Canesfan Satisfaction Meter: 57.8%; plus UM spanked 38-3 in ACC final; also, FAU, FIU, UCF win, other State Collball and conference title games (updated), your Cooperstown election verdict & more
GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3. Holiday season? That can only mean one thing: Giving the Dolfans on your list the gift of my book on the club's first half-century. Click Fins At 50. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Baseball Hall of Fame poll, NFL Week 13 picks & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat.
My new column from Canes' ACC loss: Click on Seeing Past the Pain to read.
'Tis the season to celebrate Canes, FIU, FAU: The Three Kings, Mark Richt, Butch Davis and Lane Kiffin, have led their three teams to the best combined record ever, with all three bowl-bound for the first time. UM and FAU played for conference titles Saturday and Richt and Kiffin have had the loudest seasons, but Davis quietly has done his share at FIU. Click on 'Tis The Season to read the column.
ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: HURRICANES VS. CLEMSON: HEAVY-UNDERDOG MIAMI MUST SHOCK WORLD TO REACH CFP FINAL FOUR: My new column from Canes' ACC loss: Click on Seeing Past the Pain to read ..... It is UM's biggest football game since the 2002 season ended, bar none. Saturday night at 8, ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, No. 1-ranked and 11-1 Clemson vs. No. 7-ranked and 10-1 Miami in what is all but a play-in game for the College Football Playoff semifinals. It also is UM's first conference title-game appearance since joining the ACC in 2003. A win here would mean the Canes are two wins away from winning the school's sixth national championship and first since '01. No hyperbole is needed to frame this game. All you need are the facts. Alas, Clemson is favored by 9 points -- biggest spread of any Power 5 conference final -- and with valid reason. The Tigers are not only top-ranked but also defending national champs. The bet-line opened at 6 1/2 and climbed. This, clearly, is the gauge-game for whether UM truly is "back" or merely headed in that direction, on the right path. "We'll find out Saturday for sure," as second-year coach Mark Richt put it. "It'll be a great measuring stick to see where we're at." In the words of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, both teams are playing for "a seat at the table" -- the final four. The Hurricanes lead the nation with a plus-17 turnover margin and also lead the country in sacks with an average of 3.55 per game. The Turnover Chain-fueled defense is Miami's strength. But Clemson's D may be even better. It will be difficult for QB Malik Rosier and RB Travis Homer to bounce back from off-games in the loss at Pitt. Especially because the Canes will be missing two of their top receivers to injuries in Ahmmon Richards and Christopher Herndon. All four Clemson defensive-line starters made 1st- or 2nd-team All-ACC (UM was shut out) and all four will be NFL-bound. UM's inconsistent offensive line will really be under the gun. These teams' most recent meeting, in 2014, was the 58-0 Clemson rout that got Al Golden fired -- the first domino in UM's turnaround. I am concerned for another lopsided game. I've been high on UM all season (called the wins over Virginia Tech and Notre Dame), but unfortunately I do not have a very good feeling about this game. My ACC Championship Game pick: Clemson, 27-16.
Other state FBS Week 14 games (chronologically, all Saturday):
FIU 63, Massachusetts 45: Butch Davis' Panthers close out regular season at 8-4 to bolster bowl outlook. It was a pick-'em game, betting-wise, so the home rout is all the more impressive.
No. 14 UCF 62, No. 20 Memphis 55 (OT): Knights stay unbeaten at 12-0 after surviving a wild overtime shootout at home to win the American Athletic Association conference championship game.
Florida State 42, Louisiana-Monroe 10: Seminoles were 27-point faves to wrap up uncommonly disappointing regular season with the consolation of .500 at 6-6 as coach Jimbo Fisher bolts for Texas A&M.
FAU 41, North Texas 17: Lane Kiffin's Owls dominated throughout to go to 10-3 and win Conference USA championship. #LaneTrain.
No. 1 Clemson 38, No., 7 Miami 3: My new column from Canes' ACC loss: Click on Seeing Past the Pain to read.
FBS conference championship games (chronologically, all Saturday except as noted):
Pac-12: No. 10 Southern Cal 31, No. 12 Stanford 28: USC, now 11-2, was slightly favored in Santa Clara, Calif. on Friday night and delivered, but has no real shot at leaping into final four-team CFP.
American: No. 14 UCF 62, No. 20 Memphis 55 (OT): See above.
Mid-American: Toledo 45, Akron 28: Toledo now 11-2 after comfy win in Detroit.
C-USA: FAU 41, North Texas 17: See above.
Big 12: No. 3 Oklahoma 24, No. 11 Texas Christian 17: Unbeaten Sooners lock up one of final four spots in College Football Playoff.
SEC: No. 6 Georgia 28, Auburn 7: Auburn was slightly favored in Atlanta but it's the Dawgs likely joining the CFP semifinals.
Mountain West: Boise State 17, No. 25 Fresno State 14: Boise was the favorite at home.
ACC: No. 1 Clemson 38, No. 7 Miami 3: See above.
Big Ten: No. 8 Ohio State 27, No. 4 Wisconsin 21: Wisconsin was unbeaten but Buckeyes were 7-point favorites. But will the win be enough to elevate OSU into CFP final four?
POLL RESULT: YOU ELECT FIVE TO BASEBALL HALL OF FAME: It was among our most popular blog polls ever, with more than 2,700 electors casting more than 22,000 votes. You could vote for as many as 10 players on a 16-man ballot, with a share of 7.5 percent or more in our poll equating to the 75 percent needed for induction into Cooperstown by the actual BBWAA vote. On that basis, the five men you elected were: Chipper Jones 12.24% (pictured), Jim Thome 9.93%, Vladimir Guerrero 8.96% Barry Bonds 8.88% and Roger Clemens 8.46%. The close-but-sorry guys were: Trevor Hoffman 7.41%, Manny Ramirez 6.99%, Edgar Martinez 6.46% and Curt Schilling 6.22%. And the also-rans: Mike Mussina 5.21%, Omar Vizquel 4.66%, Fred McGriff 4.18%, Larry Walker 3.81%, Andruw Jones 3.08%, Scott Rolen 1.99% and Jamie Moyer 1.52%. Thanks for the tremendous response!
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