[Look for our latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter poll in a separate post in the blog today beginning at 4:30 p.m. Also, I'll be on CBS-4's SportsZone tonight at 7 chatting Canes, Dolphins and Heat. Catch us if you can]. Original post: Miami (5-2 overall, 3-0 in ACC) is a comfortable 15-point road favorite over Virginia (3-4, 0-3), although the very suggestion of "comfy" is likely what concerns coach Randy Shannon going in. This could be The U's easiest game, on paper, since the FAMU opener, perhaps even more so than the one at Duke. But the Canes can afford no letdown if sights are to remain set on an ACC championship. Things a UM fan should hope to see: Continued emphasis on more running and offensive balance to ease the burden on Jacory Harris; that was one of the delights of the win over North Carolina last week. Also wondering if Miami is capable of playing a "clean" game in which turnovers and costly penalties are not a factor. (By the way, maybe it's just me, but the Cavaliers' mascot, far right, looks ... a little ... fey? Not that there's anything wrong with that! Maybe it's his Halloween costume).
Your thoughts welcome here on all Collball Week 9 action, particularly on the Canes, Florida-Georgia and of course the FIU-FAU backyard brawl for the Shula Bowl. My predictions: UM big, Gators in a (mild) upset, and Owls in an upset over FIU. (Hey, I got two out of three!)
VIRGINIA STUNS NO. 22 CANES, 24-19: Miami rallied from 24-0 down but falls short when defense cannot stop late third-down conversions by Cavaliers. Ultimately UM could not overcome five interceptions by three different QBs, with 21 of VA's points coming off UM turnovers .... Canes now 5-3 overall, 3-2 in ACC, and ceding control of the division title race to Virginia Tech ..... How serious is Jacory Harris' injury is big question in the wake of the loss ..... UM recovers onside kick, scores on 60-yard Travis Benjamin TD catch ..... Stephen Morris TD run but Matt Bosher shanks XP kick ..... Leonard Hankerson TD pass from true freshman Stephen Morris averts shutout, mid-fourth ..... Third quarter didn't get any better. Three Miami QBs have thrown four interceptions. ..... Oh my. What a miserable first half for Miami. QB Jacory Harris out injured. Canes killing themselves with mistakes. Nothing going right. Nightmare. Do they have a comeback in them?
Other Week 9 state FBS games:
North Carolina State 28, No. 16 FSU 24: Thursday night upset loss loosens Seminoles' grip on both the top-25 and the ACC race, ending Tally's five-game win streak.
Florida 34, Georgia 31: Oy, how the mighty have fallen. The annual "World's Largest Cocktail Party" in nuetral Jacksonville found both sets of fans boozing to drown sorrows more than celebrate. The Gators (now 5-3, 3-3) were slight 'dogs but ended a three-game lsoing streak.
Central Florida 49, East Carolina 35: Here's one I couldn't much care less about, personally, yet it was a big game within the Conference USA East division. UCF now 6-2, 4-0.
FAU 21, FIU 9: Shula Bowl! Backyard grudge! Neighborhood war! Golden Panthers were 4 1/2-point favorite. Arise, Owl Nation, arise!
Idle this week: South Florida's Bulls 4-3 and preparing for Wednesday night game vs. Rutgers.
National top-25 matchups: 18-Iowa d. 5-Michigan State, 37-6; 14-Nebraska d. 6-Missouri, 31-17.
COTE TOP 30
Our continuing weekly cumulative ranking of the college football programs having the biggest impact on the 2010 season:
Rank-LW Team Points
1-3 Boise State 757
2-1 Alabama 756
3-2 Ohio State 735
4-5 Oregon 718
5-4 Texas Christian 710
6-6 Oklahoma 637
7-7 Nebraska 609
8-10 Auburn 514
9-8 Wisconsin 500
10-12 Louisiana State 471
11-9 Iowa 470
12-13 Utah 464
13-14 Arkansas 430
14-11 Florida 427
15-15 Texas 386
16-17 Stanford 380
17-16 MIAMI 355
18-19 Arizona 342
19-18 South Carolina 339
20-21 Michigan State 298
21-20 Florida State 277
22-27 Missouri 200
23-25 Virginia Tech 184
24-24 Michigan 174
25-26 Southern Cal 167
26-22t West Virginia 166
27-22t Penn State 163
28-28 Oklahoma State 156
29-29 Nevada 119
30-30 Georgia Tech 91
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