Dolfan Satisfaction Meter:14.2%; plus Green Bay beats Miami 27-24 in last-second heartbreak; also new Hot Button Top 10 & more

1) It is MONDAY, OCTOBER 13. It's Columbus Day. Anybody know where I can buy a Columbus hat? Better question: Why isn't Pharrell wearing one yet? 2) Find results of the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter poll in blogpost directly below this one. 3) Click on Random Evidence for our latest Sunday notes-column package. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes whomp Cincinnati, CSM poll, Heat vs. LeBron, Panthers home opener & more. 5) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram and Vine.

Panthers home opener: Click on Sad Start for my column off Saturday's 21st Panthers NHL home opener, which invited the question which was sadder: A zombie-like 5-1 loss, or the smallest season-opening crowd in club history.

Click on 6 Seconds, 4 Yards for my column off yesterday's Dolphins loss. Find our Dolphins-Packers game blog immediately after the new DSM poll.

DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G5: Results are in on the latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 14.2 percent overall satisfaction in the wake of Sunday's 27-24 loss to visiting Green Bay putting Miami's season record at 2-3. The DSM, in its seventh season, is a continuous weekly gauge of how fans are feeling about the Dolphins and their direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading 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/Tuesday.

2014 DSM results

G1: 96.4% (following 33-20 victory vs. New England)

G2: 12.2% (following 29-10 loss at Buffalo)

G3: 2.0% (following 34-15 loss vs. Kansas City)

G4: 62.3% (following 38-14 victory vs. Oakland in London)

G5: 14.2% (following 27-24 loss vs. Green Bay)

Next poll: Oct. 19 (following game at Chicago)

G5: GREEN BAY 27, DOLPHINS 24: Final: Heartbreak. The magic of Aaron Rodgers, I guess. Tannehill and Miami staged a nice second-half rally that Rodgers made fall short thanks to his late heroics. Miami's defense played well much of the day but not, alas, when it mattered most. ..... Fourth quarter: Rodgers to Pack TE Andrew Quarless for 4-yard TD pass with 3 seconds left spells heartbreak for Miami and a 27-24 loss. ... Gee Bees within 24-20 on 30-yard FG with 4:09 left. ... Miami up 24-17 with 9:13 left -- first lead of game -- on Tanny to Mike Wallace 5-yard TD pass. ... Dolphins tie it 17-17 on Lamar Miller 5-yard TD run to finish impressive drive. A pretty great game, it turns out. ..... Third quarter: After finally tying it, MIA gives up 80-yard Pack scoring drive finished by Rodgers' 5-yard TD pass to Randall Cobb to make it 17-10, Cheesers. ... Cortland Finnegan big missed tackle. Lot of those today for Miami's D. ... Incredible. Dolphins tie it 10-10 on Tannehill 11-yard scoring pass to Jarvis Landry, who outjumped GB's Tramon Williams in the zone. Tannehill's 40-yard sparked the drive. ... LT Branden Albert back in game. ..... Halftime: It's a small miracle Miami only trails 10-3. Green Bay leads in time of possession 21 minutes to 9 and the Fins have a meager 87 yards in total offense. Tannehill has been awful (84 yards, two picks, 26.0 rating) and the run game has 10 carries for 10 net yards vs. NFL's worst-ranked run-D. Still, only 10-3. Amazing. Defense playing winning ball. Tanny and the O must step up and seize a still-winnable game ..... Second quarter: LT Branden Albert leaves in last minute of half with apparent left-shoulder injury; severity unknown. ... Tannehill throws deep to a well-covered Brian Hartline, suffers second interception of game. ... Tannehill's game passer rating is presently 12.0. ..... Cheesers up 10-3 on 43-yard FG set up by Ryan Tannehill's interception to Casey Hayward returned to Fins 36. Big 3rd-down sack by Olivier Vernon made Gee Bees settle. ..... First quarter: Jonathan Freeny blocked punt sets up MIA at Pack 16. A sure score, right? Nope. Miami goes for it on 4th-and-goal from 1 but Knowshon Moreno is stuffed up the middle. Agree with the gamble, but not the call. ... MIA within 7-3 but that's settling. When you get a 54-yard kickoff return (Jarvis Landry), you must take advantage. ... Aaron Rodgers 9-yard pas to Jordy Nelson completes 80-yard opening drive for fast 7-0 Pack lead. My upset prediction off to a rocky start. ..... Original post: This game feels a little bit special, like an "event" game. Part of it is that the Green Bay Packers are rare visitors (last 

time here, 2006) and still have a cache to the franchise name. Part of it is that it's Joe Philbin's ex-team, although that angle would be better mined if Joe was prone to showing emotion. (Mr. Personality, then and now, is pictured left). Mostly it is that the great Aaron Rodgers will be making his first career start in Miami. Almost forgot, the Fins are 2-2 and travel to Chicago next, so a loss today would make a 2-4 record loom possible. So a win here would be huge, and reaffirm playoff hopes. I like Miami, at home, coming off a bye, in an upset. Team gets reinforcements in the return of S Reshad Jones, OL Mike Pouncey and probably RB Knowshon Moreno, three key players. I think Miami's pass defense will challenge Rodgers. Mostly, I think the Dolphins will be able to run the ball and control clock a little bit against a Gee Bees run-D that is last in the NFL in yards allowed. My pick: Upset! Dolphins, 27-24.

HOT BUTTON: TOP 10 THINGS SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our Random Evidence Sunday notes-column package has returned in print from summer hiatus (click HERE for today's latest edition), but due to semi-popular demand an updated, expanded Hot Button continues as an exclusive Sunday feature of the blog. Hot Button means what's on our minds as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead:

1. Dolphins: Miami welcomes Mr. Rodgers to the 'hood: Tom Brady has started 13 games in Miami, Peyton Manning seven and Drew Brees two, now today the last of the NFL's Big Four QBs finally starts a game here as Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay visit. Remember, Dolphins defenders: Hospitality is overrated. 

2. Hurricanes: Offense swamps Cincinnati in 55-34 rout: UM improved to 4-3 yesterday at home in rolling up 621 yards of offense led by (as usual) Brad Kaaya and Duke Johnson. Of course, around here, a 21-point win over a medicore opponent does not calm the roiling masses, it merely holds them at bay.

3. Heat: Cavs edge Miami in OT in LeBron Wars Act I: Cleveland beat the Heat 122-119 in OT in Rio de Janeiro, but Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade both played better than turncoat LeBron James, who scored seven points on 2-for-8 shooting. So let's just call it ... a preseason game that doesn't matter.

4. Panthers: Cats NHL home opener is two times sad: Sad: A zombie-like 5-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils making Florida 0-2 in the young season after a winless preseason. Sadder: The smallest home-opening crowd in franchise history.

5. MLB playoffs: Royals, Giants get the early jump: Kansas City leads Baltimore 2-0 and San Francisco won Game 1 over St. Louis last night to start the AL and NL championship series. I dare you to name five Royals. Go!  

6. College football: A calmer Saturday: After last week shook up the College Football Playoff top four, this week was calmer. If the season ended right now, Mississippi State and Ole Miss both would be in the final four, and Gators fans would be chasing Jeff Driskel clean out of Gainesville.

7. College basketball: Practice underway at UM, elsewhere: As hoops season nears, Jim Larranaga's Canes men have no seniors and seven of the nine scholarship players are new to the program. Those aren't commemorative patches o the UM uniforms. Those are 'Hello My name Is' stickers.

8. NASCAR: Logano storms to forefront: One month from the season finale at Homestead, many race experts now say Joey Logano is the favorite to win the Sprint Cup season title. That gives me a month to figure out who Joey Logano is. 

9. Sailing: Columbus Day Regatta ends in Miami: Today wraps up the annual event on Biscayne Bay that involves drinking, topless women, partying, debauchery and, when time allows, sailing.

10. Horse racing: Goodbye, Calder: Because of ownership changes, Calder Race Course (near Dolphins stadium) is now known as Gulfstream Park West. "Like I care?" said the horses.

Check back often because we constantly update and add to our latest blogposts...

Canesfan Satisfaction Meter: 29.6%; plus UM routs Cincy 55-34; also Heat-LeBron Act I to Cavs, Panthers drop home opener & more

1) It is SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11. Happy birthday to my big brother! 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Three Things I Find Annoying poll, NFL Week 6 pix, Bosh/LeBron relationship, Chalmers/Cole verdict, Rock Hall nominees & more. 3) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram and Vine.

Welcome to Sexy Sports Saturday, triple the fun: Canes home vs. Cincy; Heat vs. LeBron in Rio; Panthers home opener... 

Find today's UM-Cincinnati game post and postgame thoughts directly below the poll.

CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G7: Results are certified in the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 29.6 percent overall satisfaction in the wake of Saturday's 55-34 victory over visiting Cincinnati putting UM's season record at 4- 3. 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)

G5: 73.3% (following 22-10 victory vs. Duke)

G6: 3.3% (following 28-17 loss at Georgia Tech)

G7: 29.6% (following 55-34 victory vs. Cincinnati)

Next poll: Oct. 23 (following game at Virginia Tech, after bye)

G7: HURRICANES 55, CINCINNATI 34: Final: Big day for the UM offense with 621 total yards including 335 on the ground. Brad Kaaya tossed for 286 and three TDs, Duke Johnson rushed for 162 on only 10 carries, and Phillip Dorsett needed only three catches to amass 143 yards. Impressive stuff. Defense was not perfect but good enough -- especially vs. the run. Also notable, senior QB Ryan Williams made his season debut in relief. Good day. ..... Halftime: At 24-10 game going about as expected. Defense settling in after allowing that early 80-yard drive. Brad Kaaya very good at 13-for-17, 186 yards, two TDs. Duke Johnson already with 132 rush-yards including the 80-yard TD. ..... Original post: Miami's defense being run aground in losses to Nebraska and Georgia Tech sandwiched around a win over Duke has left UM 3-3 and left Canes fans howling. The howling against D-coordinator Mark D'Onofrio is by rote, but increasingly the criticism is lapping up to the desk of coach Al Golden. The team's spotty play, an unattractive opponent and a brutal noon start could make for an awful crowd today, but UM's performance had better not be awful. This is not a game The U can lose. Cincy has lost two straight and given up 91 points in doing so. The Bearcats are without their top two runners and big-threat QB Gunner Kiel is playing. Miami is generally favored by 14-17 points and needs to win with comfort, dare say impressively. That won't turn around the critics. It will merely hold them at bay. My pick: Hurricanes, 41-16.

Other Collball Week 7 state FBS games:

No. 1 Florida State 38, Syracuse 20: Give Noles credit. They haven't been consistently dominant but, unlike Oregon, Alabama and Oklahoma, et al,  they haven't stumbled, either. And didn't think they would here as a 23-point fave against an opponent test-driving a new QB.

Texas-San Antonio 16, FIU 13: Couldn't figure why Larry Coker's UTSA was favored here by a big nine points; that disrespected FIU, who I thought would win. Golden Panthers led by 10-0 early but frittered away the game to fall to 3-4 and end a two-game win streak.

LSU 30, Florida 27: A rivalry that usually has poll ramifications was off the marquee this time, but it still was a good game. Gators were a slim favorite at home but I rightly sensed a minor upset as Bayou out-ecosystems Swamp. That, and Jeff Driskel isn't very good, and threw the costly last-minute interception that led to the losing field goal.

Also: No. 19 East Carolina def. South Florida 28-17. UCF def. Brigham Young 31-24 on Thursday night. Off this week: FAU.

HEAT VS. LEBRON IN RIO: DELICIOUSLY MEANINGLESS!: [Update: Cavs win 122-119 in OT. LeBron 7 points on 2-8 shooting in 21 minutes. Bosh 19 and Wade 12 for Heat]. At 5 p.m. Eastern time begins the NBA preseason game that both sides will insist is as meaningless as any other exhibition, even though both sides will know they're lying. The real first battle in The LeBron Wars will be Christmas Day in Miami, but it's quite a little appetizer happening in Brazil. Be interesting to gauge the pregame interaction among the estranged teammates. There is tension, awkwardness. There are the seeds of a bitter rivalry. It's in the way LeBron left Miami. It's in some of Chris Bosh's comments, and in James' response to them. There is an underlying darkness brewing in Heat vs. LeBron as the curtain lifts on Act I.

CATS ON ICE: PANTHERS' HOME OPENER: [Update: Panthers fall 5-1 last night; click on Sad Start for my column from the game]. Florida followed an 0-6 preseason with a season-opening loss at Tampa Bay -- not exactly the desired prelude to tonight's NHL home opener vs. New Jersey. It's closer to a nightmare start for new coach Gerard Gallant and a Panthers team that thinks it's ready to end its playoff drought. We'll see. Years fallen off the hockey and local radar beg skepticism when it comes to the Cats. I'll be in the Sunrise arena columnizing tonight, looking for a playoff team.

Poll result: Canes, Dolphins snipes aren't as annoying to you as to me: We asked in the previous blogpost (you may still vote) what annoyed you, and 22.7 percent said UM trustees anonymously criticizing coach Al Golden, 14.2% said the '72 Dolphins criticizing the current team, and 13.7% said ex-Canes ripping the current program. But the other 49.4% said they were bothered by none of that.

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Are you as annoyed as me by these 3 things concerning the Dolphins and Canes? New poll. Vote now!; plus NFL Week 6 pix, Heat, Rock Hall & more

1) It is FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10. I'm sequestered at Random Evidence Laboratories today summoning the Sunday notes column package. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Chalmers vs. Cole Heat poll, defending MLB's postseason, Cats on ice, Dolphins/Harbaugh, Alan Cherry (R.I.P.) & more. 3) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram and Vine.

Panthers show how not to whet the appetite for hockey: Florida drops its NHL opener in Tampa last night, 3-2, after an 0-6 preseason. Now comes the home opener Saturday night vs. New Jersey and there are concerns within the club it may not be a sellout, or even close.

I AM ANNOYED  BY THESE THREE THINGS. MAYBE YOU ARE NOT: There is a phenomenon in South Florida sports and media. 1) Former Dolphins, especially the 1972 Perfectos, love to complain about the
state of the current team whenever invited by reporters to do so (which is much too often). 2) Former Hurricane football stars love to take to Twitter to snipe at the state of the current team (in apparent discord with the whole idea of 'The U' as family). And, 3. UM trustees and high-ranking donors have no problem taking shots at coach Al Golden following losses -- anonymously, of course, which seems rather cowardly. These three things I find annoying for various reasons, but I may be alone on this. Curious what you think. Take a dip in our poll. Vote for one, two or all three -- as many as you find annoying. Or vote that none of them bother you.

NFL WEEK 6 PICKS: DOLPHINS BEAT PACK. NO, SERIOUSLY: Bad start last night. Misfired on riskily picking Texans to beat Colts. Click on Week 6 Gems for all the rest of our latest prediction capsules. It's Dolphins over Packers in my Upset of the Week ("Aawwk!"). You know it's a dicey pick when you're thinking "What was I thinking" and the game is still two days away. Click on Mr. Rodgers In the Neighborhood for my Friday Page NFL column. I rank all 32 starting quarterbacks on the occasion of Aaron Rodgers' first career start in Miami.

BOSH MIGHT BE FROSTY WITH LEBRON. WHO CARES!: Saturday in Rio de Janeiro is the most important utterly meaningless game in the history of the Heat and perhaps of all mankind. It's Miami vs. Cleveland in a preseason game. Wait. That's not quite right. It's the Heat vs. turncoat LeBron James. Call it an appetizer for the first regular-season meeting Christmas Day in Miami. There is the implication of a strained relationship between Chris Bosh and James as Bosh says he has no interest in being chummy with LeBron during the season. Will I watch the Saturday exhibition? Sure, I guess. But mainly to carefully discern the pregame nuance and mating ritual of the species Estranged Teammates as we watch to see if Bosh and James exchange bro-hugs, fist bumps, pleasantries or the mere token civility of a nearly imperceptible nod. If that. Oh the drama!

Poll result: Heat switch to Cole at point guard has support: We asked in the previous blogpost who you'd like to see as the Heat's starting point guard, and it was Norris Cole over incumbent Mario Chalmers, 56.6 percent to 43.4%. The vote was close much of the way before Cole gradually pulled away.

ROCK HALL'S 2015 NOMINEES: Fifteen artists are on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ballot for '15 and it is not a particularly illustrious group. My ballot as a longtime amateur musicologist: Green Day, N.W.A., Nine Inch Nails and Lou Reed (pictured) get in. I might vote for Sting if it includes The Police, not just his latter career. I'd consider Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, The Spinners and Stevie Ray Vaughan. I'd investigate The Smiths, who I respect as having a cult devotion but don't know enough about. Falling short for me: Chic, Kraftwerk, The Marvelettes, War and Bill Withers.

Check back a lot because we constantly update and add to our latest blogposts...

Poll: Chalmers or Cole? Pick a Heat point guard. Vote now!; plus Panthers hockey, Fins/Harbaugh verdict, defending MLB, Alan Cherry (R.I.P.) & more

1) It is THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9. Thinking of the late, great John Lennon today, on what would be his 74th birthday. 2) I'm holed up at Friday Page Headquarters today pulling forth my NFL Week 6 predictions. Click on Thursday Gem for tonight's pick. 3) BBC Music brings together dozens of great artists for a rendition of the Beach Boys classic, "God Only Knows." Trippy result worth a listen and watch here. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins/Harbaugh poll, college football upheaval, NFL Pix 'n Fantasy, SOPY standings, toast to '72, Derrick Shelby, Cinder-AL-a & more. 5) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram and Vine.

Cats on the ice: NHL starting. Hockey's back. Florida Panthers open tonight/Thursday in Tampa then at home Saturday vs. New Jersey. Click on Telling Season for my preview column. Club hasn't won a playoff series since 1996 and a sharp decline in attendance is expected. This has become a franchise that needs saving. Winning is the only start.

CHALMERS VS. COLE IN HEAT POINT-GUARD BATTLE: IT'S ON: The post-LeBron Heat are 0-2 in the preseason entering Saturday's game vs. Cleveland and James in Rio -- uh oh -- and even though the games don't matter you know that panic is setting in with some fans as "We really might be that bad" sweeps over them. Relax. It's a playoff team. But to distract you from your growing angst here's a poll. It's incumbent Mario Chalmers vs. challenger Norris Cole (pictured left to right) in what by all accounts is an open battle for starting point guard. And that role is magnified because LeBron James, who brought the ball up and handled it so much he was a de facto point guard, is no longer here. (He went somewhere. I forget where). Chalmers probably brings more offensive pop and swagger; Cole brings better defense and energy. Both have flaws. Is Cole better-suited to being the spark off the bench? What Heat point guard would you prefer to see start and get the most minutes? I exclude rookie Shabazz Napier from the question because he obviously isn't ready yet to be in the conversation. So take a dip in the poll and say why.

Poll result: Dolfan interest in Harbaugh, but with some reservations: We asked in the previous blogpost if the Dolphins should pursue 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh should he become avaailable after the season, and 47.9 percent said yes without equivocation. However, 25.2% said only if Miami does not make the playoffs and another 18.7% voted "avoid him like the plague." The other 8.2% were undecided.

DEFENDING BASEBALL'S POSTSEASON, FINAL FOUR: The complainers are out. Not enough starpower! Not enough runs! Bad World Series ahead! I don't buy it. Yes, 10 of the 14 playoff games thus far (not counting wild-cards) have been won with four runs or fewer. So what? Pitching is good. Steroids are outlawed. Deal with it. I think the Orioles-Royals ALCS (starting Friday) and the Cardinals-Giants NLCS (Game 1 Saturday) guarantees a World Series of interesting contrast. St. Louis and San Fran are recent champions from 2011 and '12, respectively, while Baltimore and Kansas City last won it all in 1983 and '85. Royals haven't even been in the postseason since then. There will be an AL-David vs. NL-Goliath element that I think America will find appealing. Besides, the fact all four division series ended either 3-0 or 3-1 indicates the vanquished teams were undeserving in some way. And there is no clear betting favorite among the four survivors; it's anybody's ring.

ALAN CHERRY, 1955-2014, R.I.P.: This is self-indulgent. Screw it. It's my blog. My oldest friend, Alan Cherry, died this week, at 59, and I miss him already. We met when we were 19, I think. Fate had us both stumbling blind into journalism careers under the tutelage of Max Hall at BCC. I gravitated to sports. Alan ended up doing important stuff, for three decades a news reporter and editor for the Sun-Sentinel. Alan was a nonconformist both intellectually and visually. In a newsroom where men wore shirts and ties, clean-shaved faces and neat hair, you'd find Alan with long hair tucked under a ballcap and a full, straggly beard. (He was way ahead of the trend on that look. I think his wife Pat and son James deserve royalty checks from Duck Dynasty). Alan was also an accomplished songwriter. He wrote "Letting Go," which I was honored to record (click here to listen). A few years ago Alan was surprised and delighted to hear another of his songs, "House of Ghosts," played on an NPR program devoted to unsigned artists who merited attention. The song is below. Alan was a man of great talent, and greater integrity. Rest in peace, my unforgettable old friend.

 

Check back a lot because we constantly update and add to our latest blogposts...

Dolphins and Jim Harbaugh. Poll. Vote!; plus NFL Pix 'n Fantasy, new SOPY Top 10, college football's merry mess, toast to '72, Cinder-AL-a & more

It's Radio Tuesday!: I'm back in-studio today with the Dan LeBatard Show, 3-7 on The Ticket  Miami, 4-7 on ESPN Radio. Ears welcome.

1) It is TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7. The Jacksonville Jaguars mascot led to an apology from the club for the sign shown carried during the Steelers game. Dear Mascots: Two things. First, stay out of politics and current events. Second, nothing about the ebola virus is funny. 2) Click on Random Evidence for our latest Sunday notes-column package. 3) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes grounded by Georgia Tech, CSM poll, Hot Button Top  10 & more. 4) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram and Vine.

THE DOLPHINS' HARBAUGH DILEMMA: A prevailing school of thought within the NFL is that the San Francisco 49ers and coach Jim Harbaugh may mutually part ways after this season, despite their success together. That immediately raises Harbaugh-to-Dolphins speculation considering owner Stephen Ross already tried once (2011) to hire Harbaugh for Miami. I think the issue would be moot if Miami makes the playoffs, which I think would secure Joe Philbin's job. But otherwise? Harbaugh's coaching talent is evident. But so is his off-putting personality and his hunger for control. Hiring him would be seen as a coup by some, but would be seen by others as an invitation to upheaval and turmoil. It's early, but we invite your thoughts on the matter. Vote and say why.

THE MERRY MESS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL: I am grinning right now at all those folks who thought the advent, this season, of the four-team College Football Playoff would make everything cut-and-dried, neat, above argument. Ha! In the best case, the Final Four may not be a broad consensus. There will usually be an angry No. 5 standing outside the closed door leading a protest. In the worst case, picking four for the CFP may be a crapshoot that finds at least as many teams feeling unfairly left out. This first year of the playoff looks like it could be one of those nightmares for the selection committee. Seemed otherwise until Nos. 2-3-4 Oregon, Alabama and Oklahoma all lost this past weekend, leaving the playoff picture as Florida State and the backup group Question Mark & The Mysterians. Auburn is pretty solid No. 2, then it gets crazy. Mississippi State, Baylor, Ole Miss, Notre Dame -- there are 24 teams in the AP Top 25 with zero or one losses. Alabama or any of the other recently dethroned team that runs the table from here stil can gravitate back up into the top four. It's insane, with very little hope of consensus come playoff time. Ain't it great!?

NFL PIX 'N FANTASY: ALL GOOD FOR WEEK 5: We update you briefly every Tuesday on how we did the previous NFL weekend with our published predictions and with our fantasy-league team. Pix: Great on the overall at 13-2 and OK against the spread at 8-7. But we stumbled for first time on our Upset of the Week when Bears blew it in Carolina. Fantasy: Greg's Lobos (logo at left) improved to 2-3 with a 107-93 win, led by 22 points from Marshawn Lynch, 21 from Philip Rivers and, unexpectedly, 21 from the toe of Stephen Gostkowski. Gotta say, though. You killin' me, Calvin Johnson!

SOPY: CANES' JOHNSON, KAAYA STAY ON TOP: Canes Duke Johnson and Brad Kaaya stay 1-2 in our blog-exclusive State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) rankings --"the State Heisman" -- while hard- charging Jameis Winston, the defending champion, leaps to No. 3. This is a cumulative weekly list of the most productive quarterbacks, running backs and receivers from Florida's seven FBS college football teams: Miami, FSU and Florida, FIU and FAU, and South Florida and UCF. Our past two season SOPY winners have been FSU QB Winston (2013; 2,107 points) and Canes QB Stephen Morris (2012; 1,900.5 points). 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. The SOPY Top 10 entering Collball Week 7:

SOPY WEEK 6 TOP 10

Rk (LW)   Player, team-pos.                Wk6    Season

1 (1)        Duke Johnson, Miami-rb         158      826

2 (2)        Brad Kaaya, Miami-qb            119.5    769

3 (6)       Jameis Winston, FSU-qb        194.5    746

4 (4)        Jacquez Johnson, FAU-qb      176.5   741 

5 (5)        Rashad Greene, FSU-rec        33      592

6 (3)        Marlon Mack, SoFla-rb            DNP      586

7 (9)       Alex McGough, FIU-qb            114     538.5

8 (8)        Jeff Driskel, Florida-qb           59.5     496.5

9 (7)        Karlos Williams, FSU-rb           54      494

10 (--)     Alex Gardner, FIU-rb               118     470

Bubble: Jay Warren, FAU-rb, 467. Other team leader: UCF--Justin Holman, qb, 458.5. Season's best week: Mack, SoFla-rb, 304 (Wk1). Note: UCF and Florida have played 4 games, FSU and USF have played 5 and Miami, FIU and FAU have played 6.

Cote's State of the State rank entering Collball Week 4: 1. FSU (5-0); 2. Florida (3-1); 3. Miami (3-3); 4. UCF (2-2); 5. SoFla (2-3); 6. FIU (3-3); 7. FAU (2-4).

A TOAST (EARLY THIS YEAR) TO 1972: In South Florida "1972" doesn't mean Vietnam or Watergate or anything else but Perfection. It means Don Shula, Lazrry Csonka and the 17-0 '72 Dolphins. Usually it's around Thanksgiving each year when some other NFL team is making its futile attempt to equal what Miami did, once and forver. This season we're only five weeks in and already we are rid of the last unbeaten team, thanks to the Bengals losing big at New England last night. The '72 Perfectos should feel cheated. National football writers didn't even have time to try to scrounge a phone number for Dick Anderson or Nick Buoniconti. Was the champgane even chilled yet? Anyone, congrats to what was, and remains. To the Class of '72.

...AND THEN THERE'S DERRICK SHELBY: We segue from the Dolphins' pinnacle of pride to the latter-day embarrassment of defensive end Derrick Shelby, arrested for causing a disturbance at Fort Lauderdale nightclub at 2 a.n. Saturday. Cops had to tase him three times. The mugshot at left hints at one of the charges: resisting arrest. This is the worst possible climate to be arrested as an NFL player right now, but alcohol does cloud the mind, doesn't it? Kudos to the Dolphins and coach Joe Philbin for immediately suspending Shelby.

CINDERELLA LIVES IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE: I love that the Orioles and Royals are in the AL Championship Series after 3-0 playoff series wins over the Tigers and Angels, respectively. The O's have waited the longest of any AL playoff team (31 years) to win a World Series, while the Royals hadn't even been to the postseason since 1985. In the NL, if the Nationals (down 2-0) get eliminated the team to root for sentimentally would be the L.A. Dodgers. They last won a WS in 1988, although seven playoff appearances since and a mega-payroll hardly make LAD a classic Cinderella like the AL offers.

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Canesfan Satisfaction Meter: 3.3%; plus Ga-Tech grounds UM 28-17; also new Hot Button Top10 w/ college upheaval, Heat, MLB, Cats, Fins & more

Watch for new blogpost coming midday today...

1) It is SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5. Click on Random Evidence for today's latest Sunday notes-column package. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Heat-forecast poll, NFL Week 5 pix, FIU wins Shula Bowl, World Series poll result, Headlines I Never... & more. 3) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram and Vine.

Find our UM postgame thoughts directly below the latest CSM poll, and our new Hot Button Top 10 at the bottom of this post.

CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G6: Results are certified in the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 3.3 percent overall satisfaction -- a season low -- in the wake of Saturday night's 28-17 loss at Georgia Tech putting UM's season record at 3-3 overall and 1-2 in ACC play. 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 wwas 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)

G5: 73.3% (following 22-10 victory vs. Duke)

G6: 3.3% (following 28-17 loss at Georgia Tech)

Next poll: Oct. 11 (following game vs. Cincinnati) 

G6: GEORGIA TECH 28, HURRICANES 17: Miami falls to 3-3 and host Tech skies to 5-0 on a night that saw too little from the Canes on both run defense and offense. G-Tech ran 72 plays to UM's 44 and more than doubled the Canes in time of possession, while steamrolling for 311 rushing yards and converting 9 of 14 third downs. UM didn't help itself with two Brad Kaaya interceptions. Hurricanes led 14-7 at one point and thereafter got very little done. A disappointing night in what -- right now -- seems pointed to a disappointing season for coach Al Golden and the Canes. ..... Original post: Miami handled the Yellow Jackets 45-30 down here last year, but the Bees lead the series 8-4 in Atlanta. Tonight's 7:30 duel is an ACC Coastal game, so it's that much bigger. It's also all but a pick-'em game, with Miami favored by a scant 1 point. I think that is because G-Tech padded its record with wins over three flyweights to start the year before a notable victory at Virginia Tech. That result and the fact the Jackets are home and coming off a bye make me a bit surprised UM is not an underdog here. The reason to like The U tonight: Miami brings a big offense, and Brad Kaaya and Duke Johnson should be salivating to play a defense that gave up 38 points and 528 yards to Georgia Southern. The reason a Canes fan might be worried: Remember how Miami's run defense got obliterated by Nebraska? Well, GT's option attack has averaged 292 run-yards per game, 11th in the nation, so Mark D'Onofrio's guys had better be doing a lot better in Atlanta than they were in Lincoln. I can see this game going either way. (Surprisingly I don't feel like that about a lot of games). Bottom line, though: I trust Kid Kaaya and The Duke here to outscore both the opponent and their own defense's shortcomings. My pick: Miami, 38-31.

Other Collball Week 6 state FBS games:

Florida 10, Tennessee 9: Good day to be a Gator fan. You got a road win, and you got rid of Jeff Driskel. UF now 3-1 and Tennessee 2-3 with a 10th straight Florida win in series. The pressure was really on coach Will Muschamp and QB Driskel, because Gator Nation is turning into Hater Nation for those two, and The Swamp is beginning to boil. Driskel was horrid -- 11-for-23, 59 yards, three INTs -- before being benched for Treon Harris. Big defense and 10 fourth-quarter points were enough to win despite Driskel. I had a gut feeling Florida might quiet Neyland with a much-needed upset, but then again I thought that might be osmosis from my knowing too many so many UF alums.

No. 1 Florida State 43, Wake Forest 3: College Football Playoff is blowing up. Oregon loses, now, today, Alabama. At least FSU did its business. Noles now 5-0, Wake 2-4. Point spread was a ridiculous 38. I pictured FSU covering to the tune of 48-3 or something, so had it close. No way to pretend this game would be competitive even briefly. And the Seminoles -- still on top of the main AP poll but losing first-place votes and belief -- seriously needed a big, voters-impressing, lopsided win. This worked.

FIU 38, FAU 10: Miami's Golden Panthers over Boca Raton's Owls in the 13th Shula Bowl, on a weather-ravaged Thursday night, thanks to big defense. FIU now 3-3 overall and 2-0 in Conference USA; FAU 2-4, 1-1. (See previous blogpost for a fuller report on the game).

Also: UCF def. Houston 17-12 on Thursday night. Off this week: USF.

Poll result: Heat expectations are realistically modest: We asked in previous blogpost how far you realistically expect the post-LeBron Heat to advance in this season's playoffs, and a plurality of 37.7 percent said conference semifinals. Another 31.0% said conference finals, 17.2% said first round and 14.1 said NBA Finals. The results strike me as realistic.

HOT BUTTON: TOP 10 THINGS SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our Random Evidence Sunday notes-column package has returned in print from summer hiatus (click HERE for today's latest edition), but due to semi-popular demand an updated, expanded Hot Button continues as an exclusive Sunday feature of the blog. Hot Button means what's on our minds as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead:

1. Hurricanes: D'Oh-no-frio! UM defense gets run over again: Canes defensive chief Mark D'Onofrio is in trouble with fans again after Miami (now 3-3) yielded 311 ground yards in Saturday night's 28-17 loss at Georgia Tech. Combined distance Nebraska and G-Tech ran on UM would circle the globe 2.4 times.

2. College football: Saturday shockers shatter playoff picture: Oregon, Alabama and Oklahama, ranked 2-3-4, all lost this weekend to throw into upheavel the first College Football Playoff picture, leaving the four-team outlook as Florida State, then Question Mark & The Mysterians. Anything is possible now. Dream big, FIU! OK maybe not but you get my point.

3. Heat: Preseason underway; six days 'til LeBron: The new reality introduced itself last night as Miami lost its preseason opener to New Orleans Pelicans. Team makes home debut Tuesday vs. Orlando but circled date is next Saturday vs. LeBron James and Cleveland in Rio de Janeiro. How funny would it be if LeBron was "resting" and didn't play?

4. MLB playoffs: Three of four division series are 2-0: With postseason play resuming Sunday only Cards-Dodgers are tied 1-1, with Orioles, Royals and Giants all enjoying 2-0 leads in the best-of-five ALDS and NLDS. Well, looks like at least the AL will give us a Cinderella. 

5. Panthers: Bad preseason, now real games here: Florida last night completed a 0-6 preseason under new coach Gerard Gallant. The good news: Maybe Cats are saving all their wins for the regular season? That starts Thursday at Tampa, then Saturday at home vs. New Jersey, ready or not. 

6. Dolphins: Bye week. Rest up, defensive backs: The win in Londond was nice, but Oakland is, like, a CFL team. Actual NFL opponents are on deck with Green Bay here next Sunday, then at Chicago. Aaron Rodgers, then Jay Cutler. Sleep easy today, Fins DBs. Your nightmare s are coming. 

7. Marlins: Games done, but Fish have good week: Jose Fernandez threw a baseball for the first time since surgery, the team extended manager Mike Redmond’s contract and said it would soon offer a long-term deal to Giancarlo Stanton. That’s a better week than any the Marlins had playing this year.

8. NASCAR: Chase field reduced to 16: NASCAR’s new system has reduced the Chase for the Cup field from 16 drivers to 12. If your favorite driver is still in it, the new format is great. If not, it needs tweaking.

 

9. Ryder Cup: Europe beats U.S. yet again: Europe beat the United States for the eighth time in the past 10 Ryder Cups. Those people act like they invented golf. What? Oh.

10. Michael Phelps: Olympic champ in trouble again: On the comeback trial, Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps was arrested for DUI, his second such offense. He also has been photographed with a bong. Much more off-field embarrassment and Michael will be ready for the NFL.

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What do you realistically expect of Heat this season? Poll. Vote now!; plus NFL Week 5 pix, FIU routs FAU, World Series poll result, giant balls & more

1) It is SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4. I'm buttoned into Random Evidence Laboratories today conjuring the Sunday notes-column package. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): MLB postseason poll, Heat/NBA odds, Tannehill's task, NFL Pix 'n Fantasy, SOPY rankings & more. 3) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram and Vine.

INTO THE GREAT UNKNOWN: HOW FAR WILL HEAT GO IN PLAYOFFS?: The NBA is close now, ready or not. Miami's first preseason game is Saturday as the post-LeBron era begins. Heat fans have seen the projections and betting odds, and they are not particulally encouraging. The over/under on Heat wins is generally 43.5, or fifth in the Eastern Conference. Bovada puts Miami's championship odds at 40-1; that's tied for 10th in the league and tied for fourth in the East. There isn't a hoops expert around who doesn't think Cleveland and Chicago are the new beasts of the East. I'm curious how you think this first Heat season of the LeGone era will play out. A playoff berth is all but assured. An NBA title is all but impossible. Somewhere in between is the likely landing spot. For me, winning the first round and reaching the conference semifinals would be expected. Reaching the conference finals could mean beating the Cavs or Bulls, an unlikelihood at this point. What do you think? Remember this is asking what you realistically expect of the season, not what you hope. Vote and say why.

NFL WEEK 5 PICKS: Uneven start last night. Had Pack winning but thought Vikes would cover; they didn't come close. Made my pick under the impression Teddy Bridgewater would play but don't think it would have made the difference, even though Christian Ponder was beyond awful. Click on Week 5 Gems for all our latest prediction capsules (I predict Dolphins are off on a bye week), and on Sitting Pretty for our Friday Page NFL column. I quantify how rare it was last week when Miami won and all three AFC East rivals lost, and how the Pats, Bills and Jets quarterback calamities have Ryan Tannehill looking better and better. Also provide my King Sport First Quarter Awards.

FIU 38, FAU 10: DEFENSE DECIDES WEATHER-DELAYED SHULA BOWL:  Am beginning to think FIU's stadium is meteorologically cursed, smack in the middle of Lightning Alley or something. Anyway, the game eventually ended early this morning and FIU won 38-10, its defense forcing four more turnovers to make it 21 takeways in six games. The big play: At 17-10, FAU about to tie it, Richard Leonard's 100-yard fumble return made it 24-10. Think of this as a neighborhood rivalry, if it's a really
big neighborhood. Miami's Golden Panthers vs. Boca Raton's Owls in the 13th annual Shula Bowl, with bragging rights, a trophy and the Conference USA standings on the line. FIU now 3-3 overall and 2-0 in the conference; FAU is 2-4, 1-1. I saw FAU as the slightly better all-round squad here with the best player in quarterback Jacquez Johnson; hence the favorite's role (6 1/2 points). And I didn't see FIU with the discernable home-field advantage to make me think upset. What I didn't see was FIU's defensive domination. [One other state FBS game last night: UCF with a nice road win at Houston, 17-12].

Poll result: You most wanted Pirates, Royals to win World Series: We asked in the previous blogpost which of the10 MLB postseason teams you most wanted to win it all (you may still vote), and the teams in double-figure votes were the Pirates with 16.1 percent, Royals 15.5%, Nationals 14.3%, Orioles 13.0% and Tigers 12.4%. (The Pirates were eliminated in the wild-card game but the Royals advanced).

HEADLINES I NEVER THOUGHT I'D READ (ONE IN A SERIES): I am not making fun of this, because it's a noble cause. But it neverthless is a headline that made me smile. Click here.

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Poll: Who do you hope wins '14 World Series? Vote now!; plus new NBA odds/Heat's slot, Tannehill's task, NFL Pix 'n Fantasy, new SOPY rankings & more

1) It is WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1. Happy new month, all. 2 In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Dolphins club Oakland, DSM poll, Hot Button Top 10 & more. 5) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram and Vine.

Heat pegged fifth in Eastern Conference: New NBA win/loss over-unders from Vegas' WestgateSuperbook peg the East playoff order like this: 1. Bulls 55.5 wins, 2. Raptors and Wizards 49.5 each, 4. Hornets 45.5, 5. Heat 43.5, 6. Nets 41.5, 7. Hawks and Knicks 40.5 each. Chicago is fourth overall after West Big 3 of Cavaliers 58.5, Thunder 57.5 and Spurs 56.5. Over at Bovada, title odds find Miami 40-1, tied for 10th in league, tied for fourth in East.

Tannehill's task: Great is a bonus. Be good. Consistently: I write in my latest column that the Dolphins will be playoff regulars when what Ryan Tannehill did Sunday in London becomes routine, not an aberration. Miami is 13-1 when Tannehill's passer rating is 90 or above, and 4-18 when it is below 90. They don't him to be great, just consistently good. Click on Tanny's Task to read the column in full.

BASEBALL PLAYOFFS BEGIN! (A MINUTE FOR THE NATIONAL PASTTIME, PLEASE?): MLB playoffs commence with AL wild-card game last night -- Royals over A's in 12 innings -- and NL wildie tonight. Lots of familiarity, with eight of the 10 postseason teams having been in it in 2013 or '12. The Marlins of course are playoff bystanders for the 20th time in 22 franchise seasons. On the bright side, it was good of the Dolphins to have their bye week now so we might afford some attention to baseball nevertheless. With no Marlins or Red Sox I don't have an emotional dog in the hunt so my rooting interest in based solely on sympathy -- on who's waitest longest to be champion and whose fans are most starving. Thus, teams are rated by my rooting interest:

NATIONAL: Cards vs. Dodgers; Nats vs. Giants

1. Nationals (57-year wait): Here's my math. The Washington Senators' last championship was 1924, They didn't win the next 47 years as that franchise, and haven't brought a title to D.C. as the Nats since 2005. Current odds: 11-2.

2. Pirates (35 years): ELIMINATED "We Are Family." It was Willie Stargell's 1979. Odds were: 14-1.

3. Dodgers (26 years): Hard to believe but last WS title in 1988, though in playoffs seven times since. Current odds: 5-1.

4. Cardinals (3 years): Won it all in 2011. Current odds: 8-1.

5. Giants (2 years): Won in 2012. Rooting for St. Louis or San Fran is like hoping Donald Trump wins the Powerball. Current odds 12-1.

AMERICAN: Tigers vs. Orioles; Angels vs. Royals

1. Orioles (31-year wait): When Dolfans were swooning over rookie Dan Marino in 1983, O's were winning their  most recent WS. Current odds: 13-2.

2. Tigers (30 years): It was George Orwell's 1984. Current odds: 6-1.

3. Royals (29 years): K.C. last won in 1985 but Royals in some ways are the biggest Cinderellaof all because they haven't even made the playoffs since then, while everybody else has postseasoned as recently as 2009. Current odds: 16-1.

4. A's (25 years): ELIMINATED Charlie Finley's Athletics last reigned in '89. Odds were: 11-1.

5. Angels: (12 years): Last won it all in 2002. Current odds: 5-1.

OK so that's my rooting interest, quantified. It's Nats over O's for the good people of the District. Now it's your turn. Who would you most like to see win the World Series? Not who you think will win but who you want to win. Vote and say why.

NFL PIX 'N FANTASY: THE PRETTY GOOD AND REALLY BAD OF WEEK 4: We update you briefly every Tuesday on how we did the previous NFL weekend with our published predictions and with our fantasy-league team. Pix: Pretty good. We went 9-4 overall in Week 4 and 8-5 against the spread, nailing another Upset of the Week call ("Aawwk!") with Cowboys over Saints to make us 4-0 on Bird calls. Fantasy: Really bad. Greg's Lobos (team logo at left) fell to 1-3 with a third straight loss, 110-96. Got 27 points from Philip Rivers, 24 from Frank Gore and not enough help. Three key players with byes didn't help.

SOPY: CANES' JOHNSON, KAAYA NOW 1-2!: Canes Duke Johnson and Brad Kaaya are now 1-2 in our blog-exclusive State Offensive Player of the Year (SOPY) rankings --"the State Heisman." Season-long
leader Marlon Mack falls to third place. This is a cumulative weekly list of the most productive quarterbacks, running backs and receivers from Florida's seven FBS college football teams: Miami, FSU and Florida, FIU and FAU, and South Florida and UCF. Our past two season SOPY winners have been FSU QB Jameis Winston (2013; 2,107 points) and Canes QB Stephen Morris (2012; 1,900.5 points). 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. The SOPY Top 10 entering Collball Week 6:

SOPY WEEK 5 TOP 10

Rk (LW)   Player, team-pos.                Wk5    Season

1 (3)        Duke Johnson, Miami-rb         171      668

2 (2)        Brad Kaaya, Miami-qb            123.5    649.5

3 (1)        Marlon Mack, SoFla-rb            34       586

4 (8)        Jacquez Johnson, FAU-qb      208.5   564.5

5 (5)        Rashad Greene, FSU-rec       131      559

6 (10)      Jameis Winston, FSU-qb        203.5    551.5

7 (--)       Karlos Williams, FSU-rb          173      440

8 (4)        Jeff Driskel, Florida-qb           DNP     437

9 (--)       Alex McGough, FIU-qb            127     424.5

10 (--)     Jay Warren, FAU-rb                  76       398

Bubble: DeMarcus Robinson, Florida-rec, 371. Other team leader: UCF--Justin Holman, qb, 364. Season's best week: Mack, SoFla-rb, 304 (Wk1). Note: UCF and Florida have played 3 games and FSU 4. The other four state FBS teams have played 5 each.

Cote's State of the State rank entering Collball Week 4: 1. FSU (4-0); 2. Florida (2-1); 3. Miami (3-2); 4. UCF (1-2); 5. SoFla (2-3); 6. FAU (2-3); 7. FIU (2-3).

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