GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It's SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29. The season-final Canesfan Satisfaction Meter rating is its lowest since 2014. Go HERE for the sad details. 2) If you missed it, visit MERRY CHRISTMAS 2018 to watch out annual holiday video. It's ho-ho-horrible! 3) Football is nearing its crescendo and the holidays are upon us. That means it's the perfect time to delight Dolfans you know with the (late) gift of our 'Fins At 50' book. Check it out on Amazon. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes fall hard in Pinstripe Bowl with final CSM poll, NFL Week 17 picks, Beckham carves turkey & more. 5) Join us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook and Instagram.
Why Miami hates Nick Saban is not why you think: He left the Dolphins 12 years ago but Miami fans still seriously dislike Saban. Why? It isn't because he lost here, or lied here. We explore the Saban/South Florida relationship in our latest column. To read, visit Miami's Hate-Hate Relationship With Nick Saban.
NFL Week 17 picks: Visit Week 17 Gems for Dolphins-Bills and all out other latest selections.
ORANGE BOWL: ALABAMA 45, OKLAHOMA 34 IN CFP SEMIFINAL: Alabama jumped out to fast 28-0 lead and never looked back. And game MVP Tua Tagovailaoa was fantastic: 24-for-27, 318 yards, four TDs. I predicted 'Bama, 44-30; see below. Close enough for ya!? My column from the game: Alabama Dynasty? Canes Have Been There. Now Did They Just See A Map Back? ..... Original post: 'Bama is a big (13 1/2 points) favorite to reach its fourth straight College Football Playoff championship game, and should. The No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide are a complete team, while the No. 4-seeded Sooners are all offense. With OU's awful defense, anything less than a ton of points every week keeps the Sooners from being a .500 team. That imbalance won't cut it vs. Alabama. Nick Saban will find ways to exploit that obvious weakness. Most eyes will be on the two quarterbacks at Hard Rock tonight at 8 as Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray battle for the first time since they finished 1-2 -- Murray winning -- in recent Heisman Trophy voting. Tagovailoa insists he'll be 100 percent, after leaving the SEC title game with an ankle injury. Both are duel-threat QBS and should make for a wide-open, offensive game. It's the only decent defense on the field that should tip this result. My pick: Alabama, 44-30.
COTTON: CLEMSON 30, NOTRE DAME 3 IN OTHER CFP SEMIFINAL: No. 2 Clemson was an 11 1/2-point favorite in the 4 p.m. duel of unbeatens over No. 3 Notre Dame in Arlington, Tex. I thought the Fighting Irish would show up. Nah. My pick was: Clemson, 27-24.
PEACH: FLORIDA 41,MICHIGAN 15 IN SATURDAY APPETIZER: Noon start in Atlanta found Michigan a 4 1/2-point favorite but I was feeling an upset led by the Gators' defense. Didn't see the rout. Just the upset. My pick was: Florida, 23-17.
Select other recent columns:End Of Hope For Dolphins. For Tannehill, Gase, too? / Diaz Leaving Is Biggest Canes Loss Of Richt Era / Tannehill's Litmus Test Is Pass or Fail / Oh What We Had, And What We Lost / Wade's World Bigger Than Hoops, And Good For Him / Honeymoon Over: How Collapsing Seasons Put Heat on Gase, Richt / NASCAR Needs A Next Big Thing / No More Excuses, Florida Panthers / 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.
Revisit our blog often because we update and add to our latest posts throughout the day.
Twitter @gregcote
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