSM rating since Week 6. (This is not the season-ending CSM poll; we'll have a final one after the bowl game). This is the fifth year for these polls in our blog. They are your invitation after every Hurricanes game to vote on your overall satisfaction with the team and season in a continuing weekly gauge of how UM football fans are feeling. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest you consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, program's direction, and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Polls never close, but results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that will be around 9 a.m. Sunday.
2013 Canesfan Satisfaction Meter
G1: 82.9% (19.9-very, 63.0-somewhat) following 34-6 victory vs. FAU.
G2: 96.7% (71.2-v, 25.5-s) following 21-16 victory vs. Florida.
G3: 95.7% (77.2-v, 18.5-s) following 77-7 victory vs. Savannah State.
G4: 97.6% (67.9-v, 29.7-s) following 49-21 victory at South Florida.
G5: 95.8% (60.4-v, 35.4-s) following 45-30 victory vs. Georgia Tech.
G6: 82.3% (41.8-v, 40.5-s) following 27-23 victory at North Carolina.
G7: 68.4% (31.2-v, 37.2-s) following 24-21 victory vs. Wake Forest.
G8: 65.7% (28.5-v, 37.2-s) following 41-14 loss at Florida State.
G9: 15.1% (4.7-v, 10.4-s) following 42-24 loss vs. Virginia Tech.
G10: 5.7% (2.5-v, 3.2-s) following 48-30 loss at Duke.
G11: 51.1% (6.2-v, 44.9-s) following 45-26 victory vs. Virginia.
G12: 78.0% (21.9-v, 56.1-s) following 41-31 victory at Pitt.
Next/Final poll: Following bowl game, date TBD
G12: HURRICANES @ PITT: Final: The bad news? UM's defense was spotty, especially against the run. The good news? Everything else. Stephen Morris threw for almost 300 yards, Stacy Coley had three long TD plays totaling 139 yards, and Allen Hurns had nine catches for 173 yards to cap a terrific regular season for him. With the win bowl-bound Miami still had a chance to sneak into the ACC title game vs. FSU, but that ended when Duke won Saturday. ..... Halftime: The Stacy Coley Show, starring Stacy Coley. TD passes of 32 and 34 yards and a 73-yard TD run are about all you need to know of Miami's easy first half and comfy lead. The scary thing? Coley should have four TDs; he dropped a perfect pass in the end zone. ..... Original post: National television on ABC. Freezing-cold weather. Regular- season finales with bowl positioning in play. Lots to like about today's Canes at Pittsburgh game. For 8-3 Miami, a narrow favorite, a win also could see The U creep back up into the polls and keep slim ACC title-game hopes alive. Panthers are 6-5, pretty good, but Canes should win if Stephen Morris masters the conditions and turnovers are not a factor. (Admittedly, a lot to ask). The Hurricanes, with a win, are projected to meet either Texas A&M in the Chick-fil-A Bowl (Atlanta) or Louisville in the Russell Athletic Bowl (Orlando). That means Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater, so UM had better pack its pass defense for the trip. But that's getting ahead of ourselves. Beat Pitt today, or the bowl stakes shrink. My pick was: Miami, 28-24.
Other Week 14 state FBS games, chronologically:
FAU 21, FIU 6: The annual rivalry for the Don Shula Trophy was more of a Nightmare Bowl this year. FIU was a miserable 1-10. FAU had lost its head coach to a drug-related scandal around midseason -- but rallied and became bowl-eligible today. Remember: You can't spell "bowl" with "OWL"! My pick was: FAU, 37-13.
No. 19 UCF 23, USF 20: The Knights are rolling to an AAC title and major BCS bowl game and wouldn't be stopped by the ornery Bulls, but this one took a late escape. My pick was: UCF, 28-7.
No. 2 Florida State 37, Florida 7: Was this where we were supposed to pretend that the rivalry and home field and pride and all that good stuff would somehow turn this into a competitive game? I wouldn't bet on it. Jameis Winston,under investigation in a sexual assault case, calls the field his "sanctuary" and continues to thrive despite the distraction. Was close for a long while, but then the FSU offensive dam burst as you knew it would. My pick was: FSU, 41-14.
Week 14 national Top 25 matchups (all Saturday):
No. 4 Auburn 34, No. 1 Alabama 28: Iron Bowl was the Game of the Week and fittingly ended with a thrill, a 106-yard Auburn TD return of a missed field goal. Nick Saban out-coached himself to lose another shot at a national title. My pick was: Alabama, 31-21.
No. 10 South Carolina, 31, No. 6 Clemson 17: This was first time in 111 meetings both had been top-10 as both Tigers and 'Cocks angled for a BCS bowl. My pick was: Upset. Clemson, 27-24.
No. 8 Stanford 27, No. 25 Notre Dame 20: Stanford drive to a Rose Bowl wouldn't be derailed by the Irish. My pick was: Stanford, 27-21 (one point from an exact score).
No. 5 Missouri 28, No. 21 Texas A&M 21: Mizzou needed the win for the SEC East title and got it at home. Johnny Manziel is now 0-4 against ranked teams this year. My pick was: Missouri, 38-31.
No. 22 UCLA 35, No. 23 Southern Cal 14: USC had won five straight this season under Ed Orgeron, and seven in a row at home in this rivalry. My pick was: Southern Cal, 27-20.
My record: This week, 6-3; season, 79-27.
UPSET BIRD DAY: WEEK 13 NFL PREDIX: DOLPHINS BEAT STINKIN' JETS: Dolphins a slight underdog at Jets Sunday but Geno Smith will find a way to see a Miami victory. Rivals might both be 5-6 but don't let the haters tell you it isn't a big game. Winner will still have a decent shot at an AFC wild-card playoff berth. Click on Week 13 Gems for full prediction capsules on the Dolphins and all other games, and on Outlook Cloudy for my NFL notes column, leading with the playoff picture. My week got off to a decent start with the Thanksgiving Day tripleheader; I went 2-1 straight-up and the same against the spread.
SAVE THE CARCASS! GREG'S TURKEY SOUP RECIPE:(Photo of soup taken on my kitchen counter, 2:45 p.m. Friday) To make stock, submerge turkey carcass in 3 quarts water. Rough-chop and add a handful each of celery, onion and carrots. Add 2 bay leaves, salt and pepper and teaspoon Cajun seasoning. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer at least 1 hour. Strain and reserve stock. Pick remaining meat from carcass and add to pot, along with 2 cups chopped leftover turkey, 1 cup of diced onion, 1 cup diced celery, 1/2 cup fined-diced carrots and 1 tablespoon dry Italian seasoning. Add 1 1/2 cups uncooked ditalini (white rice may be substituted). Stir, simmer until pasta is done. Stir in handful of fried onion crumbles, and S&P to taste. Serve. (Good now, better reheated tomorrow). Enjoy!
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1) It is SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23. In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): 4 Rights/4 Wrongs on 2013 Dolphins, remembering JFK 50 years later, NFL Week 12 predix & more. 2) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
Find UM-Virginia and other game summaries directly below CSM poll...
Collball Week 13
Home is where the games are: Miami -- twice. Gainesville. Tallahassee. Tampa. Orlando. Boca Raton. All across the peninsula, all seven state FBS teams are playing home games today. Maybe that has happened before, but I cannot recall when. Enjoy...
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G11: Results are certified in the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 51.1 percent overall satisfaction in the wake of Saturday's 45-26 victory versus Virginia putting Mami's season record at 8-3 overall and 4-3 in the ACC. This is the fifth year for CSM polls in our blog. These are your invitation after every Hurricanes game to vote on your overall satisfaction with the team and season in a continuing weekly gauge of how UM football fans are feeling. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest you consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, program's direction, and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Polls never close (you may still vote), but results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 9 a.m. today/Monday.
2013 Canesfan Satisfaction Meter
G1: 82.9% (19.9-very, 63.0-somewhat) following 34-6 victory vs. FAU.
G2: 96.7% (71.2-v, 25.5-s) following 21-16 victory vs. Florida.
G3: 95.7% (77.2-v, 18.5-s) following 77-7 victory vs. Savannah State.
G4: 97.6% (67.9-v, 29.7-s) following 49-21 victory at South Florida.
G5: 95.8% (60.4-v, 35.4-s) following 45-30 victory vs. Georgia Tech.
G6: 82.3% (41.8-v, 40.5-s) following 27-23 victory at North Carolina.
G7: 68.4% (31.2-v, 37.2-s) following 24-21 victory vs. Wake Forest.
G8: 65.7% (28.5-v, 37.2-s) following 41-14 loss at Florida State.
G9: 15.1% (4.7-v, 10.4-s) following 42-24 loss vs. Virginia Tech.
G10: 5.7% (2.5-v, 3.2-s) following 48-30 loss at Duke.
G11: 51.1% (6.2-v, 44.9-s) following 45-26 victory vs. Virginia.
Next poll: Nov. 29 following game at Pitt.
G11: HURRICANES 45, VIRGINIA 26: UM's beleaguered defense, goat of the losing streak, came through today, forcing four Virginia turnovers and turning two into TDs in Miami's comfortable win. Allen Hurns' 126 receiving yards highlighted the offensive side. ..... Original post: In a three-game losing streak that has sent Miami cascading from No. 7 in the polls to out of them altogether, the Canes defense has allowed 131 points and 1,609
yards. Awful. But here comes the cure: The really bad, 2-8 Virginia Cavaliers! At the risk of tossing a jinx out there, there is no way UM can lose this game, its home finale. Mediocre Pitt is next, so the Canes have a chance to finish 9-3 and get into a decent bowl even though ACC dreams have expired. It's Senior Day for QB Stephen Morris and the other graybeards, and I'd expect a big performance all over the field. My pick was: Miami, 45-10. (Nailed Canes' point total, at least).
Other Week 13 state FBS games:
No. 2 Florida State 80, Idaho 14: Noles plow on through the legal issues surrounding QB Jameis Winston, a distraction to them as Bullygate is to the Dolphins. Didn't matter here, though. Idaho is as bad as FSU is great. The Noles can't help but score. My pick was: FSU, 62-0.
Georgia Southern 26, Florida 20: Reeling Gators have now lost six games in a row, the previous two to Vanderbilt and then to Steve Spurrier. But losing to Georgia Southern? In the Swamp? A new low. I don't know how coach Will Muschamp survives this. My pick was: Florida, 34-0.
No. 18 UCF 41, Rutgers 17: Knights are rolling to AAC title and automatic BCS bowl spot, and this home Thursday nighter was barely a speed bump. My pick was: No pick. (Cost myself an easy win).
Marshall 48, FIU 10: Thought Thundering Herd would trample a really bad FIU. Sorry to say I was right. My pick was: Marshall, 58-16.
FAU 55, New Mexico State 10: The Owls are coming on and still have a shot at bowl eligibility. The visitors were plumb awful. My pick was: FAU, 38-13.
Southern Methodist 16, USF 6: SMU is mediocre. Bulls slightly worse, but we were ridin' the home 'dog. Bad idea. My pick was: Upset. USF, 23-17.
Off this week: None.
Week 13 national Top 25 matchups:
No. 22 LSU 34, No. 12 Texas A&M 10: Don't like Johnny Manziel personally, but immensely respect his talent. Still, LSU had not lost in Death Valley and was coming off a bye. In Les Miles I trusted. Bingo! My pick was: LSU, 34-31.
No. 19 Wisconsin 20, No. 25 Minnesota 7: Both teams were 8-2 but Badgers clearly were superior. My pick was: Wisconsin, 27-23.
No. 17 Arizona State 38, No. 14 UCLA 33: Bruins home, ranked higher but an underdog. Go figure. I couldn't. But should have. My pick was: Upset. UCLA, 28-24.
No. 8 Missouri 24, No. 24 Ole Miss 10: Mizzou one of the unheralded great teams. My pick was: Missouri, 37-24.
No. 10 Oklahoma State 49, No. 4 Baylor 17: Baylor's offense seemed unstoppable, but OSU had won six in a row, and Baylor hadn't won in Stillwater since 1939. (Nice pick by me, but I sure didn't expect a rout). My pick was: Upset. OSU, 31-30.
My record: So far this week, 8-3; season, 73-24.
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1) It is SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17. Watch for our new Dolphins-San Diego blogpost by mid-afternoon today. 2) Click on Random Evidence for today's Sunday notes-column package. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL/Dolphins Week 11 predix, Martin talks (says little), the gall of Incognito, Brazil-NASCAR poll result, Uncle Neil & more. 4) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
Brasil sets record!: Infatuated with last night's Brazil-Honduras soccer exhibition at Dolphins stadium? No? OK, but many were, 71,724 in fact, a state record for a soccer crowd. Brazil of course won comfortably, 5-0. But the story was the crowd. David Beckham must be smiling as he angles to bring an MLS team to Miami. Our status as a potentially great soccer market made its statement with an exclamation point last night.
COLLBALL WEEK 12
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G10: Results are certified in the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 5.7 percent overrall satisfaction in the wake of Saturday's 48-30 loss at Duke putting 23rd-ranked Miami'sseason record at 7-3 overall and 3-3 in the ACC. That's a season low. This is the fifth year for CSM polls in our blog. These are your invitation after every Hurricanes game to vote on your overall satisfaction with the team and season in a continuing weekly gauge of how UM football fans are feeling. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest you consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, program's direction, and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Polls never close (you may still vote), but results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 10 a.m. today/Monday.
2013 Canesfan Satisfaction Meter
G1: 82.9% (19.9-very, 63.0-somewhat) following 34-6 victory vs. FAU.
G2: 96.7% (71.2-v, 25.5-s) following 21-16 victory vs. Florida.
G3: 95.7% (77.2-v, 18.5-s) following 77-7 victory vs. Savannah State.
G4: 97.6% (67.9-v, 29.7-s) following 49-21 victory at South Florida.
G5: 95.8% (60.4-v, 35.4-s) following 45-30 victory vs. Georgia Tech.
G6: 82.3% (41.8-v, 40.5-s) following 27-23 victory at North Carolina.
G7: 68.4% (31.2-v, 37.2-s) following 24-21 victory vs. Wake Forest.
G8: 65.7% (28.5-v, 37.2-s) following 41-14 loss at Florida State.
G9: 15.1% (4.7-v, 10.4-s) following 42-24 loss vs. Virginia Tech.
G10: 5.7% (2.5-v, 3.2-s) following 48-30 loss at Duke.
Next poll: Nov. 23 following game vs. Virginia.
G10: DUKE 48, NO. 23 HURRICANES 30: AWFUL D AGAIN AS UM BLOWS ACC SHOT: Final: Awful. That is the word for Miami's defense today and the past three games, all losses. The three-game horror show: 131 points and 1,609 yards allowed. I think coach Al Golden's loyalty to defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio is being officially tested, or should be. Today was especially crushing because Virginia tech's loss earlier in the day meant UM was in control to reach the ACC title game and another shot at Florida State. Now, Miami needs a miracle to get that far. Goodbye, polls. This was the No. 7-ranked team three weeks ago. Then, a three-game defensive collapse that can only be called embarrassing. ..... Halftime: Miami's defense isn't good enough so far. Again. Duke has 252 yards in the first half including 172 on the ground. UM has everything to play for with Va-Tech's loss today. Must win. Offense doing OK. Defense better wake up fast; two of Duke's scoring drives were 75 yards each. ..... Original post: This is not your older brother's Duke. They don't suck. They're not about to bounce Coach K off the top of the campus sports marquee, but they are credible now. They compete. They win. In fact the Blue Devils have won five in a row to roll into this game with the same 7-2 record as Miami, and they'll be tough for the Canes today thanks to a very strong defense. UM arrives wounded by two straight losses that have turned a No. 7-ranked team to No. 23, and left ACC title-game hopes alive but shaky. UM must win out and hope Va-Tech loses. First things first. With the other Duke -- Johnson -- lost for the season, today will be a big test for QB Stephen Morris. Plainly his senior season has not been as good as his junior year was, and today the Canes need the best of Morris to avoid an upset. Here's what the Canes need even more than that: Defense! Miami in two straight losses has allowed 83 points and an abominable 1,066 yards. That's shades of 2012, when defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio spent the entire season running away from fans carrying torches and pitchforks. Duke's offense is milder, which is a good start. The Hurricanes need this game. A lot. My pick was: Miami, 31-23.
Other Week 12 state FBS games, in order of interest:
No. 10 South Carolina 19, Florida 14: The Ol' Ball Coach, Gamecock-y Steve Spurrier, faced his former team at its lowest. Florida was 4-5 after a home loss to Vanderbilt (!) and confronting its first losing season since 1979 as its scrambles to become postseason-eligible and play in the Piece O' Crap Bowl. Will Muschamp's job is on thinning ice, and now Tyler Murphy's injury could force the first career action for mellifluously named redshirt-freshman QB, Skyler Mornhinweg. My pick was : South Carolina, 23-16.
No. 2 Florida State 59, Syracuse 3: Here's how great FSU is: Syracuse wsn't bad (5-4 going in) and yet the Noles were favored by a ridiculous 37 1/2 points. Well, not so ridiculous. QB Jameis Winston played despite being implicated this week in a 2012 sexual assault for which he has not been charged. With FSU having already clinched a spot in ACC title game, I saw a perfunctory win. My pick was: Florida State, 41-17.
No. 17 UCF 39, Temple 36: Knights are rolling to AAC title and automatic BCS bowl spot, and wouldn't let a 1-8 Owls squad deter them. But they almost did! Wow. My pick was: UCF, 45-13.
UTEP 33, FIU 10: Conference USA bottom-feeders both were 1-8, but I thought Texas-El Paso's Miners might be even worse, with an El Putrid defense that had allowed an average of 43.5 points in its eight losses. What was I thinking? My pick was: Upset. FIU, 26-23.
FAU 41, Southern Miss 7: I hardly ever trust Florida Atlantic on the road. But, coming off a bye and facing a winless Southern Miss, I'm glad I took my chances. My pick was: FAU, 28-20.
Memphis 23, USF 10: Both teams were 2-6 and I felt favored Memphis was better, but I rolled with the home Bulls coming off a bye. My pick was: Upset. USF, 20-17.
Off this week: None.
Week 12 national Top 25 matchups:
No. 7 Auburn 43, No. 25 Georgia 38: Dawgs brought an upset shot, but thought Tigers two-way QB Nick Marshall would be to much to handle as Auburn avenged last year's 38-0 loss and stayed in charge in SEC-West. My pick was: Auburn, 34-27.
No. 12 Oklahoma State 38, No. 24 Texas 13: Texas had won six straigth and OSU five, and winner would stay alive for Big 12 title. Cowboys had won past two trips to Austin and thought they'd gouge Longhorns' run defense. OSU was healthier, too. My pick was: Oklahoma State, 30-24.
My record: This week, 6-3; season, 65-21.
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It is THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14. I'm deep down in the Friday Page Dungeon today summoning my latest NFL predictions. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins lose to Tampa Bay, DSM poll, Stephen Ross speaks, poll result on Bullygate's impact on Philbin/Ireland & more. in and Jeff Ireland, related poll, Incognito states his side of it & more. 3) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
DOLPHINS HELD HOSTAGE: ENOUGH ALREADY WITH THE INCOGNITO/MARTIN MESS!: Today's latest column by me -- click HERE to read -- is my own little cease-and-desist order on the comically excessive media coverage of the Dolphins' bullying controversy and on the public's profound overreaction to the issue. Somehow, a gossipy little internal tiff between two guys playing an anonymous position for an under-rader team metastasized into a national soap opera and scandal. It's quite ridiculous, really. I explore how it got to this point, fueled by the buzzword "bullying," by the sociological subplots of lockerroom "culture" and race, and by everybody's (but mine) fear of being politically incorrect. Enough! Joe Philbin and the Dolphins need to stop allowing this to hijack their team and season. Enough!
'Incognito files grievance.' This is what I mean!: The Bully today filed a token, procedural, money-grab grievance with the league over his Dolphins suspension, and somehow it's major news? Who gives a [bleep]! Enough Bullygate! Let's pay attention again when The Victim talks. Let's pay attention when the NFL investigation reports its findings. Beyond that, dispense with the minutae.
NASCAR, BRAZIL OFFER ALT-SPORT CHANGE OF PACE: I'm just about bullied-out on this Dolphins calamity (see above), feeling roughly the same hearing the names Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin as I did hearing the name Nevin Shapiro. Now we get a break, or at least a diversion. The Dolphins' home game this Sunday versus San Diego will be drowned out, figuratively and closer to literally in terms of noise, first by Saturday night's Brazil-Honduras soccer match in the same stadium, then concurrently on Sunday by NASCAR's grand season finale at Homestead. There are no crowds like crowds for Brazilian soccer, and that game, though just a "friendly," will come closer to filling the stadium than the Dolphins do a day later. Homestead also will draw more fans Sunday than the beleaguered Dolphins. Anyway, I'm curious which of this weekend's two major Miami alt-sports events interests you more, so here is a boutique poll. (Boutique poll means I know it won't interst most of you, but I invite you to expand your horizons). Vote and say why.
NFL PIX 'N FANTASY / WEEK 10: AWFULNESS UNABATED: My shame knows no knows no end... NFL predix: Nice bookend upset calls on Vikes over Skins Thursday and Bucs over Dolphs Monday. In between? Not so good. Was 7-7 straight-up, 5-9 vs. the spread. Fantasy: Greg's Lobos fell yet again, to 1-9, this time in a heartbreaker, 101-100. All I needed was 7 points from Mike Wallace Monday night. All he gave me was 5. Story of my season!
BEST TO RESERVE JUDGMENT ON JAMEIS WINSTON: "FSU quarterback Jameis Winston under investigation for sexual assault." You see that or hear that and it's too easy to assume guilt. We shouldn't. This happened almost one year ago, last Dec. 7. No charges have been filed. Winston has denied guilt through an attorney. Why this became public after a year is a mystery. Not to mention the police report listed the perpetrator as 5-9 to 5-11 and Winston is 6-4. There are enough question here to lend the benefit of doubt.
HOLY S---! WHEN LEBRON SPEAKS, HEAT LISTEN: Prior to Tuesday's Heat win LeBron James said, "It's simple. The first seven games, we're playing like s--- defensively." What he said rhymed with spit but wasn't spit. It was a rare occasion when he has cursed publicly, in an interview. It worked. James took over with 33 points to whip Milwaukee last night but it was noticably improved defense that spelled the night. That D they played, it was some good s---.
SOPY RANKINGS: WEEK 11: This is the second season of our blog-exclusive State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) rankings, a weekly updated list of the most productive quarterbacks, running backs andreceivers from the state's seven FBS schools: Miami, FSU and Florida, FIU and FAU, and South Florida and UCF. Because our rankings are cumulative players on a bye week take a temporary hit that evens out over course of season. Canes QB Stephen Morris won the 2012 season title with 1,900.5 points. FSU QB Jameis Winston is comfortably the current leader. Our simple formula awards a half-point for every passing yard and one point for every rushing or receiving yard, with six points for every TD scored or thrown. Our 2013 standings entering Week 12:
Rk (LW) Player, Team-pos. SOPY Pts. Wk11=Year
1 (1) Jameis Winston, FSU-qb 94.5 = 1,661.5
2 (2) Jaquez Johnson, FAU-qb BYE = 1,242
3 (3) Blakes Bortles, UCF-qb 95 = 1,209
4 (5) Stephen Morris, Miami-qb 174 = 1,073.5
5 (4) Duke Johnson, Miami-rb DNP = 1,051
6 (7) Storm Johnson, UCF-rb 135 = 995
7 (6) Devonta Freeman, FSU-rb 16 = 894
8 (8) Rashad Greene, FSU-wr 56 = 877
9 (--) Allen Hurns, Miami-wr 148 = 775
10 (--) Tyler Murphy, Florida-qb 114.5 = 723
Bubble: Marcus Shaw, USF-rb, 651. Other team leader: FIU--Jake Medlock-qb, 476. Note: UCF and USF have played eight games, all others nine each.
Cote's State of the State rankings: 1. FSU (9-0); 2. UCF (7-1); 3. Miami (7-2); 4. Florida (4-5); 5. FAU (3-6); 6. USF (2-6); 7. FIU (1-8).
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It is SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10. Click on Random Evidence for today's latest Sunday notes-column package, leading with the Dolphins' Hell Week. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): More Dolphins Bullygate with what's-next poll, NFL/Dolphins Week 10 picks, Panthers fire coach & more. 3) Follow us on Twitter (gregcote), Instagram (Upsetbird), Vine (Greg Cote) and Facebook (Greg Cote).
UM-Virginia Tech column: Click on Overrated? for my column off' last night's so0ggy Canes loss.
COLLBALL WEEK 11
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G9: 15.1%: Results are certified in the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 15.1 percent overall satisfaction in the wake of Saturday night's 42-24 loss vs. Virginia Tech putting 11th-ranked Miami's season record at 7-2 overall and 3-2 in the ACC. That's a season low, by a lot, following a second straight loss. This is the fifth year for CSM polls in our blog. These are your invitation after every Hurricanes game to vote on your overall satisfaction with the team and season in a continuing weekly gauge of how UM football fans are feeling. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest you consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, program's direction, and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Polls never close (you may still vote), but results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 10 a.m. today/Monday.
2013 Canesfan Satisfaction Meter
G1: 82.9% (19.9-very, 63.0-somewhat) following 34-6 victory vs. FAU.
G2: 96.7% (71.2-v, 25.5-s) following 21-16 victory vs. Florida.
G3: 95.7% (77.2-v, 18.5-s) following 77-7 victory vs. Savannah State.
G4: 97.6% (67.9-v, 29.7-s) following 49-21 victory at South Florida.
G5: 95.8% (60.4-v, 35.4-s) following 45-30 victory vs. Georgia Tech.
G6: 82.3% (41.8-v, 40.5-s) following 27-23 victory at North Carolina.
G7: 68.4% (31.2-v, 37.2-s) following 24-21 victory vs. Wake Forest.
G8: 65.7% (28.5-v, 37.2-s) following 41-14 loss at Florida State.
G9: 15.1% (4.7-v, 10.4-s) following 42-24 loss vs. Virginia Tech.
Next poll: Nov. 17 following game at Duke.
G9: VIRGINIA TECH @ NO. 11 MIAMI: CANES TRY TO KEEP ACC HOPES ALIVE: Final: Bad result for Miami when stakes were so high. UM defense was starfed for more than 500 yards and made Tech's QB look like he invneted the forward pass. The Duke Johnson-less ground game got nothing going. Two special-teams turnovers and a muffed punt led to three Virginia Tech scores. Jus an all-round off night for Miami, which lost control of reachgin the ACC title game and now will need help from others. ..... 4Q: Looks like it's over. Tech rolls through defenseless Miami again and it's 42-24. ..... Canes 3Q: Canes strike back fast, pull within 35-24 on Allen Hurns 84-yard scoring pass from Morris. ... UM now in a huge 35-17 hole after VT converts a 3rd-and-12 from the 50 and turns it into a TD, a pass that ends up a recovered fumble in end zone by Demitri Knowles. ... A 49-yard kick moving UM within 28-17 is OK, but less so when you settle for it. A 35-yard Dallas Crawford run to the VT 42 and then a first down at the 31 ended with settling for three points. ..... Halftime: Fans sitting in the rain for this bad display of football booed the Canes off the field at the half. Facemasks will be melting when Al Golden lays into his team. Two lost fumbles on kick returns and a muffed punt led to three of V-Tech's TDs, but Miami's defense and running game have been poor even beyond that. I still like Miami's chances, but they need to come out blazing in third quarter. ..... 2Q: Terrible UM defense on Logan Thomas to Joshua Stanford 32-yard scoring play for 28-14 V-Tech lead. ... UM within 21-14 on Dallas Crawford 2-yard run, after 26-yard pass to Allen Hurns got it close. ... Wow. A third special-teams blunder parlayed to another TD by V-Tech and a 21-7 UM hole. After two fumbles on kick returns, this time the punter's knee touches ground, give Holies ball on UM 17. Two plays later Edmunds is in for his third TD run. ..... 1Q: Another lost fumble near midfield for sloppy UM, and Tech parlays it into a 2-yard Edmunds scoring run and 14-7 lead. Canes should own this game if not for their own mistakes. ... UM turnover near midfield leads to VT tying score, 7-7, on Trey Edmunds' 10-yard run. ... Boom! Canes 7-0 when Stacy Coley takes short Stpehen Morris pass and carts it 81 yards for score. ... Misting rain as game kicks off. Original post: The No. 11 (in the BCS rankings) Hurricanes have much to still play for even after being blown out in Tallahassee last week. If UM wins out it will be in the ACC championship game -- likely with another shot at FSU, not to mention a chance to play into a BCS bowl. The Canes though must play the rest of the season without star running back Duke Johnson, who busted an ankle last week. And 6-3 Virginia Tech looms as Miami's toughest remaining game. The Hokies season lost much luster with consecutive losses to Duke and Boston College; still, V-Tech always seems to play well against Miami. Coach Al Golden really respects this opponent, especially on the defensive side. With the Duke of Gables sidelined, it will be especially important for Stephen Morris to avoid turnovers tonight. Expect a game that won't let you leave early. My pick was: Miami 27-24.
Other Week 11 state FBS games, in order of interest:
No. 2 Florida State 59, Wake Forest 3: You'll recall Wake nearly upset Miami but the Demon Deacons found out FSU was a whole 'nuther animal. 'Noles clinched spot in ACC title game and moved closer to school's first BCS national-championship appearance in 13 seasons. My pick was: FSU, 45-14.
Vanderbilt 34, Florida 17: A fourth straight loss has sunk the Gators to 4-5 and increased chatter about coach Will Muschamp's job security. UF needed this one if it planned on being bowl-eligible, but Vandy beat Georgia last month and was no pushover. My pick was: Florida, 23-17.
No. 21 UCF 19, Houston 14: Knights were a double-digit favorite but figured it closer. Houston entered 7-1, averaged 41 points a game and was the only team in nation to score in every quarter, led by freshman QB John O'Korn from St. Thomas Aquinas. Very nice win by the Knights. My pick was: Upset. Houston, 31-27.
Middle Tennessee 48, FIU 0: Middle-T was no power at 5-4, with four of its wins by 2, 2 and 3 points and in overtime. But awful FIU is rarely a good pick on the road. Thought it might be competitive. Gave the Int'l far too much credit. My pick was: Middle Tennessee, 27-13.
Off this week:
FAU: The 3-6 Owls are at Southern Miss next week with bowl-eligibility hopes still (faintly) alive.
USF: The Bulls, gorged at 2-6, host Memphis next.
Week 11 national Top 25 matchups:
No. 5 Stanford 26, No. 3 Oregon 20: Ducks' road loss Thursday night cleared path for possible run to national-championship game by FSU. My pick was: No pick.
No. 6 Baylor 41, No. 10 Oklahoma 12: Thought Sooners were over-ranked, and Baylor proved it. My pick was: No pick.
No. 1 Alabama 38, No. 13 LSU 17: LSU had won two of previous three regular-season meetings but I liked Tide in Tuscaloosa. With FSU, Ohio State and Baylor all unbeaten, Team Saban needed this win to keep its national-title hopes alive, and busted open a close game with two late scores. My pick was: Alabama 28-21.
My record: This week, 3-3; season, 59-18.
Poll result: Growing support for Incognito is evident: We asked in the previous blogpost (you may still vote) what you'd like to see the Dolphins do next with Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin. A plurality of 41.1 percent said they want neither player back. But 31.9% wanted only Incognito back vs. only 14.0% who wanted only Martin back. The other 13.0% want both back. This marks a change in sentiment. In our previous bullying-related poll a few days earlier, voters blamed Incognito over Martin by a 3-1 margin.
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