1) It's SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23. Check out our Miami Dolphins book, 'Fins At 50,' on Amazon. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): NFL Week 12 picks, Le Batard's big reveal on Papi, a Hall of Fame voter (me) on Derek Jeter, the case (again) for Dolphins and Kaepernick, NFL Week 11 Pix 'n Fantasy results & more. 3) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
Our NFL Week 12 picks for Dolphins-Browns and all the rest: Dolphins at Browns, our Game of the Week and our Upset of the Week (which could be one and the same), and all the rest. Please visit the motherlode of prognostication that I like to call NFL Week 12 Gems.
Also from me this week: Le Batard Explains the Papi Mystery / If Jeter Doesn't Get In With Unanimous Vote -- Don't Blame Me! / and Draft Uncertainty Means Dolphins Need to Hedge Bets. His Name Is Kaepernick.
G11: FIU 30, HURRICANES 24 AT MARLINS PARK: EPIC NIGHT FOR PANTHERS, NEW LOW FOR UM: For my column from the stadium, visit FIU's Historic, Magical Night A New Low For Canes. Original post: Miami at 6-4 off three straight wins is a huge three-touchdown (20 1/2 point) favorite over the 5-5 FIU Panthers in Saturday's 7 p.m. neutral-site game at Marlins Park. It is only the fourth all-time meeting of the inter-city rivals, a relationship that survived an ugly 2006 brawl. "Rivals" may not be the right word, of course. UM is 3-0 over FIU, an ACC team vs. a Conference USA squad. That former Canes coach Butch Davis now leads FIU adds another layer to the meeting. So does the venue, as Marlins Park of course was built where the old Orange Bowl once stood -- the OB, home to so much Hurricanes history. It's an FIU home game, but it will feel more like one for UM. You know Miami coach Manny Diaz is stoking that angle to his players. We've already heard cornerback Al Blades Jr. say of Marlins Park, "Protect it like its our home, because it is our home." Miami is eliminated from the ACC Coastal division race, but still has an outside chance to earn at Orange Bowl invitation. FIU needs one more win to become bowl-eligible, but ought not count on getting it here. FIU's bad run defense will be run over all night long, and the Canes' defense should dominate. Mismatch. Cote's pick: Hurricanes, 44-13.
CANESFAN SATISFACTION METER: G11: 9.6%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald’s Canes Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 9.6 percent overall approval -- the combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes -- in the wake of Saturday night's 30-24 upset loss t o FIU at Marlins Park, putting the Hurricanes' season record at 6-5 overall and still 4-3 in ACC conference play. The figure is the second-lowest of the season. The CSM 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, the season as a whole, the program’s direction and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Online voting determines the weekly verdict, which is final the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 9 a.m. today/Monday.
Canesfan Satisfaction Meter
G1: 64.1% following 24-20 loss vs. Florida in Orlando.
G2: 15.7% following 28-25 loss at North Carolina.
G3: 83.0% following 63-0 victory vs. Bethune-Cookman.
G4: 8.5% following 17-12 victory vs. Central Michigan.
G5: 28.8% following 42-35 loss vs. Virginia Tech.
G6: 82.0% following 17-9 victory vs. Virginia.
G7: 11.3% following 28-21 OT loss vs. Georgia Tech.
G8: 61.0% following 16-12 victory at Pitt.
G9: 91.8% following 27-10 victory at Florida State.
G10: 95.2% following 52-27 victory vs. Louisville.
G11: 9.6% following 30-24 loss to FIU at Marlins Park.
Next poll: Nov. 30 following game at Duke.
Other state FBS games (all Saturday): UCF won 34-31 at Tulane; No. 18 Memphis crushed South Florida 49-10; and FAU beat Texas-San Antonio 40-26. No. 11 Florida and Florida State both were off this week.
National games involving College Football Playoff top 4: No. 1-LSU vs. Arkansas, 2-Ohio State vs. 8-Penn State, and 4-Georgia vs. Texas A&M. Note: 3-Clemson is off this week. 5-Alabama hosts Western Carolina. All the higher ranked team listed here won. But will 5-Alabama leapfrog 4-Georgia after a more lopsided victory?
Select other recent columns: Busch Stars In Emotional, Memorable End to Homestead's Championship Run / The Best Will Race For Title At Homestead. But Here Is What NASCAR Is Missing And Needs / After Not Winning Enough, Are The Dolphins Now Failing At Failing? / The Player Who Started the Glory Days in for Canes Football / Canes Lose Hoops Opener, But It's Fans Who Disappoint / Le Batard On Return To Air, Latest Event / Disgraced Ref Donaghy Opens Up About Game-Fix Scandal / Why Is NBA Doing Business With Human Rights-Violating China In First Place? / Riley Introduces Butler -- 'Cause the Heat Don't Tank / Why Dolphins, Even Epic-Bad, May be Closer to Major Turnaround Than Canes / Quit Whining! Yes Dolphins Are Tanking, And Yes They Should / Dolphins' Ross Cannot Be Surprised By Major Fallout Over Trump Fundraiser / Le Batard on Miami Radio Turmoil: 'We Were Evicted' / Buoniconti: Hall of Famer, But Even Greater Off the Field / It Is Megan Rapinoe's World Cup -- On And Off The Field / An Era Ends As Panthers' Luongo Retires / O.J. Can Tweet What He Wants, But How He's Seen Is Not Up To Him / Inter Miami Aiming High With Barca's Suarez / End The Illogical Shame and Honor Schnellenberger / Why Tiger's Masters Triumph Is About More Than Golf / Transgender-Athlete Firestorm A Necessary Debate / Across the Rio Grande to the PGA Tour / From Dark and Empty to Top Of the World: Dan Le Batard at 50.
APSE-HONORED WORK: The Associated Press Sports Editors 2018 writing awards ranked us a Top 10 national sports columnist in the major-outlet category. Thanks, APSE. Here are the five nominated columns that earned the honor: At Doral, an annual tradition since 1962 is replaced by silence, and by what's missing / Marlins' Jose Fernandez statue is divisive yet has a chance to serve a greater purpose /NFL has moral obligation to help Buonicontis and Kiicks while it limits future suffering / What led to El Clasico Miami began with Joe Robbie's unlikely, accidental love of soccer / With 59 home runs, Stanton still had a magic season. Just hope this wasn't goodbye.
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