1) It is SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21. Click on Random Evidence for today's latest Sunday notes-column package. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canton/Hall poll, Jameis Winston, erosion of Tannehill support, Urban Outfitters & more. 3) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram and Vine.
BIG 3'S BIG WEEK: Can't recall a bigger combined week for what we used to call the state's Big 3, with Canes at Nebraska, Florida State hosting Clemson and Florida facing Alabama.
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G4: Time again for the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, this one in the wake of Saturday night's 41-31 loss at Nebraska putting UM's season record at 2-2. The CSM, in its sixth season, is 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. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 9 a.m. today/Monday.
2014 CSM results
G1: 6.7% (following 31-13 loss at Louisville)
G2: 35.9% (following 41-7 victory vs. Florida A&M)
G3: 71.8% (following 41-20 victory vs. Arkansas State)
G4: 11.6% (following 41-31 loss at Nebraska)
Next poll: Sept. 27 (following game vs. Duke)
G4: NO. 24 NEBRASKA 41, HURRICANES 31: MIAMI FALLS SHORT IN SEASON-SHAPING TEST: UM's offense was OK tonight in Nebraska. Duke Johnson was good, Brad Kaaya was pretty good (though two interceptions). But the Canes' defensive showing will reinvigorate the Mark D'Onofrio haters. Though a last-minute TD made the final score respectable, Miami's run defense was horrid. ..... Original post: It's an 8 p.m. prime-timer on ESPN2 and the weather could be funky (80% chance of rain) as two storied programs try to get back to where they used to be. Ten combined national titles include four won against each other -- Miami climbing over Cornhuskers for crowns in 1983 (pictured below left), 1991 and 2001, and Nebraska vaulting Canes to win it all in '94. Today, both are trying to see how good they really are. We don't know. Nebraska is unbeaten but vs.
lightweights FAU, McNeese State and Fresno State, hence the barely-there national ranking. UM after an opening loss at Louisville has gotten well against softies Florida A&M and Arkansas State. This game will be a larger test for both as Canes coach Al Golden tries to convince skeptical fans he can win the big one. This would be a big one. Let's see how freshman QB Brad Kaaya handles not only the weather but Nebraska's 90,000-strong Sea of Red. A loss or poor performce by Kaaya and the calls for senior QB Ryan Williams, close to returning from injury, could start. Have a feeling this could be a wild one. Huskers favored by 7 1/2 points but I see it closer with a medium-to-large shot at an outright upset if Miami's defense can reasonably contain Nebraska's spread-option attack. My pick: Nebraska, 30-27.
Other Collball Week 4 state FBS games:
No. 3 Alabama 42, Florida 21: Nick Saban takes his protege, Will Muschamp, to school. Only 'Bama mistakes kept it as close as it was, with Tide outgaining The Gator by 645 total yards to 200.
Louisville 34, FIU 3: Visiting Cardinals were a four-TD favorite and you got the feeling FIU would be fortunate just to keep it that close. L'ville whipped UM by 18. Would have been big for Panthers to keep it even that close.
Wyoming 20, FAU 19: Pretty even matchup with Wyoming getting the home-field 3-point edge. I, a blatant Owl-homer, gave FAU a big shot.
No. 1 Florida State 23, No. 22 Clemson 17 (OT): QB Jameis Winston was suspended for the entire game, after an outcry over the original first-half suspension for shouting a sexist vulgarity on campus. Noles had embarrassed Clemson, up there, last year, 51-14. You knew this would closer but still liked Noles even sans Winston. FSU had won 10 of past 11 in series in Tally by combined 426-167.
Also: UCF def. Bethune-Cookman, 41-7. South Florida def. UConn, 17-14, on Friday.
Poll result: Seau leads your next Hall class for Canton: We invited you to pick the most deserving Hall of Fame inductees from a list of 10 top nominees. Your top five: Junior Seau with 17.0 percent, Marvin Harrison 14.3%, Kurt Warner 11.2%, Orlando Pace 10.5% and Edgerrin James 10.0%.
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