Kent to The U; Miami says 'no excuses'

Prince Kent is headed to The U. What that means at this point of the game, we'll see. Late July and the Miami Hurricanes have already 'reeled in' another prospect for the action-packed 2009 class. I use quotations when I say reeled in as Signing Day is half a year away and verbal commitments really don't amount to squat. Just at Patrick Johnson.

That said, Kent sounds like a stand up kid and the exact opposite of PJ. The Norcross (GA) High School senior plays WR/CB but Miami coaches have told him he's being tabbed to play defense. He spent his pre-teen years living in Ft. Lauderdale and the last few years bouncing around with his mother in the ARMY.

The 6-foot-3, 190 pound Kent says his commitment to The us is "100% solid" but I'll feel a lot better about that come February - or January, if Kent makes his way to campus as an early enrolle, as planned.

Next big name recruit set to make a decision is Antwan Lowery, a four-star DT out of Miami (FL) Columbus. Lowery is deciding between Miami and Rutgers and will announce on August 1st.

Early enrollment and pre-season commitments seem to be the way of the future and are doing away with some of the Signing Day theatrics and last minute flip-flops. I've oft vented about my disdain for the recruiting game, broken commitments and teenage kids playing coaches who could be their fathers or grandfathers.

Kids that are truly committing in fall, aren't interested in playing the game and are ready to get on campus in January for early enrollment - those are the mature kids who you want on your roster.

Kent chose Miami over Alabama and Clemson.


"No excuses" is the new Miami mantra for 2008. Senior linebacker Glenn Cook then took the new catchphrase and brought it to the next level, creating LiveSTRONG-type bracelets for players and coaches.

I'm all for the motivational rah-rah stuff... if it works. I guess I'm still scarred by some preseason comments a few years back about Miami being not just hungry, but famished after giving away the Fiesta Bowl an wanting to win it all in 2003. Where was all that hunger after 31-7 at Virginia Tech and 10-6 against Tennessee a week later?

I believe we're seeing a legitimate attitude change at Miami. Left tackle Jason Fox spoke up on the matter on Sunday at the ACC Football Kickoff:

"Some of the players we had to get rid of were kind of cancerous to the team and really brought us down and didn't care about football," Fox said. "They're gone now, and we can get back to focusing on football. Sometimes the coaches were more worried about punishing the guys who weren't doing well instead of focusing on football."

"...This year the biggest change is everybody's attitudes. When you cut off all the negativity on your team and everybody's attitude is positive, it's contagious."

Again, sounds great, but how will it play out if Miami is 1-2 going into a September 27th match up with the same North Carolina team who upset them last year? Saying the right thing is a lot easier than doing it. Here's hoping this team has had a real attitude transformation and that the influx of new, young talent from winning programs helps keep this team focused.


Another step to ensure the 'no excuses' chant won't just be an empty promise? The implementation a seven-player council that will keep close tabs on players and punish those who need punishing.

To ensure there will be no backlash or favoritism, the players themselves voted Fox, Cook, Eric Moncur, Colin McCarthy, Chavez Grant, Khalil Jones and Dwayne Hendricks to the council. Council members meet at least once a week, usually after 7-on-7 drills on Wednesday or Saturday.

Fox says their job is to help 'police' the other players, while Moncur quipped that there are no guidelines for the punishment ("Our team will take care of it.")

Some might call it another motivational ploy, but I see yet one more way Randy Shannon is attempting to preach his sermon on 'accountability'.

After spending some of the off-season with mentor, former coach and former boss Jimmy Johnson, Shannon is definitely reaching into JJ's bag of motivational tricks and is working to get the best out of his players and personnel.

This will help the program in the long run and also proves that Shannon isn't as stubborn or set in his ways as some of his biggest critics might believe.


Shannon has also confirmed that his one-year experiment with no names on the jerseys has now come to an end. Point proven. Miami players will officially have names on the back of the jerseys this coming season, ending the mass confusion regarding who the hell was who last year (and who was screwing up.)


Rumors are still swirling on the Zach Kane front, but nothing has been confirmed. It appears Miami coaches will sit back and wait on the legal system to run its course. This being the case, you have to assume Kane will be on campus by fall as odds are this latest brush with the law will be swept under the rug, like some past transgressions (supposedly) have been.

I'm all for due process, but I still think something stinks here. I don't have a good feeling about Kane's tenure at Miami, should he wind up at The U. He just seems like the type of kid who attracts trouble. I hope I'm wrong.


A reader chimed in on a recent blog, asking where some Miami signees stand. Sounds like Gavin Hardin, C.J. Holton, Ben Jones and Andrew Smith are officially in. The news wasn't so promising regarding Antonio Harper and C.J. Odom.

Harper is headed to Milford (NY) Prep and odds are Odom is looking at a similar fate. Not great news on that end, but Miami's offensive line will welcome Jones, the d-line needs Smith's assistance, Hardin will boost the linebacker corps and Holton looks like he'll be a solid safety. Celebrate the ones that got in as opposed to lamenting those who are 'on hold' for a while.

Brandon Washington has retaken the ACT and scored a 21 (he scored a 15 last time around), so he's now waiting on the NCAA Clearinghouse for things to be official. Washington says that his ACT score combined with his GPA will be enough to have him reporting to UM by month's end.

(Update 7/23: Washington's test scores were flagged by the NCAA Clearinghouse and there are no more test dates this year, so he's headed to prep school along with Odom and Harper.)


One last rant before I go. I'm seeing a lot of chatter on message boards about The Gator and I don't get it. Thread after thread on Tim Tebow. Hypothetical scenarios regarding the September 6th match up between the Canes and Gators at the Swamp. Pissing and moaning about ESPN's coverage of Florida and their Friday Night Lights camp last week.

Stop already.

Who gives a hell about UiF? Why the obsession. They're a four-loss team with a Heisman winning quarterback. No more, no less. They'll be top five when they play Miami in a few months and the Canes have an uphill battle. Great. It'll be dealt with then and there.

Until that day comes, can the bitch-fest stop? Yes, ESPN is stroking all things Florida right now. They're sporing and Urban woody and they're sending their cameras out to get all the footage they can of Mr. Everything-Right-With-College-Football-Tebow. Deal with it.

That's what happens when your soph quarterback wins a Heisman. That's what happens when you're a state school with one of the largest athletic departments in the country. That's what happens when you're in a podunk, one horse, 'rah rah' college football town like Gainesville.

All that said, TV cameras and pretty boy head coaches don't win football games. Does all the coverage help recruiting? Bet your ass it does. Still, any kid swayed to go to UiF over The U because of Urban Meyer's sharp tongue or ESPN's bonus coverage - he was never a Cane to begin with. Those aren't the kids Shannon and staff are targeting.

Let the Gators get all the hype. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Four losses is still four losses, no matter how you dress it up. They'll get theirs this year.

Miami needs to worry about Miami. The rebuilding process is on and it's time to start getting excited about the future of Hurricanes football, instead of getting pissed off over Flori-duh's media coverage.

Come fall, It's a Marve Thing...

Robert Marve is The One.

Miami's version of Neo in The Matrix, billed as a savior and heir to throne at Quarterback U.

All this talk about the quarterback situation for Miami being a 'wide open' race is a sham. True freshman Jacory Harris will get some necessary snaps this year and can be a capable #2 guy year one, but the future of the Miami Hurricanes rests on the right arm of Marve.

When success happens, a slew of things take place. Hard work and preparation are your main ingredient, as is natural talent and ability. From there, timing, a little bit of luck and the stars aligning.

My gut tells me Marve is the right guy at the right place at the right time. The antithesis to Kyle Wright. Marve is primed to be the "ying" to Wright's "yang".

Like Wright, Marve headed to The U with substantial high school success and a handful of post-season accolades. Highly touted. Tons of potential and upside. Sky could be the limit if all goes according to plan.

For Wright, everything that could go wrong, did. Riding in on the coattails of another Northern California native, Ken Dorsey, the Danville product landed in Coral Gables half a decade ago when things began falling apart.

Miami had the defense to carry them in 2003-2004. The running game was still semi-potent with a banged up Frank Gore and promising frosh Tyrone Moss. Gritty QB Brock Berlin had enough chutzpah and game to step up in big games and rally the Canes to victory.

Wright was given the keys in 2005. 'Cokerization' was in full force. The effects of less than stellar recruiting and poor development of players was coming back to bite these once proud Hurricanes.

In five seasons on Miami's campus, Wright saw four offensive coordinators, two head coaches and a drop-off in talent that seems unfathomable after what the Canes accomplished between 2000-2003.

Wright walked in when the Miami program was fat, happy and resting on its laurels.

Marve came aboard when The U was gasping for it's last breath and in need of salvation.

Last year was almost the start of The Marve Era. With neither Wright or Kirby Freeman able to get the job done, Randy Shannon would've quickly thrown the true freshman in the fire, a la Dorsey in 1999, but a wreck on Interstate 75 a year ago yesterday changed everything.

Marve fared much better than his flipped-six-times, totalled Dodge Charger, driven by teammate Jermaine McKenzie. The quarterback and wide receiver who were supposed to inject life into a limp Canes bunch instead spent 2007 on the sidelines, lucky to be alive and starting the countdown to 2008.

2008 is finally here.

Marve's non-throwing hand, healed but still baring the scar of a life-changing July evening. The broken left wrist again strong, but nerve damage between the ring finger and pinkie will force Marve to sport a precautionary glove for the rest of his playing days.

'Fate' is defined as 'the will, principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are, or events to happen as they do'.

Not only did Marve walk away from a wreck that should've killed him, but had the cut been positioned a quarter-inch the other way, his pinkie might've been lost.

Last year, the loss was seen as a tragic blow to a desperate team. Entering 2008, Marve is calling it a "blessing in disguise".

While Harris entered The U a skinny true freshman a few months back, Marve has been the Canes scout-team quarterback since the mid-season. He attended the meetings, broke down film and learned the offense. Come fall, Marve will be as ready as any hungry redshirt freshman in the nation.

He'll also be the most humble.

Gone are the glory days at Plant High, where Marve's Panthers went undefeated and where the QB is revered for breaking Tim Tebow's high school records.

Also gone? Marve's high school helmet, crushed in the wreckage. For those believing in fate, quite possibly a sign that it's all about looking forward and not dwelling on the past.

"It was like we could do no wrong my senior season at Plant - but that accident humbled me. Everything was taken away from me. I think there was a reason for it," said Marve.

"It could've been my throwing hand. It could've been one of my arteries, or something. But I was spared and now I'm allowed to continue. Am I different? No doubt. I'm going to appreciate every day, every snap. I'm going to work my butt off."

A few more tidbits for those believing that destiny has a hand in things? Marve's first game as a Cane will be on the same field as where he brought home the Class 4A State Title in 2006: Dolphin Stadium. Just over three months later, the ACC Championship will be held in his hometown of Tampa.

From a boy to a man in the matter of a year, without even taking a snap.

Mentally, Marve grew more from a vicious car accident than he ever would've lining up behind center last fall. Physically, he's packed on 25 pounds of the 'man weight' Harris won't gain until next season.

Life-changing experiences make or break us. Sometimes we need a jolt to wake us up or shift our perspective. Whether Marve was in need of it, he certainly took a big hit and is better for it.

Over the next few years we'll see how much of this is fate versus chance. For now, Miami has reason to be optimistic for the first time in a long time.

Wright and Freeman have been put out to pasture and new life has been injected into the veins of this Miami program; not only at quarterback but receiver, as well. Shannon and staff reeled in a half dozen highly-touted, ready to go wide outs to go along with McKenzie and Leonard Hankerson of last year's class.

Marve will see more talent at receiver in 2008 than Wright saw the last three years combined.

Action kicks off August 28th when Charleston Southern heads to town. Tune in to see Marve's debut and what could be the beginning of something very special.

Canes305... 'The State of Miami'

A few weeks back I started writing a column for CollegeFootballNews.com. I saw they were looking for bloggers and felt like I should get on board to take up for the Canes. Most of us feel The U doesn't get the national respect it deserves, so I got on board to let the outsiders know that Randy has Miami back on the right track.

The second-years coach is following the blueprint to a 'T', knows the lay of the land and between solid recruiting, aggressive personnel moves and his leadership, he'll right the ship.

Follow the blog at CFN.com or check it here a few days later when it's reposted.

I was originally going to write a piece this week detailing Randy Shannon, how he's the right man for the job, how he'll out-recruit anybody and he knows the blueprint for bringing the Canes back.

I was going to call it 'The State of Miami' which was a term conjured up by Howard Schnellenberger during his tenure at The U.

As I sat down to lay out my piece, I received my weekly alert from the Miami Herald and stumbled across Barry Jackson's piece on the Miami Hurricanes and the state of the program this off season.

Jackson beat me to the punch and touched on much of what I was going to explain to you outsiders regarding Miami being "back" - and it being a matter of "when", not "if".

At The U, it's all about family. Miami lacks the rah-rah tradition of the big college school and the Canes are their own entity.

An Independent from their inception until joining the Big East in 1991 (and the ACC in 2004), the Canes built their legacy with that "anybody, anyplace, anytime" mentality that many smaller programs have employed over the years.

Miami played the big boys, whipped 'em, won titles and became the force to be reckoned with the past 25 seasons - outside a brief drop off in the late 90s and again the past two seasons.

The Canes won five titles with four different coaches and did so in a way outsiders couldn't understand.

Howard laid the foundation, but it was Jimmy Johnson who brought things to the next level, going 44-4, winning a title (1987) and leaving another in the desert (1986). Randy was a four-year letterman under Johnson in the mid to late 80s. While at Dallas, JJ made Shannon a Cowboy in the 11th - not for his size and skills, but for his football knowledge and ability to lead.

Shannon wound up starting as a rookie in the league.

When his playing days rapped, it was back to The U as an assistant for seven years - his final three under Butch Davis, his position coach at Miami in the 80s - as well as with the Cowboys. From there, to the Dolphins, reuniting with JJ and then back to Coral Gables, to take over for defensive coordinator in 2001, when Larry Coker took the reigns.

Outside of a few years in Dallas, Shannon has spent all his playing and coaching days in Miami. He knows the city like the back of his hand. He knows the high school football programs, the coaches, the players and how things are done.

Shannon saw Johnson take Schnellenberger's Miami program to that next level, which is why he spent time this off season down in the Florida Keys with his mentor. Johnson is taking Shannon under his wing, teaching him how to utilize players and get the most out of them - starting with the upperclassmen who will be beat out by hungry freshman that were part of the nation's top-ranked recruiting class (per ESPN).

Get these guys on board with the rebuilding process. Get them one-on-one and ask them how they can make the team better. Get everyone involved and don't let them check out mentally. Eliminate any back-talking or counterproductive behavior by dealing with it immediately.

At Miami, it's not just young coach talking to old coach about how to maintain the tradition. Par for the course, older players and NFL superstars are reaching out to the new crop of Canes.

Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma has already reached out to true freshman Sean Spence and Arthur Brown, offering up his cell number and explaining his desire to mentor both of them. Panthers linebacker Jon Beason has done the same.

Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork has followed suit and did the same for Marcus Forston.

Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson has reached out to Aldarius Johnson, as have Colts wideout Reggie Wayne and Redskins flanker Santana Moss.

Enough is enough. After a 12-13 run since November 2005, the Miami alum know they're as important a piece in the rebuilding puzzle as the new Canes that will have to get it done on the field.

Beason said he was "in tears" when watching last season's 5-7 campaign. Vilma complained about "guys not improving year to year", refusing to just blame it on talent and hinting towards a lack of developing the skills set of the past few recruiting classes.

The first rounders and superstars that have earned Miami the moniker 'NFL U' are on campus this summer, working out to gear up for another season - and they're working out side by side with those Canes already on campus, preparing for fall.

Early as it may be in the process, they see change and a desire to improve.

Miami won't be back on the road to the National Championship in 2008, but it's also not as far off as some of the critics might feel. The Canes truly bottomed out last year, which happens after the wrong guy for the job 'Cokerizes' the program and leaves it in need of a full-on overhaul.

Shannon is one step closer to bringing things back and I'm going to keep selling you on that message as things progress.

Nice move, Kirby...

On paper it doesn't sound like much. New Miami Hurricanes athletic director Kirby Hocutt heard of a small public outcry, got involved and righted what looked to be a wrong.

In reality, it was a great PR move by the new AD for a fan base that's felt burned by Miami's athletic department and past regime.

The Canes are headed to Dolphin Stadium as the Orange Bowl and all its history have been reduced to a pile of recently removed rubble. Miami's athletic department will get a financial shot in the arm from the move, but will have contend with a fiery fan base questioning their every move and resisting change.

The latest dilemma? No midfield "U" logo on game day. One of many long-time Miami traditions looked to be extinct as the Canes are competing for field space with the Dolphins and Marlins.

When the news was announced last weekend, the message board jockeys were out in full force, voicing their opinions on matter.

It wasn't pretty.

To his credit, Hocutt sprang to action - setting up Monday morning meetings in an effort to find a compromise that would keep Miami's tradition alive, without stepping on the toes of its new stadium 'roommates'.

The verdict? The "U" will resurface as soon as late September, barring the Marlins' post-season agenda. Dolphin Stadium will grow a special patch of grass with the "U" on it and that turf will be transplanted onto the field for 5 of this season's 6 home games.

The result is similar to what is currently done for Dolphins home games regarding doing away with the Marlins' pitching mound on Sundays.

It's a small step for Miami fans, yet a giant leap for a new athletic director trying to win over a fickle fan base. The action itself is important, as tradition continues - but more importantly, it proves that Hocutt has his ear to the ground and is listening to the concerns of the fan base.

If there was a cause worth taking up, Hocutt chose a good one out the gate. Over time, this fan base will continue to have issues with the athletic department's decision-making.

Winning a small battle up front will definitely keep some of that heat off... for now.

Nice move, Kirby.

In other news, Hocutt struck another exciting chord when he mentioned wanting to renew a rivalry with Miami and Notre Dame. He stated that The U is done playing the likes of FIU and is interested in booking "marquee opponents".

Once the Irish get a new athletic director in place, Hocutt is interested in a prime-time showdown with the former rivals in one of their neutral site NBC games.

I smell one of two things here (1) the Irish going for a 'bigger name' opponent, like another service academy or (2) ND wanting that 'neutral' site to be in Chicago, at Soldier Field.

If Hocutt can get the dream match up of Notre Dame and Miami on the books again, this new AD will achieve rock star status in no time.

Sporting News College Football '08: Miami Preview...

Thank God I live out west and was able to score a Gator-less copy of the Sporting News College Football '08. I'll take USC's Rey Maualuga on a cover instead of Jesus Christ Tebow and a dirty Seminole (Greg Carr) as the inset.

Not only are the Miami Hurricanes absent on the regional cover (pictured above), but outside of the ACC preview, The U gets virtually no love anywhere else in the mag.

That's not an implication of a Sporting News bias. It's simply life after 5-7. No preseason All-Americans. Nobody on the Heisman Watch list, or any other award list. No games that'll dictate the National Championship chase - in our out of conference.

All-ACC was the best Miami could muster up and that was OT Jason Fox. No skills players and no defensive superstars. Just a senior offensive lineman in what TSN calls the sixth-rated conference.

The two bright spots? Wide receiver Aldarius Johnson was one of eight named to the 'Freshman of Impact' list and linebacker Arthur Brown was named the ACC's Top Impact Freshman.

The writing's on the wall. A youth movement is underway and for the Canes, it's a "rebuilding" thing.

TSN did acknowledge Miami's top-flight recruiting class, ranking it #1 in the ACC (5th overall) and has the Canes penciled in for the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando.

A few years back that'd be considered a down year, but after no bowl in 2007 and the Blue Turf Bowl the previous one, this year's prognosis may as well be a BCS berth for this win-starved program.

Humbled Hurricanes. That's what happens after going 12-13 over the past 25 games and leaving the Orange Bowl with a whimper thanks to a 48-0 shellacking at the hands of Virginia.

TSN has Miami ranked 2nd in the Coastal behind Virginia Tech, meaning divisional rights could be on the line come November 13th when the Hokies trek south to Dolphin Stadium.

TSN's Power Ratings give Miami a 3-of-5 regarding offense, 4-of-5 for defense, 3-of-5 for special teams and 3-of-5 for coaching. Nothing to write home about, but until the Canes prove it, no one is going to hand it to them or give The U the benefit of the doubt. Not after the past few seasons.

Potential and name recognition doesn't win ball games.

The offense gets a boost thanks to a new crop of receivers, a now-healthy running game, the best offensive line Miami has seen in a handful of years, as well as new life at the quarterback position - albeit, green.

Defensively the Canes will be as deep at linebacker as they've been in half a decade, though most of that talent was playing high school ball last season.

On the coaching front, Randy Shannon seems to have grown leaps and bounds thanks to addition by subtraction. After Miami's first losing season since 1997, Shannon cut ties with first year defensive coordinator Tim Walton and welcomed defensive veteran Bill Young from Kansas.

A more stubborn coach might've stuck by his guy - and few would've faulted Shannon for giving Walton one more shot - but he didn't. The culture needed to change and experience was necessary at DC if Shannon was going to remain hands-off and focus on being a head coach.

Respect. It's something Miami isn't going to get a lot of this year until it starts winning some ball games and turning some heads. Shannon knows that, as do his players.

"We lost a lot of respect," said junior running back Javarris James. "People don't respect us, so it's time to outwork people so they will respect us."

It all sounds good on paper, but will it translate to the field?

The Canes have always played the 'us against the world' card, but that only means something if you earn the "W". This isn't about moral victories. It's Xs and Os, execution and this youth movement surviving their baptism by fire by not making 'rookie' mistakes.

James is quick to play up the now-healthy backfield, calling it the 'focal point of the offense' - which is a must, considering quarterbacks Robert Marve and Jacory Harris are yet to take a snap as a Cane.

Shannon seems mildly 'wowed' by the receivers, applauding their receptions and ability to get some yards after catches this spring, but until it's done on game day, it's all theory. Kayne Farquharson, Sam Shields and Leonard Hankerson all return and Jermaine McKenzie is ready to do some damage after missing his freshman year due to a preseason car accident.

Toss in a half dozen highly-touted freshman wideouts and Miami is loaded (with potential) at the position. Marve or Harris won't have the same excuses as their predecessors. The talent is returning to the skills positions and it's put up or shut up time.

TSN's Miami coverage called it as fair as you'll see it after the past two seasons of Hurricanes football. They applauded the recent recruits and gave reason to be optimistic, but logic was still employed as nothing has been proven.

Second-ranked in the Coastal Division is a fair assessment after watching Miami go 2-6 in the ACC last year.

One last note - the 'Game To Watch' section, where TSN writes, "A visit to Florida gives the Hurricanes a chance too prove the doldrums of 2007 are behind them and create early momentum."

Last year's Canes couldn't do a thing after a "statement game" against Texas A&M, rolling 34-14 in the Orange Bowl and losing 6 of their next 8. Can this year prove different?

Shannon said he was recruiting winners from winning programs. A 2-0 start out the gate and a win against a hated rival would be epic, but most likely isn't in the cards for a young Miami team. Motivation will have to come either at aTm or when conference play kicks in and regardless of a 'signature' win, the Canes will have to take one game at a time and focus. This a young team that needs to find itself.

However it plays out, 2008 will be a year of growth and moving forward. The 5-7 campaign of 2007 was Miami hitting rock bottom. All that could go wrong did. Close, winnable games were all lost. Players quit and the new coaching staff went through it's growing pains.

It'll take a few years to turn it around, but improvement is on the horizon come fall.

For those doubting the power of the Baseball Gods...

It almost sounds like a gag headline, don't it? 47-31 Fresno State is your college baseball National Champion for 2008. As if Oregon State's improbable back-to-back titles of 2006-2007 weren't enough, now it's the Bulldogs who are celebrating.

Anyone who ever chest-thumps or drones on about regular season stats, #1 rankings and how a National Championship is simply 'expected' after a promising January to May run, remember the past few years in Omaha.

Fresno State lost 12 of their first 20 games this seasons. They needed to WIN the Western Athletic Conference tournament just to MAKE the NCAA field of 64. The Bulldogs fought off elimination in the regionals and the super regionals and became the FIRST No. 4 seed to reach the College World Series since the tourney expanded in 1999.

The west coast 'FSU' jacked 14 home runs in seven CWS games. No other team in the field boasted more than six.

None of this makes Miami's 1-2 run in Omaha any easier to swallow.

Even the fact that it was Georgia who Fresno State knocked out - twice.

It just proves that there are no gimmies in college baseball. No favorites. The only absolute is that nothing is certain.

Eight equally qualified teams reach Omaha and all start the tourney 0-0 and in need of a win to avoid elimination games the rest of the way to the championship series.

It's about getting hot at the right time and in the post-season, Miami went ice cold while Fresno State was molten lava.

A lesson to be learned next time these Canes head to Rosenblatt.

Ice Cold. Unclutch. Home. Done.

Forgive the untimeliness of this piece.

For The U, the college baseball season came to a crashing thud Wednesday afternoon. After spending countless hours watching games and covering this squad the past few months, it was time for a breather before deciding to sum up what went wrong in a heartbreaking post-season.

That and the sun was shining all weekend, so once the Canes pulled out of Omaha, I did the same. Not worth watching or thinking about as it'd be an excuse to play the 'what if' game when there were better things to do.

53-11 and headed home empty-handed. That's the legacy the Miami Hurricanes leave behind regarding the 2008 season.

Arguably the 'best' team The U has ever fielded, Miami tanked in Omaha.

Bats went cold. The defense crapped the bed. Players lost their mojo and the Canes never once resembled the stellar team they were all season.

A 23-loss Stanford squad put two Sunshine State powers in check en route to a 2-1 record at the College World Series. After smacking up Florida State, 16-5 and losing a nailbiter to Georgia, the Cardinal took it to the Canes, 8-3 in a game that was done as soon as Miami took the field.

College baseball is an inexact science. More so than almost any other sport. Stick your rankings, regular season records and statistics all in the trash come mid-June. The 1999 Hurricanes were the only squad to win a title, as a top seed entering the post-season. Since then, nothing but upsets.

As good as Miami looked during the regular season, the chink in the armor was spotted in the regular season finale against North Carolina. The Canes fell 10-6 and 12-11 in the final two games, losing their first series of the season.

Over those final two losses, Miami gave up 22 runs and left 19 runners stranded on base.

Why does that trend sound so familiar?

Sure, Miami breezed through the ACC tourney - but the Canes had to earn every win from that point forward. Gone was the dominant regular season team. Instead, a bunch who could never pull all facets of their game together and play like the champions most expected them to.

A 7-4 scare against lowly Bethune-Cookman (yeah, I know their pitcher was good, but still. A bottom of the eighth rally to best Missouri by 1, followed by an 11-2 beat down of and outmatched and out-manned Ole Miss squad.

Arizona took Miami in game one of the Super Regionals, but the entire series was topsy-turvy and was one swing from being 2-0, 0-2 or the 2-1 advantage the Canes needed to advance to Omaha.

Never once did Miami have Arizona in check, despite a home field advantage, a better record and a stronger, collective squad.

The aura would carry over to Omaha, where Miami played tight out the gate. Gone were the big rallies, hot bats, defensive prowess and a pitching staff that would clamp down and hold off an opponent's onslaught.

You never want to blame an epic meltdown on one play. That said, when Carlos Gutierrez sailed one past Yonder Alonso in the top of the ninth in game one against Georgia, you could feel the collective wind coming out of Miami's sails.

The wild pitch on a would-be third strike for the second out - that was bad enough - but to not regroup after that and to literally throw it away moments later? Miami gave away an entire season in half an inning. Tagged in the nose, the Canes recoiled when they tasted their own blood. Instead of coming out swinging, Miami remained tight, tentative and a shell of themselves the final two games in Omaha.

The familiarity and upper hand the Canes have on the Noles helped earn a 7-5 win, though it was almost given away again in the ninth.

1-1 and with a fighting chance, Miami simply face planted against Stanford. A no-show. Never it in for a minute after that 1-0 lead in the first.

The stats? As ugly as they've been all season. 10 Canes went down swinging and 12 runners were left on base, after stranding 9 against Florida State and 7 against Georgia.

After three games in Omaha, the Canes' box score read - 98 at bats, 14 runs, 27 hit and a total of 28 runners left on base, while striking out 24 times.

The middle of the order, ice cold. Mark Sobolewski only mustering up one hit in 12 at bats. Ryan Jackson going 6-for-13 with 0 RBI. Adan Severino, 4-for-9 with 0 runs or RBI.

For all the magic Dennis Raben provided defensively in right field, the mohawked one was a paltry 2-for-11 with 0 runs and 2 RBI and Yasmani Grandal mustered up 2 hits in his 9 at bats.

The top of the order put a few runs on the board, but also remained unclutch when given the opportunity.

Blake Tekotte was 3-for-11, despite 3 runs and 3 RBI. Jemile Weeks hit two home runs, but also went 3-for-11 and struggled to do what he did best - laying down bunts, playing small ball, helping manufacture runs and just getting on base.

Alonso had 5 hits in 12 at bats, but his Omaha legacy will be remembered for chasing breaking balls and striking out three times against the Cardinal, stranding five by the fifth inning.

All season, all signs pointed to this being "Miami's year" but that was based on regular season wins and the Canes peaking too soon. Come May, Miami went 3-3 down the stretch - losing a sloppy 7-6 contest at Virginia Tech, before the skid against North Carolina.

A far cry from the squad that went 27-2 at one point in 2008.

Omaha and the post-season are a completely different ball game. Just ask Georgia and Fresno State - the two underdogs who found their way to the title game.

The east coast Bulldogs were a #8 seed while the west coast bunch upset a stellar Arizona State team in the Super Regional to earn their berth and get through a bracket including Rice, LSU and North Carolina -- two recent past champions and a recent runner up (twice).

Florida State rolls all season and it's 0-and-2 and a BBQ. For anyone lamenting Miami's ninth inning heartbreak in game one, it's hard to top the Noles giving up 11 to the Cardinal over the course of three outs.

LSU rides an almost two dozen-game win streak into the post season and bows out 1-2, just like Miami.

An Omaha-staple like Rice heads back to Texas for a BBQ of their own, after going 0-2.

North Carolina finds a way to upend a red hot LSU team (twice), but can't solve the mystery of a Fresno State bunch who started the season 8-12, going 1-2 against the Bulldogs over a six-day span?

The only certain in Omaha is that there is no certain. You think you know, but you have no idea.

It's a funky place where dreams are made, hearts are broken and words like "underdog" or "favorite" have no pull.

When you get to the Midwest, someone has the 'mojo' and the others are simply along for the ride. How far they go depends solely on the mercy of the baseball gods.

If there's a lesson to be learned is this - the college baseball season doesn't start in January. Come mid-June it's eight teams at Rosenblatt all sporting 0-0 records and all battled-tested after two rounds of regional action. Favorite-schmavorite. It's anybody's ball game.

53-11 - like the 2008 Canes - sure sounds good on paper.

In the end, it was a great run but once the post-season got underway it was soon proven that it simply wasn't in the cards for Miami this year, despite a hell of a run.