GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It's SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15. Football's back meaning it's the perfect time to delight the Dolfans in your life with the surprise of our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out here on Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Herald debuts weekly NFL QB rankings, Week 1 Pix 'n Fantasy results, Cote's State of the State rankings, new Back In My Day video & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.

Newest columns: On D.Wade's decision, Dolphins running game: Dwyane Wade is taking longer than most (including Pat Riley) would like to make his Heat-or-retire decision. I explore the delay, why it isn't bad and what Wade will do: Give Dwyane Time And He'll Make Right Call. And: Ryan Tannehill is better when he throws less, and running more leads to Dolphins success. Enter Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore. To read: Why Drake/Gore Will Work, And Why That's Crucial to Fins.

CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G3 76.7%: Results are certified in the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 76.7 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday's 49-24 road victory at Toledo putting No. 21-ranked Miami's season record at 2-1. The CSM is your invitation after every Canes football game -- no matter the result or opponent -- 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, the season as a whole, the program's direction and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 10:45 a.m. today/Monday. (You may also vote on my Twitter site @gregcote; the CSM vote there for this game was 62%).

2018 CSM game-by game results

G1: 9.2% following 33-17 loss to LSU.

G2: 73.8% following 77-0 victory vs. Savannah State.

G3: 76.7% following 49-24 victory at Toledo.

Next poll: Sept. 22 following game vs. FIU.

G3: NO. 21 HURRICANES (2-1) WINS AT TOLEDO (1-1), 49-24: Original Post: Guaranteed: Saturday's noon matinee in Ohio will not be nearly the breeze Miami enjoyed with last week's 77-0 home rout of woefully overmatched Savannah State. Toledo is an actual competitive team. Smaller than The U. But competitive. Miami is only a 10-point favorite. Toledo's little 26,000-seat stadium will be jammed and this will be a season-maker for them. As Canes coach Mark Richt said: "We'll get everything they've got." His Toledo counterpart John Candle: "I think everybody on our team wanted to play this game on June 1. This is not just another game." Toledo beat VMI 66-3 in its opener and is coming off a craftily positioned bye week. In last year's meeting at Hard Rock the Canes trailed Toledo 16-10 at the half and were only up 38-30 in the middle of the fourth quarter before pulling away to win 52-30. None of this is to suggest Miami should be worried. As Candle put it: "Whoever made that saying up, 'You always get better from Week 1 to Week 2,' didn't have to play the Hurricanes in Week 2." Still, unlike last week, this is not a game where Richt will likely enjoy the luxury of playing all four quarterbacks. Malik Rosier will start and I doubt any other QB will play unless Rosier is struggling. Richt: "Bottom line is we're going to play who we think gives us the best chance of winning. As long as [Rosier] is that, he'll start. If we think someone else gives us a better chance, we'll start that guy." Not exactly a resounding vote of confidence for Malik. This is a game that must not slip away from UM if the Canes are to rebound from that opening loss to LSU and still make this a special season. My pick: Hurricanes, 34-23.

OTHER STATE COLLBALL: There are seven FBS-level college teams in Florida. With Saturday's Miami game previewed above, here's chronological Week 2 schedule (all Saturday) for the rest:

No. 18 UCF (2-0) at North Carolina (0-2), POSTPONED: No game as scheduled on account of Hurricane Florence. Schools are discussing makeup date.

Syracuse (3-0) beats FSU (1-2), 30-7: After barely beating lowly Samford, humbled 'Noles were mere 3-point road faves. Can Willie Taggert survive this?

South Florida (3-0) beats Illinois (2-1), 25-19: Off nice win over Georgia Tech, Bulls should be headed for Top 25 od at least rappin' on the door.

Florida (2-1) beats Colorado State (1-3), 48-10: Gators seem to be finding their a feet after slow start.

FAU (2-1) beats Bethune-Cookman (1-2), 49-28, 6: Fowl Owl on the Prowl! The Lane Train is back on track.  

FIU (2-1) beats UMass (1-3), 63-24: Panthers off nice win at Old Dominion were narrow home faves but showed up big.

Week 3 national Top 25 matchups: No. 12 LSU beats No. 7 Auburn, 22-21; 24-Oklahoma State beats 17-Boise State, 44-21; and 4-Ohio State beats 15-TCU, 40-28.

DOLPHINS-JETS AND ALL THE REST OF OUR NFL WEEK 2 PICKS: The Dolphins are going to go on the road and upset the Jets on Sunday. I explain why at the top of my latest NFL predictions. They include my Game of the Week, Upset of the Week ("Aaawwwk!") and all the rest. Our 28th season of Friday (but online Thursday) NFL picks launched with a bang last week as we rolled a nifty 10-5-1 mark against the spread. That's solid. Strong. Now we need to keep it going. Dive into Week 2 Gems for all my latest picks. (Included there is a separate link to Thursday night's Ravens-Bengals pick). Pictured at right, our "How the Darts Landed" shield, the bull's-eye representing wishful thinking.

BACHELOR DAN FINALLY GETS ENGAGED!: As you may know I broke the news on Thursday of Dan Le Batard's recent engagement to girlfriend Valerie Scheide. Go to Le Batard Headed to the Altar for the controversial full story -- controversial in the sense that I didn't warn Dan I was writing it or get his permission and he was less than pleased at being scooped on his own announcement. (Oops!) I think he'll forgive me. I may have to rethink that if you don't hear me on the air this coming Tuesday. Meantime here is the lovely couple and congrats to them both!  

Other select recent columns: Somehow, Dolphins Make A 7-Hour Wait Worth It. Soft Stretch In Schedule Is About Improving At QB. NFL 2018 Team Rankings. Dolphins? Heat? Nope. UM Football Owns This Town. NFL Enters Year 3 Of Anthem-Protest Quagmire. To The Good-Guy Grinder In The Shades. Time to Flip the Old Narrative On Miami As a Sports Town. Can Riley Rescue Heat From Purgatory? When 3 World Cup Legends Were Ours.

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It's SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9. Elton John kicked off his three-year farewell tour last night. Elton's farewell tour will last longer than most others' entire music careers. 2) R.I.P., Burt Reynolds, gone at 82. Saw him as Vic Edwards in "The Last Movie Star" last year. A real actor. Forget the cheeky "Smokey and the Bandit" stuff. Check out the serious roles. He'll be missed. Also was an FSU running back in the '50s. 3) Football's back and that means it's the perfect time to delight the Dolfans in your life with the surprise of our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out here on Amazon. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): LeBatard Show/League Of Lobos fantasy draft poll and results, MLS Miami gets name and logo, latest Back In My Day & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.

NEW: Tonight began soft stretch in Canes schedule that's all about the quarterback: Don't be overly impressed with Saturday's 77-0 UM win, considering the utterly outmanned opponent. Be more impressed that coach Mark Richt played all four quarterbacks in a newly introduced effort to find a better Malik Rosier ... or his replacement. That's my new column. To read it: Canes Need Better QB; Auditions Underway. Other most recent columns: Don't Bail On Canes Yet, But... and NFL 2018 Team Rankings.

CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G2: 73.8%: Results are certified in the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 73.8 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday night's 77-0 home victory over Savannah State putting No. 22-ranked Miami's season record at 1-1. The CSM is your invitation after every Canes football game -- no matter the result or opponent -- 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, the season as a whole, the program's direction and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 9 a.m. today/Monday. (You may also vote on my Twitter site @gregcote; the unofficial approval there was 40%).  

2018 CSM game-by game results

G1: 9.2% following 33-17 loss to LSU.

G2: 73.8% following 77-0 victory vs. Savannah State.

Next poll: Sept. 15 following game at Toledo.

G2: NO. 22 HURRICANES (1-1) 77, SAVANNAH STATE (0-2) 0: A PAUSE TO CORRECT THE FLAWS AS ALL FOUR QBS PLAY: For my column from the stadium off Saturday's UM home opener: Canes Need Better QB; Auditions Underway ..... Original post: Here are two teams that could play, "Who's Coming Off the Worse Loss?" Savannah State, a second-tier FCS-level school, lost 52-0 to Alabama-Birmingham. But Miami's loss, given the stage and stakes, was worse: the 33-17 neutral-site collapse against LSU that sent the Canes cascading down the charts from a No. 8 national ranking to 22nd. Savannah State can't offer redemption this evening/Saturday at 6 p.m. at Hard Rock, but it is a chance for UM to get a little bit of feelgood back after a deflating opener. With the game off the betting boards because of its expected lopsidedness, it would be a bit concerning if Miami didn't cruise by a margin of at least 40 or 50 points. College coaches have it easy. Unlike in the NFL there are games like this one where winning is not a question, so you have the luxury to just flex your roster, tinker with what needs tinkering and not worry the least about the opponent or final score. In this case quarterback play will be under the microscope for coach Mark Richt, with starter Malik Rosier coming off an inaccurate opener that included a pick-six, and with at least two younger QBs expected to see action along with Rosier. The enthusiasm for this Hurricanes season took a huge hit with the opening-week loss. You don't get it back against an opponent like this one. But an impressive rebound win is a necessary first step. My prediction: Hurricanes, 62-3.

OTHER STATE COLLBALL: There are seven FBS-level college teams in Florida. With Saturday's Miami game previewed above, here's chronological Week 2 schedule (all Saturday) for the rest:

South Florida (2-0) defeats Georgia Tech (1-1), 49-38: Bulls had no problem with a small opening opponent (Elon) but now took a  big step up in competition with slightly favored Ga-Tech. And delivered.

FAU (1-1) defeats Air Force (1-1), 33-27: Lane Kiffin got spanked at Oklahoma in a 49-point loss but here was a comfy 9 1/2-point pick in the Owls' home opener.

No. 19 UCF (2-0) defeats South Carolina State (0-2), 38-0: Knights throttled UConn and now got another softy in an off-the-board mismatch. 

FSU (1-1) defeats Samford (1-1), 36-26: Noles tumbled from rankings (19th) after a 24-3 spanking by 20-Virginia Tech that ended new coach Willie Taggert's honeymoon right quick. Now they get to take it out on poor lil' Samford, Bobby Bowden's alma mater. Except they almost lost! Lucky Noles needed a late rally to avoid a monumental embarrassment.

Kentucky (2-0) defeats No. 25 Florida (1-1), 27-16: Gators entered poll, albeit barely, after 53-6 rout of Charleston Southern but their stay will be short-lived after terrible loss as 14-point Swamp favorites.  

FIU (1-1) defeats Old Dominion (0-2), 28-20: FIU opened with 10-point loss to Indiana but was 1-point road fave in this conference game, and neatly rallied from 17 down to win behind James Morgan's three TD passes. Of more gravity, two FIU players -- top RB Antonio Jones and OL Mershawn Miller -- were shot in a drive-by shooting in Opa-locka, a calamity for the families and the last thing coach Butch Davis needed. Miller's wound was minor. Jones' wounds are serious but non-life threatening and Davis said "encouraging reports" suggest a recovery.

Week 2 national Top 25 matchups: The only two: No. 3 Georgia defeats No. 24 South Carolina, 41-17; and 10-Stanford defeats 17-Southern Cal, 17-3.

WELCOME BACK, UPSET BIRD! OUR NFL WEEK 1 PICKS: Oh lord here come our 28th season of Friday (but online Thursday) NFL picks. When we started this endeavor in 1991 Ryan Tannehill was a 2-year-old toddling around Lubbock, Texas and (if memory serves) Tom Brady was an NFL rookie. All these years later we haven't been fired yet are still at it. For Kickoff Weekend we bring you our picks for Dolphins-Titans, our Game of the Week, our Upset of the Week and more. Dive into Week 1 Gems for the whole package. (It includes a link to last night's Falcons-Eagles pick. Atlanta led much of the way toward our upset call; alas, Philly prevailed late). By the way, the Upset Bird is back. But please follow our picks, anyway. Pictured at right, our "How the Darts Landed" shield. At left, Tannehill is shouting at you, "Hey, read Greg Cote's picks, everybody. But only when he picks us to win!"

Other select recent columns: Canes Have the Hype. Now the Proving Starts. Dolphins? Heat? Nope. UM Football Owns This Town. Dolphins Must Make Us Believe. Finally, a Chance to Say Thanks (Stanton's return). NFL Enters Year 3 Of Anthem-Protest Quagmire. Gore Back In Miami Is The Perfect End Run. Dolphins Need a Better Tannehill, Not Just A Healthy One. To The Good-Guy Grinder In The Shades (death of Tony Sparano). Soccer Stadium Progress, But Much Work Left. Reasons For Hope As Jeter Plan Takes Root. Time to Flip the Old Narrative On Miami As a Sports Town. Can Riley Rescue Heat From Purgatory? When 3 World Cup Legends Were Ours.

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It's TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4. Hope y'all  had a Happy Labor Day, the date on which we all celebrate work by not working! 2) Football's back and that means it's the perfect time to delight the Dolfans in your life with the surprise of our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out here on Amazon. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): What team owns this town with poll, latest Back In My Day video, your verdict on No. 1 fantasy pick & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.

Radio Tuesday!: I'm back in-studio today on the Dan LeBatard Show With Stugotz, 9 to 1 on Miami's 790 The Ticket and 10-1 nationally on ESPN Radio and ESPNews. Join us! 

DON'T BAIL ON CANES, BUT TIME FOR MIAMI TO REMIND US WHY WE THOUGHT THE U WAS BACK: NEW COLUMN: To read my column of UM's 33-17 season-opening loss to LSU Sunday night: Don't Bail On Canes Yet, But... Other most recent Canes football columns: Canes Have the Hype. Now the Proving Starts. Canes Could Go 12-0 and Still Have Mountain to Climb. Now We See How Hurricanes Handle Burden Of Expectations. Dolphins? Heat? Nope. UM Football Owns This Town.

Annual NFL team rankings: Dolphins higher than you think: My annual NFL Team Rankings are out, and who's No. 1 might surprise you. So might how low the Patriots are ranked, how high the Dolphins are, and a bunch of other stuff, too. Check it out, 1 through 32: NFL 2018 Team Rankings.

G1: CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: 9.2%: Results are certified in the season-first Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 9.2 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday night's season-opening 33-17 Miami Hurricanes loss to LSU in Arlington, Texas. The CSM is your invitation after every Canes football 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, the season as a whole, the program's direction and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 7 a.m. today/Tuesday. (You may also vote on my Twitter site @gregcote).

G1: NO. 25 LOUISIANA STATE DEFEATS NO. 8 HURRICANES, 33-17: RUGGED OPENER FOR UM'S SEASON OF HIGH HOPES: Turnover Chain made no appearance and Malik Rosier was pretty bad until a late spurt in Miami's 33-17 loss to LSU. [Find link to my game column above] ..... Original post: Miami opens its much-anticipated season a slim 3 1/2-point favorite over LSU in this nationally televised, neutral-site matchup at the Cowboys stadium in Arlington, Texas. Will LSU fans turn the joint into Death Valley? Or will Canes fans win the crowd? In either case a loss out the gate will feel devastating, while the winner gets to feel like a national contender. Said third-year UM coach Mark Richt: "Until you play somebody, you really don't know. There are no warm-up games here. We will be physically and mentally tested. It will be a gut check." Veteran Canes quarterback Malik Rosier will be expected to outplay LSU transfer Joe Burrow, making his first college start against Miami's havoc-wreaking, Turnover Chain-getting defense. But the Tigers' defense figures to be a big challenge for Rosier, too. I feel like the two team's rankings are accurate, that UM is better all-round, including Richt's coaching edge over Ed Orgeron. And I'll be surprised if that Turnover Chain doesn't change hands at least twice. My prediction: Hurricanes, 24-16.

OTHER STATE COLLBALL WEEK 1: There are seven FBS-level college football teams in Florida. With Sunday's Miami game previewed above, here's Week 1 chronological schedule for the rest:

No. 21 UCF defeats UConn, 56-17: Strong Thursday night debut for self-proclaimed 2017 national champs and new coach Josh Heupel, behind McKenzie Milton's five TD passes. 

No. 7 Oklahoma defeats FAU, 63-14: Sooners, a three-TD home fave, absolutely spanked Lane Kiffin to open his second Owls season, after last year's 11-3 gem.

South Florida defeats Elon, 34-14: Bulls roll comfortably here but will have tough time matching last year's 10-2 season.  

Indiana defeats FIU, 38-28: FIU was a 10-point home underdog and played to the odds as Year 2 began for Butch Davis following progress of last year's 8-5 season.

Florida defeats Charleston Southern, 53-6: Gators with a big Swamp debut for new coach Dan Mullen as Feleipe Franks tosses 5 TD passes.

No. 20 Virginia Tech defeats No. 19 Florida State, 24-3, 8 Monday: Seminoles a 7-point pick as new coach Willie Taggert debuts and Week 1 wraps up.

Week 1 national Top 25 matchups: In addition to Miami-LSU and Virginia Tech-FSU, there was No. 9 Auburn beating No. 6 Washington 21-16, and 12-Notre Dame beating 14-Michigan, 24-17.

HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (UPDATED): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive every-Sunday feature, updated Mondays, is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. This week's HB10:

1. HURRICANES: Ouch! UM crushed by LSU tonight as season of high hopes begins: Ready, set ... hype! Hurricanes fans had the swagger back. An ESPN prediction model had UM going 12-0. The College Football Playoff was the goal. All Mark Richt's Canes had to do was not lose Sunday night to keep that buzz going. Instead, a buzz-kill opener: 33-17, LSU.

2. DOLPHINS: Ready or not, Fins, here come the real games: An encouraging 34-7 win in Atlanta closed a 1-3 preseason for Miami, but forget that. All that matters now is the season opener next Sunday here vs. Tennessee. Opposite UM, it's a season of low expectation for the Dolphins. Can they erase the prevailing doubts?

3. GATORS/SEMINOLES: Florida coasts in opener, FSU on deck: Florida began the Dan Mullen era with a 53-6 Swamp rout of Charleston Southern, meaning Mullen ain't done nuthin' yet. Willie Taggert takes his first bow Monday night for No. 19 FSU vs. No. 20 Virginia Tech. Now that's an opener.

4. HEAT: We're still waiting, Mr. Wade: With the first preseason game coming at the end of this month, it might be an opportune time for free agents Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem to inform the Heat whether they'll be re-signing with Miami. Wade says it's Heat or retire. We know you'll be back, guys. So say it, already!

5. SOCCER: Miami MLS team to unveil name, colors: A source, whom I prefer to call "a Little Birdie," tells us the Jorge Mas/David Beckham group's Miami Major League Soccer team set to begin play in 2020 will unveil its name, colors and other details this week. Alas, despite my suggestion, they won't be the Miami Lobos.

6. FIU/FAU: Davis, Kiffin both fall in openers: Years 2.0 for FIU's Butch Davis and FAU's Lane Kiffin began with losses Saturday. Panthers fell to Indiana 38-28, after Owls got crushed at No. 7 Oklahoma, 63-14. A little humbling isn't a bad thing, Lane.

7. TENNIS: U.S. Open reaches midpoint: Men's No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal and 17th seeded woman (but favored -- c'mon) Serena Williams are in action today/Sunday as tennis' fourth major of the year. Serena routed sis Venus. Even more impressive: Serena's purple tutu dress.

8. MARLINS: Fish win but continue mired in elongated slump: Miami beat Toronto Saturday as Martin Prado returned from the DL with three RBIs before losing Sunday. Fish are only 8-22 since July 30 as homestand continues. Latest from the 100-Loss Meter: Current pace 64-98. 

9. COLIN KAEPERNICK: His grievance will go to trial: Kaepernick's collusion grievance against the NFL will go to trial, a big legal win for the quarterback blackballed (though not officially!) because he instigated the anthem-kneeling protests now in their third year. His best evidence? Still unemployed! 

10. NFL: It's fantasy draft weekend: Has your league had its fantasy draft yet? Better get to it, with NFL season opening this Thursday night. Only sure bet with fantasy drafts? You'll think your team is a lot better than it really is. Me, too.

Missing the HB10 cut: You know outspoken Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey is doing something right when I can't decide if the NFL needs more players like him or I want him to shut up ..... The national group, People Who Feel Sorry For Urban Meyer is meeting tonight at the Waffle House. Corner booth ..... Just to torment Marlins fans, Giancarlo Stanton became the fifth-fastest to 300 career home runs ..... Marlins released their 2019 spring and regular season schedules. Based on this year -- can't wait!! ..... In the WNBA playoffs, four teams are alive in the conference finals entering Sunday games, and I can't name any of them ..... The Big 3 basketball league crowned a champion, and nobody cared ..... Headlines I Never Imagined Seeing (one in a series): "Usain Bolt Makes Pro Soccer Debut In Australia" ..... Update. Countdown now 2,850 days (give or take) until Miami hosts its first match in the 2026 World Cup.

Other select recent columns: Dolphins Must Make Us Believe. Finally, a Chance to Say Thanks (Stanton's return). NFL Enters Year 3 Of Anthem-Protest Quagmire. Gore Back In Miami Is The Perfect End Run. Dolphins Need a Better Tannehill, Not Just A Healthy One. To The Good-Guy Grinder In The Shades (death of Tony Sparano). Soccer Stadium Progress, But Much Work Left. Reasons For Hope As Jeter Plan Takes Root. Time to Flip the Old Narrative On Miami As a Sports Town. Can Riley Rescue Heat From Purgatory? When 3 World Cup Legends Were Ours.

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.

CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G12: 57.8%: Results are certified in the latest edition of the Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, this in the wake of Saturday night's 38-3 loss by the No. 7 Hurricanes to the No. 1 Clemson Tigers in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte putting UM's season record at 10-2. The CSM polls are your invitation after every Canes game to share your overall degree of satisfaction with the team. Criteria for voting is your own, but we suggest you consider the latest performance and caliber of opponent, the season as a whole, the direction of the program and your overall sense of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Poll results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 10 a.m. today/Monday. [You may also find the poll online HERE].

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):

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It is SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25. Hope y'all had a fantastic and happy Thanksgiving! 2) Holiday season! Give the Dolfan on your list the gift of my book on the club's first half-century. Click Fins At 50. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Happy Thanksgiving wishes with holiday video, NFL Bird Day picks & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat.

Our Canes-Pitt column: Perspective, please!: Miami losing at Pitt 24-14 Friday was a bad loss, terribly timed. No whitewashing that. But 10-1 is 10-1, and a win over Clemson in the ACC title game next will give UM a fighting chance to get back up into the College Football Playoff. Click on One Bad Loss Doesn't Spoil All The Good for my column.

CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G11: 54.9%: Results are certified in the latest edition of the Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 54.9 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday's 24-14 loss by No. 2-ranked Miami at the Pitt Panthers putting UM's final regular-season record at 10-1 overall and 7-1 in the ACC. That is a drop to a season low. The CSM polls are your invitation after every Canes game to share your overall degree of satisfaction with the team. Criteria for voting is your own, but we suggest you consider the latest performance and caliber of opponent, the season as a whole, the direction of the program and your overall sense of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Poll results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 9:30 a.m. today/Sunday. 

 2017 CSM results

title game in Charlotte -- what looks as of now like a play-in game for the College Football Playoff. We all know it. But the Canes had better not know it -- at least not show it today at Pitt for a noon start in the regular-season finale. The 10-0 Canes look to complete their first unbeaten regular season since 2002 but they need to get undistracted past a 4-7 Pitt team on its Senior Day, with a make-our-season chance to ruin UM's dreams. This is no gimmie. Miami is a modest 12-point favorite, down from an opening 14. The Canes have a nation-leading 15-game win streak dating to last season, but everything crumbles with a loss today. The U theoretically could lose here, beat Clemson for the ACC crown and climb back into the CFP top four, but that's very iffy. Temps in the 40s today should not make a weather a big factor. A solid game from Malik Rosier and more dominance on defense will carry the day. The Turnover Chain has changed hands 19 times in the past five games. If UM keeps it moving today, they win. My pick: Hurricanes, 34-20.

All state FBS Week 13 games (chronologically):

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It is SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18. Holiday season! Give the Dolfan 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): Ferdie Pacheco R.I.P., Stanton wins NL MVP, NFL Week 11 picks & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat.

NEW! Game column from Canes' 44-28 Saturday win: Click on Heart and Fight Keep Canes' Perfect Dream Alive for my column from the stadium on today's UM comeback win.

Canes QB Malik Rosier: A family crisis and a father's love: In my previous column I write about all that quarterback Malik Rosier is dealing with off the field as he leads the unbeaten Hurricanes on it. Click on A QB, a Crisis & a Father's Love to read.

CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G10: 95.4%: Results are certified in the latest edition of the Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 95.4 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday afternoon's 44-28 home victory by unbeaten No. 3-ranked Miami over the visiting Virginia Cavaliers putting UM's season record at 10-0 overall and 7-0 in the ACC. The CSM polls are your invitation after every Canes game to share your overall degree of satisfaction with the team. Criteria for voting is your own, but we suggest you consider the latest performance and caliber of opponent, the season as a whole, the direction of the program and your overall sense of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Poll results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 9 a.m. today/Monday.

You may also vote in poll online by clicking HERE.

2017 CSM results

G1: 69.5% following 41-13 victory vs. Bethune-Cookman

G3: 96.5% following 31-6 victory at Duke

G4: 97.6% following 24-20 victory at Florida State

G5: 96.0% following 25-24 victory vs. Georgia Tech

G6: 93.0% following 27-19 victory vs. Syracuse

G7: 64.3% following 24-19 victory at North Carolina

G8: 98.0% following 28-10 victory vs. Virginia Tech

G9: 98.6% following 41-8 victory vs. Notre Dame

G10: 95.4% following 44-28 victory vs. Virginia

Next poll: Nov. 24 following game at Pitt. 

G10: VIRGINIA @ NO. 3 HURRICANES: UNBEATEN MIAMI RALLIES, TAKES CARE OF BUSINESS ON SENIOR DAY IN HOME FINALE: MIAMI WINS 44-28, STAYS UNBEATEN FOR FIRST 10-WIN SEASON SINCE 2003. Click on Heart and Fight Keep Canes' Perfect Dream Alive for my column from the stadium ..... MIAMI 44-28 (4Q): Homer 19-yard run .....  MIAMI 37-28 (4Q): Rosier 8-yard run ..... MIAMI 31-28 (3Q): Badgley 44-yard field goal ..... MIAMI 28-28 (3Q): Johnson 30-yard interception return ..... MIAMI 21-28 (3Q): Rosier-Cager 9-yard pass ..... UVA 28-14 (3Q): Benkert-Hamm 26-yard pass ..... UVA 21-14 (2Q): Benkert-Levrone 33-yard pass ..... MIAMI 14-14 (2Q): Rosier-Harris 36-yard pass ..... MIAMI 7-14 (1Q): Rosier-Richards 10-yard pass .....  UVA 14-0 (1Q): Benkert-Reed 75-yard pass ..... UVA 7-0 (1Q): Benkert-Zaccheaus 33-yard pass ..... Original post: The intensity and  atmosphere will be dialed back a bit for Saturday's noon matinee vs. mediocre-but-decent 6-4 Virginia, after consecutive wins over ranked Virginia Tech and Notre Dame had The Rock filled and rocking. Or will it? The home-finale emotion of Senior Day, another expected huge crowd and UM 9-0 and gunning for its first 10-win season since 2003 should keep that intensity ratcheted up. Canes also know an upset loss would send them tumbling from their coveted No. 3 spot in the College Football Playoff ranking. The intensity surely will be there for QB Malik Rosier as well, with his father here and watching one game after missing the Notre Dame after suffering a stroke. (See my column on that, linked above). Miami cannot let down against a bowl-eligible ACC opponent with a decent offense led by QB Kurt Benkert. Miami is favored by 19 points. Of course there's always that magical Turnover Chain if things get a little quiet. UM has 24 takeaways, tied for fourth-most in the country, including eight in the past two huge wins. My sense of Saturday? The Cavaliers defense won't be up to the challenge of stopping Rosier, Travis Homer and Braxton Berrios et al, and a huge crowd thanking the Canes for this season will keep the team revved up. My pick: Hurricanes, 31-16.

Other state FBS Week 12 games (chronologically, all Saturday unless noted):

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It is SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12. Know any people who are serious Dolfans? Surprise and delight them with our book on club's first half-century. Click Fins At 50. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 10 picks, Herald NFL quarterback rankings, updated SOPY standings, Pix 'n Fantasy results & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat.

NEW: COLUMN FROM STADIUM ON CANES' EPIC WIN: Click Championship In View For Soaring Canes. Also: The Hurricanes Are Back; Deal With It, America (column advancing game) and Canes-Irish: Game For The Ages (earlier column listing Top 10 UM wins since glory days, and why this tops them all).

CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G9: 98.6%: Results are certified in the latest edition of the Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 98.6 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday night’s 41-8 home victory by unbeaten No. 7 Miami over No. 3 Notre Dame putting UM's season record at 9-0. That's another season high -- and about as close to 100% as you'll ever see in an online poll. The CSM polls are your invitation after every Canes game to share your overall degree of satisfaction with the team. Criteria for voting is your own, but we suggest you consider the latest performance and caliber of opponent, the season as a whole, the direction of the program and your overall sense of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Poll results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 8:30 a.m. today/Monday. Votes came directly below and also online here.

2017 CSM results

G9: NOTRE DAME @ HURRICANES: UNBEATEN UM SLAYS A GIANT, MAKES MOVE ON CFP TOP FOUR: MIA 41, ND 8 (Final). Click Championship In View For Soaring Canes for my column from the stadium .....  MIA 41-8 (4Q): Dallas 5-yard run ..... ND 34-8 (3Q): Winbush-Mack 14-yard pass ..... MIA 34-0 (3Q): Dallas 4-yard run ..... MIA 27-0 (2Q): Bandy 65-yard interception return ..... MIA 20-0 (2Q): Badgley 30-yard FG ..... MIA 17-0 (2Q): Badgley 23-yard FG ..... MIA 14-0 (1Q): Rosier 16-yard run ..... MIA 7-0 (1Q): Rosier-Berrios 7-yard pass ..... Original post: It was 1989, the season of Miami's third of five national championships, when the Hurricanes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish last played a football game in Miami. Omen? History repeating? Let's find out as 8-1, No. 3- ranked Notre Dame and 8-0, No. 7 UM play Saturday night at 8 at a filled-up Hard Rock Stadium before a national audience on ABC. That was after ESPN's College Gameday did its show from the Coral Gables campus earlier in the day -- yet another indication this is the Game of the Week and the Canes are top-tier-relevant again in the sport. That the Irish are higher-ranked and favored (by 3 points) despite being the road team is no shock, nor is it an injustice or insult. Notre Dame has won seven straight games, all by double digits, since losing by one point to now-No. 1 Georgia. Miami by contrast had won its previous five games by a combined 18 points prior to last week's impressive 28-10 home dismantling of Virginia Tech in its first 2017 win over a ranked opponent. The onus is on the underdog Canes to prove their defense can penetrate a premier Irish offensive line that bulldozes the way to a 325-yard rushing average per game. UM already has allowed 200-plus ground yards to three opponents this season, so that's the matchup that most makes the visitor the betting favorite. Apart from that 20-19 loss to Georgia, Notre Dame has averaged 44 points per game. This gives UM hope, though: ND's defense gave up 37 points to Wake Forest last week. The stakes could hardly be higher. The game's winner will be in the driver's seat to be in the College Football Playoff as one of the top four teams, while the loser will be a longshot. "It's single-elimination for both teams," as Irish coach Brian Kelly put it. I get why Notre Dame is favored, but I also think intangibles weigh heavily and favor Miami. The crowd and ambience and noise vs. Virginia Tech created a palpable, difference-making home field advantage for UM, and Saturday's crowd will be even more electric. UM expects more than 300 former players and coaches at the game, a record. It figures as one of the biggest nights in Miami sports history, any team, any time. Pictured left: Dueling magic. Lucky Turnover Chain vs. Lucky Leprechaun. My pick: Hurricanes, 30-27.

Other state FBS Week 11 games (chronologically, all Saturday):

Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It is FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10. Know any people who are serious Dolfans? Surprise and delight them with our book on club's first half-century. Click Fins At 50. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins fall to Oakland with DSM poll, Hot Button Top 10 & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat.

Miami-Notre Dame Week: In my latest column I name the Top 10 Miami Hurricanes football wins of the post-dynasty era (since the last national title in 2001) and declare that beating the Fighting Irish here Saturday night would top them all. Click on Canes-Irish: Game For The Ages.  

UPSET BIRD DAY IN AMERICA! NFL WEEK 10 PICKS: I THINK I SPRAINED AN ANKLE JUMPING OFF THE DOLPHINS BANDWAGON: After mistakenly picking the Dolphins to win the past two games, I'm done thinking they'll rise to the prime-time occasion. Click on Week 10 Gems for my picks on Dolphins-Panthers Monday nighter, Game of the Week (Saints-Bills), Upset of the Week (Jets-Buccaneers: "Aawwk!") and the rest. Our week got off to a nifty start last night. We said Seahawks would cover a 5-1/2-point line at Arizona, 24-16, and Seattle won 22-16.

SMOKIN'!: DOLPHINS' CUTLER WINS WEEK 9 PASSING TITLE / HERALD QB RANKINGS / WEEK 9: The Dolphins’ Jay Cutler scored a 50.55-point game to lead all passers in Week 9 of the Miami Herald’s NFL quarterback rankings, while the Chiefs’ Alex Smith overtook Patriot Tom Brady for the overall season lead. This is the 20th season of our Passer Success System (PASS) rankings, which began in 1998. Our formula is simple and unchanged since its inception, factoring accuracy, yardage, TD-interception ratio and team result. Most major ranking systems such as the NFL's and ESPN's are complicated and percentile based, allowing QBs who miss half a season to still win a title, while our system is cumulative, rewarding players who are consistently productive and avoid injury or benching. Because the rankings are cumulative, players on a bye week (such as Brady in Week 9) take a temporary hit that evens out over the course of a season.

SOPY Top 10 entering Week 11:

RK   LW Player, School-Pos.                            Average / Total (Games)

1      3   Quinton Flowers-SoFla qb                  208.06 1,872.5 / 9

2      1   McKenzie Milton-UCF qb                    205.06 1,640.5 / 8

3      2   Malik Rosier-Miami qb                       197.00 1,576 / 8

4      4   Devin Singletary-FAU rb                     173.11 1,558 / 9

5      5   Alex McGough-FIU qb                        132.00 1,056 / 8

6      9   Cam Akers-FSU rb                             113.94 911.5 / 8

7      6   Thomas Owens-FIU rec                      107.31 858.5 / 8

8      7   Travis Homer-Miami rb                      105.88 847 / 8

9     --    Marquez Valdes-Scantling-SoFla rec     96.11 865 / 9

10   --    Adrian Killins, UCF rb                          95.63 765 / 8

Bubble: Darius Tice-SoFla rb, 94.11. Other team leader: Malik Davis-Florida rb, 74.50. Week 10 best: Flowers-SoFla qb, 341.5. Season best: Flowers-SoFla qb, 341.5 points (W10).

Cote's State of the State rankings: 1. Miami (8-0); 2. UCF (8-0); 3. South Florida (8-1); 4. Florida State (3-5); 5. Florida (3-5); 6. FIU (6-2); 7. FAU (6-3).

Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

NOTE: DUE TO A COMPUTER GLITCH OUR BLOGPOST INCLUDING DOLPHINS-RAIDERS LIVE BLOG AND HOT BUTTON TOP 10 WAS DELETED. APOLOGIES...

1) It is SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4. Know any people who are serious Dolfans despite last Thursday? Surprise and delight them with our book on club's first half-century. Click Fins At 50. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Ajayi trade with poll, Ross wins big with 2021 CFP title game, Herald NFL QB rankings, updated SOPY standings, NFL Pix 'n Fantasy, newest BIMD video (Halloween!) & more. 3) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat.

My Canes-Virginia Tech game column: Click Everything Is In Play Now for my column from the stadium.

Troika! Our 3 most recent columns: Miami Wins Again: Hard Rock Stadium awarded 2020-season college football national championship game. How to Make a Bad Offense Worse: Dolphins trade Jay Ajayi. Appreciate Perfection -- Period: Quit finding fault with Canes at 7-0.

CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G8: 98.0%: Results are certified in the latest edition of the Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 98.0 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday night's 28-10 home victory by No. 10 Miami over No. 13 Virginia Tech putting UM's season record at 8-0 overall and 6-0 in the ACC. That's a season high and as much consensus as you'll ever see in an online poll. The CSM polls are your invitation after every Canes game to share your overall degree of satisfaction with the team. Criteria for voting is your own, but we suggest you consider the latest performance and caliber of opponent, the season as a whole, the direction of the program and your overall sense of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Poll results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 8:30 a.m. today/Monday.

G8: NO. 13 VIRGINIA TECH @ NO. 10 HURRICANES: IT'S BIGGEST GAME OF RICHT ERA (UNTIL NEXT WEEK...): Final: Huge win for Canes. Click Everything Is In Play Now for my column from game. 4Q: UM interception is fourth takeaway of game by Cabnes' defense ..... Turnover Chain! Again. UM recovers another fumble. Hokies killing themselves ..... Miami now in complete control at 28-10 on 13-yard scoring run by Rosier ..... 3Q: Interception (and Turnover chain) by UM's Johnson late in quarter. Every time Va Tech threatens to get back in game, Canes' defense steps up ..... Miami back in charge, 21-10, on Rosier 43-yard catch and run by Herndon. Much needed ..... UM is so fortunate that only one of Rosier's three INTs have proved costly ..... Rosier suffers third interception. QB is giving away this game! ..... Va Tech within 14-10 on 1-yard Jackson TD run, a direct result of Rosier INT ..... Rosier suffers second interception of game ..... Halftime thoughts: At 14-3, the half was all Miami, bearing in mind the Canes squandered an early 1st-and-goal opportunity with no points. Miami led in total yards, 260-149. And yet Canes have not pulled away. Hokies are one score from making it anxious game for The U ...... 2Q: McIntosh recovers VT fumble. Turnover chain! ..... Rosier intercepted ...... Va Tech within 14-3 on 50-yard FG ..... Miami 14-0 on Homer 64-yard TD run ..... Miami 7-0 on Rosier-Berrios 8-yard scoring pass finishing 87-yard, 9-play drive. All Canes thus far ..... 1Q: Oh My. Rosier 36-yard run to VT 2, but Miami fails to score, stuiffed on 4th-down gamble by Homer. Should UM have kicked short FG? Probably. But early enough in game to like the bravado ...... Pregame: Losses today by No. 6 Ohio State and 7-Penn State really enhance UM's bid to move up closer to coveted CFP top four -- if UM can win ..... Original post: All rankings you see here beginning this week are those of the College Football Playoff, whose ultimate top-four is all that matters now for big-dreaming teams -- and this game features two of those. It 

says much about skepticism surrounding Miami that the Hurricanes have a better record than Virginia Tech, are higher-ranked and are home, yet were 2 1/2-point underdogs to the Hokies before a late wave of bets made Miami the favorite by one point, still less than the typical home-field edge. Teams prone to having sharp antenna for disrespect might be a little insulted by that. That is why this 8 p.m. prime-time game on ABC is such a wonderful stage for UM to declare itself for real ... that, or to prove the skeptics right. Miami is 7-0 and Va-Tech 7-1 and it's a huge game not only in the national CFP context but also in the ACC. A Miami win would all but assure the Canes a spot in the conference championship game. There are reasons the Canes are not clear favorites, of course, even at home. UM has won its past four games by combined 18 points after last week's 24-19 escape in Chapel Hill against a North Carolina team that Virginia Tech had recently manhandled 59-7. The Hokies also have been a bit of a nemesis for The U, with Canes only 5-8 against this opponent since both schools moved from the Big East to the ACC in 2004. Miami hosts No. 3-ranked Notre Dame next week but better have blinders on because Va-Tech will demand all of UM's attention and best effort and then some. This may be UM's biggest game of the season because of the ACC importance, and also because a win here could put Canes in position to vault into the CFP's coveted top four by also then beating the Fighting Irish. OK. Deep breath. One game at a time, please. Virginia Tech first. My pick: Hurricanes, 28-24.

Other state FBS Week 10 games (chronologically, all Saturday unless noted):

UPSET BIRD DAY IN AMERICA! NFL WEEK 9 PICKS: I LIKE DOLPHINS OVER OAKLAND. THE WAY MY SEASON IS GOING, THAT MIGHT NOT BE GOOD NEWS: I am having a rough season with my NFL predictions at around midseason, maybe the single worst, in fact, in 27 years of doing it. My .555 win percentage straight-up and .420 against the spread are figures I'd normally only admit under oath. And that was before I blew last night's game, failing to call the Jets' win over Buffalo. So when I tell you the Dolphins will beat the Raiders, 24-20, Sunday night, that might mostly be seen as good news in and around Oakland. Still, we sally forth, undeterred, and hell-bent to rally from here. Click Week 9 Gems for our full predix capsules on Fins-Raiders, our Game of the Week (Chiefs-Cowboys), Upset of the Week (Rams-Giants: "Aawwk!") and all the rest. I keep saying, "It can only get better from here." We'll see...

POLL RESULT: MIXED FEELINGS, BUT STRONG MAJORITY DON'T LIKE AJAYI TRADE: We asked, "What do you think of the Dolphins trading RB Jay Ajayi to the Eagles for a 4th-round draft pick?" And 62.8 percent voted "against it." Another 26.2% voted "for it," while the remaining 11.0% were "undecided." That's a thumbs-down by better than a 2-to-1 margin among those who had a clear opinion.

Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.

GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.

1) It is THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2. Click Thursday Gem for my pick on tonight's Bills-Jets Thursday Night Football game. 2) Know any people who are serious Dolfans despite last Thursday? Surprise and delight them with our book on club's first half-century. Click Fins At 50. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes win at North Carolina with CSM poll, Hot Button Top 10 , state Collball Week 9, The List (college coach-salaries) & more. 4) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat.

Miami, Stephen Ross win big: Miami and Hard Rock Stadium are awarded the 2020-season college football national championship game and it's a huge win for the city, Stephen Ross and (maybe) the Hurricanes. Click Miami Wins Again for my latest column.

Dolphins' Jay Ajayi trade: Dumb!: Miami traded its young, really good No. 1 running back and got in exchange the NFL equivalent of a tackling sled and a box of kicking tees. Dumb. Dumb! Dumbdumbdumb. Click How to Make a Bad Offense Worse for my column.

A message for Hurricanes fans: Quit finding fault at 7-0: Desperate Gators turn to Randy Shannon. Embarrassed Seminoles are 2-5. Is this really the season you want to look at Hurricanes' 7-0 record and complain it hasn't been dominant enough? Click Appreciate Perfection -- Period.

ON DOLPHINS' JAY AJAYI TRADE: YAY OR NAY? VOTE NOW: I have had my say. The link to my column is just above here. I think the Dolphins trading their top young running back and getting next to nothing in return made a bad offense worse, erased somebody the team should have made a part of its future, and was just plain dumb. No spinning it. No yeah-buts. No equivocation. DUMB! But that's just me. Now have your say:

BRADY OVERTAKES SMITH FOR SEASON LEAD / HERALD QB RANKINGS / WEEK 8: Miami’s favorite quarterback -- not -- has
overtaken first place after Week 8 in the Miami Herald's latest NFL quarterback season rankings. That would be the Patriots’ Tom Brady (pictured) surpassing the Chiefs’ Alex Smith, who has led all but one week this season. Seattle’s Russell Wilson climbs to fifth place overall on the strength of a 47.60-point week that gave Wilson his second straight weekly title. This is the 20th season of our Passer Success System (PASS) rankings, which began in 1998. Our formula is simple and unchanged since its inception, factoring accuracy, yardage, TD-interception ratio and team result. Most major ranking systems such as the NFL's and ESPN's are complicated and percentile based, allowing QBs who miss half a season to still win a title, while our system is cumulative, rewarding players who are consistently productive and avoid injury or benching. Because the rankings are cumulative, players on a bye week take a temporary hit that evens out over the course of a season.

RK LW Player, Team                  Wk8       Season

1     2 Tom Brady, NE                  41.65     302.05

2     1 Alex Smith, KC                 15.10     286.05

3     4 Drew Brees, NO               37.95      246.55

4     3 Carson Wentz, PHI           22.55      238.15

5   10 Russell Wilson, SEA           47.60     228.40

6     6 Josh McCown, NYJ           37.85      227.00

7     5 Kirk Cousins, WAS             26.15     222.00

8     7 Philip Rivers, LAC             14.60     197.40

9   12 Ben Roethlisberger, PIT     23.85     197.10

10 16 Matt Ryan, ATL                 30.70     195.20

11 19 Matthew Stafford, DET     30.15      187.55

12 14 Dak Prescott, DAL             18.15     186.45

13 18 Derek Carr, OAK               25.65      185.70

14 15 Cam Newton, CAR            16.70      183.05

15  8 Aaron Rodgers, GB             BYE       182.25

16 21 Case Keenum, MIN            33.40     181.50

17t 20 Deshaun Watson, HOU     31.10     180.95

17t  9 Carson Palmer, ARI           BYE       180.95

19 11 Eli Manning, NYG              BYE       174.00

20 17 Jameis Winston, TB          8.50       172.65

29 29 Jay Cutler, MIA                 DNP       118.75

37 38 Matt Moore, MIA              8.80         29.20

Bubble: Jared Goff, LAR, 171.20. Week 8 best: Wilson, SEA, 47.60 (26-41, 452, 4-1 in win). Week 8 worst: Mitch Trubisky, CHI, 1.20 (14-32, 164, 0-1 in loss).

NFL PIX 'N FANTASY: WEEK 8 RESULTS: Every week in the blog I tell you know how I did the previous NFL weekend with my Miami Herald predictions and with my Greg's Lobos team in the LeBatard Show fantasy league. WEEK 8: Herald picks: Disappointing. Went an OK 9-4 straight-up and a poor 5-8 against the spread. That included a huge misfire in believing Dolphins would win at Baltimore. Greg's Lobos: Lobos sank to 5-3 (still tied for second in the league) with a 83.3 to 66.6 loss to Roy. Is it even possible to score fewer points? We got bitten by the bye bug bad. Still, no excuses. Never a good sign when your leading score is tight end Kyle Rudolph with 14.7 points. #GoLobosGo

SOPY STANDINGS / WEEK 9: MIAMI'S ROSIER JUMPS TO 2ND IN 'STATE HEISMAN' RACE: Malik Rosiers' 216-point game at North Carolina (second-best among state FBS schools this past weekend) lifted him one spot to second place, now narrowly trailing only UCF's McKenzie Milton, in the race for the Herald's 2017 State Offensive Player of the Year award -- the "state Heisman." Devin Singletary's 279-point game for FAU, a statewide season high, solidified his hold on fourth place. Our weekly rankings measure the most productive quarterbacks, running backs and receivers from the state's seven FBS teams: Miami, Florida, Florida State, FIU, FAU, UCF and South Florida. The rankings are cumulative but based weekly on average points per game: Total points divided by number of games a player's team has played. This keeps the comparison even because not all teams have played the same number of games. 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.

SOPY Top 10 entering Week 10:

RK  LW  Player, School-Pos.                      Average        Total (Games)

1     1   McKenzie Milton-UCF qb               196.93         1,378.5 (7)

2     3   Malik Rosier-Miami qb                  194.36          1,360.5 (7)

3     2   Quinton Flowers-SoFla qb             191.38         1,531 (8)

4     4   Devin Singletary, FAU-rb               158.88         1,271 (8)

5     5   Alex McGough-FIU qb                   132.93            930.5 (7)

6     6   Thomas Owens-FIU rec                 111.64           781.5 (7)

7     7   Travis Homer-Miami rb                 103.71           726 (7)

8     9    Darius Tice-SoFla rb                      98.13           785 (8)

9     8   Cam Akers-FSU rb                          97.50           682.5 (7)

10  --   D'Ernest Johnson-SoFla rb               90.13           721 (8)

Bubble: Marquez Valdes-Scantling-SoFla rec, 88.38. Other team leader: Malik Davis-Florida rb, 85.14. Week 9 best: Singletary-FAU rb, 279 points. Season best: Singletary-FAU rb, 279 points (W9).

Cote's State of the State rankings: 1. Miami (7-0); 2. UCF (7-0); 3. South Florida (7-1); 4. Florida (3-4); 5. Florida State (2-5); 6. FIU (5-2); 7. FAU (5-3).

LATEST 'BACK IN MY DAY': HALLOWEEN!: In our latest LeBatard Show BIMD rant I lay out my rules for Halloween. How many did you observe followed or broken on your street last night?

Select other recent columns: Along For the Ride On the Road to 'Back' (UM at7-0). Dolphins Debacle (quick hits 40-0 loss in Baltimore). Time Is Right For Dolphins To Prove Doubters Wrong (on three straight prime-time games). The Godfather Speaks (Pat Riley exclusive). Also: Latest Drama in Bizarre, Trying Season. It Isn't Just Cutler. Back On Track & Ready To Roar. Jeter Betting On Jeter. Hope That Wasn't Goodbye. Chasing History. Wade Will End Where He Belongs. Larranaga Has Canes Flying High, Now This. Regret, Tears & a Legacy's Dark Shadow. Really Good or God-Awful, Cutler Won't Be Dull. A Perspective On Sports As a Hurricane Hits. Specials: Thank You, Mae Riback. Thank You, Edwin Pope.

Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.