GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24: In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Marlins-next-manager poll, Dolphins/NFL Week 7 picks, Bosh dethrones Wade, new Elton & more. 2) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also on Facebook, Instagram, Vine and Periscope.
UM-Clemson postgame thoughts below: Our postgame thoughts on today's UM debacle may be found directly below the new he new Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll.
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G7: 54.3%: Results are certified in the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 54.3 percent overall satisfaction -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday's 58-0 loss to visiting Clemson putting UM's season record at 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the ACC. The CSM, in its seventh 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, this 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 will be around 9:15 a.m. today/Monday.
Interpreting the latest vote: Of course 54 percent approval after a 58-0 home loss is absurd, but it reflects the large number of Canes fans who wanted Al Golden gone and figured (accurately) that a loss such as this would do the trick.
2015 CSM Results
Game 1: 62.3% (following 45-0 victory vs. Bethune-Cookman)
Game 2: 34.2% (following 44-20 victory at Florida Atlantic)
Game 3: 35.9% (following 36-33 OT victory vs. Nebraska)
Game 4: 4.6% (following 34-23 loss at Cincinnati)
Game 5: 59.6% (following 29-24 loss at Florida State)
Game 6: 89.1% (following 30-20 victory vs. Virginia Tech)
Game 7: Voting now underway (following 58-0 loss vs. Clemson)
Next poll: Oct. 31 (following game at Duke)
G7: NO. 6 CLEMSON 58, HURRICANES 0: Final. Postgame thoughts: Coach Al Golden called this a statement game and thought his Hurricanes were ready for it. Unfortunately for Al, the statement a 58-0 loss makes might be, "Miami needs a new coach." I wrote of the Dolphins' Joe Philbin after the 41-14 loss to Buffalo in the home opener that embattled coaches don't survive losses like that one. I feel the same way about Golden now after today's debacle against Clemson. It is numerically the worst loss in program history. The previous worst was a 56-point defeat (70-14) against Texas A&M in 1944. Could the afternoon have gone any worse for Miami? Clemson had 567 yards of offense to Miami's 146. It was 42-0 by halftime. QB Brad Kaaya was knocked out of the game by a concussion. It was a plain embarrassment. Miami is 4-3 now, and 1-2 in the ACC. Nothing short of reaching the conference title game may save Golden's job. I doubt if getting to a second-tier bowl game will. This was a bad, bad day for UM football, and an even worse one for Al Golden. ..... Original post: Top-ten Clemson (6-0) is a fairly modest 7 1/2-point favorite over Miami (4-2) in Saturday's High Noon kickoff broadcasting on ABC-TV. Hope for UM is the Canes swearing they are over the post-FSU letdown that has
seen The U go 2-6 the past two seasons after losing to its instate rival. A bigger hope for Miami is that Clemson tends to turn relatively mortal and beatable when not luxuriating in the maniacal home confines of Death Valley. This will be only the Tigers' second road game this season, and in the first they barely escaped Louisville, 20-17. Of course this factor would require UM posing a palpable home-field advantage at Dolphins stadium, which tends to be an iffy proposition. Clemson has a formidable passing game led by QB Deshaun Watson, and Brad Kaaya may be called upon to counter that. Clemson's last trip to Miami was a thriller, a 40-37 Tigers win in 2009, and another pointfest would not surprise. This would be the elusive "signature" win that embattled coach Al Golden needs. Unbeaten Clemson is dreaming of a spot in the four-team CFB playoffs (with the city of Miami hosting one of the semifinals in this same stadium on New Year's Eve). An upset would plunder Clemson's hopes, likely get UM ranked and feather Miami's dream of reaching the ACC championship game. Now all they have to do is do it. Tall task. My pick: Clemson, 31-26.
Other college Week 8 state FBS games (in chronology; all games Saturday):
No. 21 Houston 59, UCF 10: Knights now 0-8 as coach George O'Leary heads for exit.
South Florida 38, Southern Methodist 14: Bulls now 4-3 and thinking bowl.
FIU 41, Old Dominion 12: Panthers level at 4-4 after huge win sparked by QB Alex McGough's big day.
Texas-El Paso 27, FAU 17: The 1-6 Owls are seeing their season turn miserable.
Georgia Tech 22, No. 9 Florida State 16: Final-play shocker hands FSU its first defeat.
Off this week: No. 13 Florida (6-1).
Poll result: Marlins fans want Mattingly: We asked who you prefer as Marlins next manager, and 66.5 percent voted for Don Mattingly, the newly available ex-Dodgers skipper. "Someone else" not on the ballot was second with 15.3%. Of the five men to have interviewed for the job thus far, Larry Bowa led with 7.1%.
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