Marve makes it official; headed to The U!

Finally, Miami landed a big fish. After a few years of getting knocked for quarterback defects, the Canes landed Robert Marve today, the four-star recruit out of Tampa Plant High School... a.k.a. Mr. Florida Football 2006 and the kid that broke all Tim Tebow's high school records.

A kid who's said to have a little bit of Brett Favre in him and is known for being a tireless worker and a competitor, Marve is exactly the type of quarterback Randy Shannon needed to land in this 2007 'rebuilding' class. 1999 had Ken Dorsey and 2007 has Marve.

Eight years removed from each other, both became Canes at a time when the program couldn't need them more. Dorsey got his ring in 2001, was a two-time Heisman finalist and wrapped up his career at The U with a 38-2 record as a starter.

Shannon will need to bring in a few more big-time players next Wednesday, but here's hoping guys like Deonte Thompson and other top-notch hold outs will see Marve's commitment and realize that big things are in store for the University of Miami.

For now, let's give Robert Marve an official welcome to The U. Lead us back to the promised land, brother.


.:Canes305:.

Who says U can't go home...

The Chicago Bears are in town, they're practicing at The U and that means Devin Hester is back on his home turf this Super Bowl week.

The allCanes crew caught up with Deebo today over at Greentree and scored him a gift bag, including our U FAMILY original design. For those who didn't know, ol' Mr. Hester is a former allCanes employee and worked for us the summer before his first season at The U. He's part of the fam.

Check out the shot of our GM Harry Rothwell and Hester earlier today as well as The U's welcome note a top the Hecht Athletic Center.

On a side note, I have to ask... if the University of Miami's facilities are so run down and shoddy, then why in the hell are the NFC Champions in town and practicing at The U?

I almost wish ol' Arsenio Hall were still around for a quick segment of, "Things That Make You Go Hmmm."

How you liking Randy now?

I'm not one to get ahead of myself. I know Signing Day is still over a week away and that nothing is certain until names are scrawled on that dotted line. Still, all those who have ridden Randy Shannon these past few weeks need to start giving credit where credit is due. Nothing is a done deal yet, but all signs are pointing to a solid class for the Canes come February 7th.

The U is a receiver (or two) away from landing the top WR class in the nation. The QB need will be more than addressed if a certain four-star out of Tampa makes thing official a few days from now. Kids that signed last year, didn't qualify and were wavering? Sheriff Shannon reeled 'em back in.

Shannon was announced as Miami's new leader back on Friday December 8th. After a two-week process, the top brass at The U handed the reigns over to one of their own. The week leading up to the hiring, I was still pushing for the big name guy, like so many other fans.

I was originally caught up in all this "don't promote from within" crap - as if Shannon was cut from the same cloth as Larry Coker and his hiring in 2001 should stop this program from ever hiring from within again.

We're months away from the season opener against Marshall (Sept. 1st) and in all honesty, we won't know what Shannon can do with this team for at least a season or two... but I'm starting to get that good feeling back again. This coach played for this program when it was a winner and has worked for or with the best coaches in Miami's history. He learned from some of the best and he has an arsenal of former Hurricane greats who are a phone call away.

Shannon has also done a good job of flying under the radar the past few weeks. I love the lack of chit-chat with the media as it diffuses all the idiotic, "did you read what coach said in the paper today?" posts on the message boards.

Others have told me Shannon doesn't have that same glad handing skills Coker and others have had. To that I say, who cares? Really. You want to produce revenue for the University of Miami? There's only one foolproof method. Win football games. It'll put asses in seats, it'll sell merchandise and it'll get the big time donors to open their wallets.

Maybe it's a little too early to get this fired up, but I'm officially on Shannon's bandwagon. I know little about what he's doing behind the scenes and I know even less about the coaches he's brought in to help him fix this current situation.

What I do know is I like how he's handled himself this first month on the job. Recruiting is priority #1 and he' s pounding the pavement looking for the right guys to help rebuild this program.

This has the makings of being a special class, which Miami truly hasn't had since 1999. That was the class that got us back on the map. Buchanon. Dorsey. Carey. Geathers. Johnson. McKinnie. Portis. A solid quarterback. A solid running back. A few solid wide outs. Some big boys on the offensive line. A solid corner/return man.

2007 looks to have some players with the same type of potential as the true freshman of '99.

Word is Robert Marve will commit on Wednesday, which is bar none the crown jewel of this class. Miami hasn't had a superstar quarterback since Ken Dorsey. Brock Berlin and Kyle Wright were highly touted, but neither became that 'next level' guy at Quarterback U. Can Marve?

My main man Bruce Feldman thinks so. We traded emails last week and he raved about both Marve and Shawnbrey McNeal. Bruce is in the process of writing a book on recruiting and has been traveling the south for weeks, doing his research.

He's seen both Marve and McNeal up close and he used adjectives like "tireless worker", "good character" and "live arm" when describing hopefully the next, great Miami quarterback. Regarding McNeal, he stated that the kid can fly.

Too soon to tell if the next Andre Johnson is in this would-be 2007 class, but Shannon is doing all he can to better the odds. Kayne Farquharson is on board and could soon be joined by Daniel Adderly, Jermaine McKenzie, Leonard Hankerson, Tarus McKinley and hopefully, Deonte Thompson.

The Canes weak at receiver and if this class sticks, the first year coach will have nabbed the #1 crop of wide outs in the nation.

Graig Cooper recommited at running back and Orlando Franklin is back to add some serious depth to the offensive line. Par for the course, some defensive ballers are headed to The U as well, but offense is the focus here. Some big time defenses were wasted (2003 & 2004) where a Miami team with any firepower and ability to score points, would've contended for a National Championship.

That's being addressed pretty damned well by a defensive minded coach.

Come February 7th, Miami is one step closer to being back and and even the skeptics will have to feel better about Shannon. Some guys might get away, but not for lack of effort and making some magic happen at the final hour.

As for this Marve situation. If Shannon pulls that off and Mr. Florida Football commits to The U on Wednesday (as expected), kudos to the Sheriff. Last year Miami lost Pat Deviln to Penn State and the year prior, Derek Shaw to Arizona State (he's since transferred to Texas Tech). Both were early commits to Coker's staff; a staff which promised they'd be the only quarterbacks recruited.

The Canes recently lost Nick Fanuzzi to Alabama; another Coker prospect who was promised he'd be the lone QB recruit. If/when Miami lands Marve, no harm no foul on the Fanuzzi situation. The last thing The U needs is another soft quarterback who isn't afraid to compete. Competition is what Shannon is all about and he's preached that to recruits since taking over. The best man for the job. Not necessarily the one with the most seniority.

Stay tuned. More commitments are rolling in as we speak...


.:Canes305:.

Choke on this, Scumbel...

Am I making a mountain out of a molehill? Maybe. Either way, I wasn't a fan of HBO's Real Sports last week when they took a look into the Bryan Pata murder.

I thought James Brown did a good job with his investigative reporting, but par for the course, that idiot Bryant Gumbel had to get his two cents in after the fact. Those who watch the program know what I mean.

For those who don't, Gumbel always feels the need to chime in and talk to his reporters about their findings. He oft comes across smug (when doesn't he?) and very know-it-all, trying to one up the story's reporter with some info he thought of that they didn't. It reeks of arrogance and of a guy who thinks he's above a sports program and should be prime time with his "journalism".

No sooner does Brown's segment end, when Gumbel asks about Pata's character. Implying that there have to be some character issues with a guy who "gets in bar fights", owns guns and drives a fancy car.

To Brown's credit, he shut down a few of Gumbel's accusations. Regarding the bar fights, he explained that is par for the course with a soon-to-be professional athlete. Pata was in a few altercations over a year-plus long span.

Brown also explained that in a city like Miami, a kid who has overcome adversity and escaped the rough neighborhoods - he's going to get tried by the underachievers who didn't get out and chose a life of crime. All it takes it scuffing a sneaker or bumping into a neighborhood rival in a club and it's on.

As for Pata's Infinity, Brown informed Scumbel that it was all legit. A relative helped him pay for it, which isn't out of the norm for a kid with NFL aspirations. A future third round pick could easily pay back the payments on an SUV like that.

Two things that Brown left out which I found disappointing; the explanation of the guns as well as what Pata did regarding "summer jobs" to earn that money.

It's common knowledge and has been reported in several instances that Pata had aspirations of joining the FBI someday when his playing career ended. Both he and former teammate Kareem Brown spoke of joining together. Pata was a gun enthusiast and loved to go shooting.

Does that explain the three (registered) guns in his apartment? I don't know. But it's certainly an important detail that HBO, Real Sports and Brown should've mentioned. By not doing so, it promotes that "Thug U" images which the University of Miami doesn't deserve more than any other big time program out there.

As for those summer jobs, Pata was a car enthusiast and took pride in taking an old beater, fixing it up and turning into a work of art. While on the surface, his Infinity SUV may have looked tricked out and expensive to the average eye, Pata's skills working on cars would more than allow him to do a lot of those upgrades and fixes on his own.

While it was nice to see Pata's tragic story get some exposure this past week, it's a shame they missed some key components to this story and it's sick that a smug jerk like Gumbel got his uninformed two cents in after the fact.


.:Canes305:.

Miami Hurricanes Football - 2007 Schedule

The 2007 Miami Hurricanes football schedule was released earlier this week and it's not quite the cakewalk the '06 schedule could've and should've been. The Canes toughest games are on the road and the out of conference schedule is infinitely tougher than last year's OOC foes.

Miami has the national spotlight on one lone Thursday night this upcoming season when Texas A&M heads to the Orange Bowl for a rare visit. Other OOC foes include Marshall, FIU and national power, Oklahoma.

The Randy Shannon Era kicks off on September 1st when the Thundering Herd visits, which marks the first time since 2003 that the Canes didn't open with the Seminoles. Miami heads to Tallahassee on October 20th to take on Florida State.

Miami plays an unprecedented five games in the month of September and their lone bye week comes late in the season, on October 27th. A mid-season match up at North Carolina will pitt first year coach Shannon against former boss and Canes head coach, Butch Davis.

09.01.07 - MARSHALL
09.08.07 - @Oklahoma
09.15.07 - FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
09.20.07 - TEXAS A&M
09.29.07 - DUKE
10.06.07 - @North Carolina
10.13.07 - GEORGIA TECH
10.20.07 - @Florida State
11.03.07 - NC STATE
11.10.07 - VIRGINIA
11.17.07 - @Virginia Tech
11.24.07 - @Boston College

A Marve-lous recruiting weekend...

Tampa area quarterback recruit Robert Marve visited The U this past weekend and word is things went swimmingly.

I've heard from a few people connected with the program that Miami's staff expects a commitment out of Marve. Does that mean he's 100% coming to Coral Gables? No.

17-year olds are prone to changing their minds and being wishy-washy during the recruiting process. That said, sitting here today one would think that Marve is leaning towards The U. He loved the trip and the Marve family was pleasantly surprised with the University of Miami.

Classroom sizes. Facilities being in much better shape than they were led to believe. Randy Shannon being the class act he is. Marve is still set to visit Hawaii at some point and is slated to meet with Miami's new offensive coordinator Patrick Nix on Thursday. Nix is heading to Tampa to meet with Marve face to face as the two only spoke by phone during Marve's recruiting visit.

:OTHER NEWS RELATED TO THE U:

>>> Former Miami QB recruit Nick Fanuzzi committed to Alabama today. Word is Fanuzzi wanted to be the only QB recruit brought in by the school he signed with. Makes you wonder what Nick Saban and Alabama have told him. For Fanuzzi to commit weeks before signing day, it has to at least hint towards the fact Bama doesn't expected to get Marve.

>>> Marve wasn't the only recruit in town this past weekend. Other notables were Jermaine McKenzie, Allen Bailey, Brandon Hicks, Demarcus Van Dyke and Joseph Nicolas. A little background on the big five:

McKenzie is a four-star wide receiver prospect out of Bradenton, FL. Not only is he high on The U, reaffirming his commitment, but he's already showing that brash Hurricanes receiver attitude. Word is McKenzie is the kind of player already in the ear of other recruits, selling them on the program and telling them what they all can do if they head to Miami.

Don't really know much about Bailey's visit, but the fact he's visiting his in state power this coming weekend doesn't sit well. The 6-foot-3, 260 pound linebacker prospect out of Darien, GA visits the Bulldogs this coming weekend and recent history shows that the hometown kid visiting the hometown school for his final visit, usually winds up there. We'll see.

Hicks is out of Jacksonville, FL and has Miami, Florida and Clemson on his radar. His trip to Coral Gables this past weekend was his last before signing day. He visited UF in early December, but many think he'll wind up a Gator. Hicks is a four-star recruit and measures out at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds.

Although Van Dyke is out of Monsignor Pace in Miami, he still has a soft verbal to Florida. Van Dyke visited The U over the weekend and word is the trip went well. Florida is still the team to beat, but DVD has flipflopped between both programs over the past few months and Miami got his last visit. Will this create a "hometown kid to the hometown school" effect which has been the case in the past? We'll see.

Nicolas is supposedly 50/50 right now after visiting The U this past weekend. It'll come down to Miami and Rutgers. Nicolas is a 6-foot-2, 195 pound safety out of Homestead Senior High. His family would like him to stay home and come signing day, we'll see which way he goes.

Hopefully McKenzie got in his ear a bit.

>>> Orlando Franklin recommited to Miami this past weekend after flirting with the prospect of signing with Florida State, Georgia and Florida Atlantic. The 6-foot-6, 330 pounder will bolster a Hurricanes offensive line which needs the help.

Franklin was a prized recruit for the Canes last year. He took summer classes at UM, but the NCAA Clearinghouse ruled him academically ineligible, citing two English courses he took while living in Canada.

>>> Some parting thoughts here regarding recruiting. I'll do my best Jerry Springer and leave you with these "final thoughts".

I'm reading a lot of message board posts and have traded a ton of emails lately with Miami fans and college football fans in general. Everyone seems to have some "inside scoop" regarding recruiting. Someone talked to this guy's mom's hairdresser's veterinarian and he's a "lock" to come to said school. Fans will then toss rose petals at the recruit's feet and will kiss his ass as he's in the process of choosing a school.

Godforbid he chooses elsewhere, the fan base becomes and angry lynch mob and is out for blood.

I've seen this twice the past two weeks, first with Nicolas and today with Fanuzzi. Some Rutgers fans were emailing me with glee as they thought Nicolas was a lock to Piscataway. Now that he's wavering on that commitment and might stick with his hometown Canes, Scarlet Knight faithful are trashing the kid. Same with Fanuzzi. Now that he's Bama bound, some Miami fans are calling him a mama's boy and comparing him to former nightmare Miami QB, Brian Fortay.

Give it a rest, people. At day's end we're talking about 17-year old kids here. Don't believe all the hype. Minds change and things said in the heat of a recruiting weekend don't always pan out.

If you're a recruit in Miami this past weekend and Canes fans are welcoming you with open arms everywhere you go, what are you really gonna tell these people when asked if you're coming to The U?

This place sucks. I'd never come here.

These kids are having fun and are soaking up the process just like you, me and anyone we know would. College football is big business and the recruiting game has also become big business with the likes or Rivals, Scout and other recruiting gurus. Just because these kids are being interviewed online, on TV and in newspapers - it doesn't make them mature, pro athletes. At day's end, they're still teenagers. They're worried about zits, prom and where the party is on Friday night.

We're weeks from signing day, when all questions are answered. My advice? Same as the search for a new offensive coordinator; worry about the result, not the process.

The kids who are destined to sign with Miami will be here. Quit hanging on their every word, dissecting their player-speak and reading between the lines.

It'll all work out the way it's supposed to. Try not to lose your mind along the way, U hear?


.:Canes305:.

Patrick Nix a done deal...

ESPN is reporting that Patrick Nix is headed to The U to take over as offensive coordinator. The same ESPN that on New Years Day reported that Dirk Koetter to Miami was a done deal, so we'll see if this is indeed true.

I traded emails with The Fall Guy regarding Nix and here's what he's telling me.

Randy Shannon was impressed with what Nix was able to do with Georgia Tech's offense with Reggie Ball on the sidelines for the bowl game against West Virginia. The Yellow Jackets fell, 38-35 in a shoot out nobody expected with their star senior QB out of the game.

Back up Taylor Bennett took over in that game, throwing for 326 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. Amazingly it was Georgia Tech's defense which blew the 35-17 early third quarter lead.

T.F.G. continued to drive the point home that Shannon wanted a guy in here who can help develop our struggling quarterbacks in the post Ken Dorsey era. That helps explain some of the other guys Shannon was going after.

Koetter is said to be a quarterback guru. Kevin Sumlin has experience working with signal callers. John Bond is an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at NIU and Kevin Rogers is the quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings.

T.F.G. also tells me there is - or was - another guy in the mix here. Someone who might not have been mentioned yet. Another young assistant and former quarterback. Lane Kiffin? I don't know. I've just been told there's another 'under the radar' guy in the running with Nix down the stretch here. (NOTE: T.F.G. confirmed that "secret" candidate was Doug Nussmeier, Rams QB Coach, former Michigan State OC.)

Par for the course, the message boards are blowing up this morning and the emails are pouring in. As I oft say, some like the Nix call, some hate it and others are spending their time mediating between the two.

Personally, I don't have issue with it if it goes down. While some criticize Nix for not getting Calvin Johnson the ball enough, I praise Nix for being able to do what he did with the erratic Ball behind center.

At day's end, who the hell is Georgia Tech? They're no powerhouse or juggernaut, yet they found their way to the ACC title game this year. They've also put together game plans to beat the Canes two years in a row, even this year after spotting Miami a touchdown on an opening drive fumble.

Why Nix over Bond? I don't know, but go with it. What's the point of pissing and moaning over who wasn't hired? Shannon interviewed both and is going with who he feels best fits at Miami. Those of you questioning the hire, were you in the room for the interview process? Do you personally know all the coaches Miami has interviewed? How are you more qualified to make this decision than coach Shannon? Simply put, you're not. Relax and let's see what develops here.

We have our guy in place. A young up and comer who played quarterback in the SEC in the mid 90s. This Auburn signal caller was a sophomore on the undefeated squad of 1993 and as a senior in 1995, a team captain who received the team's Pat Sullivan Award for Offensive Player of the Year as well as the Cliff Hare Award as the school's Student-Athlete of the Year.

Nix finished his playing days as the Tigers' career passing efficiency leader and ranked among the top five in school history in several other statistical categories.

With quarterback play as spotty as it's been over the years, Nix should be able to bring something of Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman that Dan Werner, Rich Olson and Todd Berry never could.

Kick back and wait to see if this is made official today or if Johnny Mysterio the secret candidate is mentioned.

If this is unoffically official, then congrats to coach Nix and welcome to The U.

Lest not forget people, some have turned this job down. If a guy is ready to move south with his young family and take over at our fine program, like a Journey song welcome him with open arms and give him the benefit of the doubt.


.:Canes305:.

Kiffin still out there & supposedly interested...

This is SO going to be one of those posts that gets Southern Cal faithful's collective panties in a bunch.

My main man The Fall Guy and I have traded emails today and he rementioned to me the name Lane Kiffin.

I tried to pry and get a little more out of him, but all he'd give me is this; amongst the coaching community, Kiffin has let it be known he's interested in the Miami vacancy and T.F.G. tells me that Randy Shannon knows this.

I don't know if that's good, bad or indifferent but this is the second "high profile" name which Shannon supposedly knows is interested in the OC position. The other was Walt Harris, who we've heard literally nothing about other than him throwing his hat in the ring and Shannon knowing this.

If there truly is some truth to these rumors, why were the likes of Kevin Sumlin and John McNulty higher in Shannon's pecking order than Kiffin or Harris? Who knows?

Regarding Kiffin, a few things come to mind. There are rumors of Steve Sarkasian to Oakland. If so, would Kiffin take over all offensive playcalling or do the Trojans look elsewhere? Full control offensively of USC or full control of Miami? You have to think Kiffin would stay put as he's been part of So Cal's successful run since arriving in 2001.

There are also rumors of Yahoo continuing to dig regarding the allegations against Reggie Bush a few years back. Could something be brewing there or is it much ado about nothing? We'll see. If things were really that hairy, you have to think Pete Carroll would get out while the getting was good.

I have no idea which direction our new head coach is going here, but it sounds like me that whichever direction Shannon goes, both Kiffin and Harris deserve an interview and chance to sell themselves. Unless I am totally missing something, both are worthy and qualified.


.:Canes305:.

Welcome to another meltdown...

Dirk Koetter? Chose Jacksonville. Kevin Sumlin? Staying at Oklahoma. John McNulty? Rutgers is the place for he. Who's next? We'll see.

In the interim, let's attempt to make sense of what's going on at The U as the fan base is in full meltdown mode and stones are being cast at first-year head coach Randy Shannon.

I'm about to do something really crazy and out there. An attempt at logic instead of reverting into that "sky is falling" mentality so many of our fans choose.

Make no mistake. Koetter was Shannon's first choice. Homeboy headed straight to Boise in the dead of winter to check out Miami's bowl practice and was in Coral Gables days later to ink a deal week one into Shannon officially taking over as head coach. Koetter and Shannon had a work-related friendship these past two years and all signs were pointing to "Koetter to Miami".

It looked like Randy got his #1 guy and all should've been well in Coral Gables. While interviewing for he Miami OC job, Koetter got the call from the NFL. Jacksonville called about the quarterbacks coach position, interviewed the former ASU head coach and days later offered him the offensive coordinator position with the Jaguars.

That's neither an indictment on Shannon, the city of Miami or our fine program. A better opportunity came calling and Koetter took it.

You're about to leave the bar with a pretty girl and Gisele Bundchen walks in with a better offer. Does that make the other girl any uglier? No. But in this case Door #2 is much more appealing than Door #1. Don't count that as a strike against Shannon. Call it was it is; crappy timing.

Plan B? To interview everyone else on his list. A handful of "second choice" guys who were all good, but not on Shannon's radar the way Koetter was.

The most most recent names were Sumlin and McNulty and neither are Miami bound. Some reports say they turned down the opportunity and others say neither was officially offered, just interviewed. Choose what you want to believe. Just remember that these are the same folks who told us Mike Leach to Miami was damn near a done deal and that Kevin Rogers was a shoo-in to get the OC gig.

Sumlin might've been a good fit, but trying to poach a guy from a big time program is never easy. OU has the resources and deep pockets to keep him around. If the Sooners are going to offer him more money to stay, why wouldn't he? You're talking about leaving a proven winner for another proven winner, except one is in "maintain" mode and the other in "rebuild" mode.

Toss in wives, families and the stress of moving and it makes complete sense that Sumlin would stick around Norman.

As for McNulty, I don't see why anyone ever thought this guy was headed south and I question how hardly he was actively pursued. He was interviewed and supposedly turned it down as he's a northeast guy who married a Jersey girl. He says he enjoys Rutgers and feels they're on the brink of something special, but let's read between the lines here, people.

McNulty knows good and hell well that his boss Greg Schiano covets the someday vacant Penn State gig. McNulty is a Nittany Lion and would love nothing more to return home. Miami may be Shannon's dream job, but bet the house Penn State is McNulty's and he knows Schiano will bring him back when his days in Piscataway are up.

My two cents? I'd like to see Miami focus more on the up-and-coming, lower tier guy from smaller programs. Where are the offers and interviews regarding John Bond (Northern Illinois OC) and George McDonald (Western Michigan OC). Guy who are hungry and primed to be the "next big thing" type of assistants? Coaches like Bond and McDonald are both at smaller programs and you'd think they're salivating at big time opportunities and a chance to climb the coaching ladder.

Koetter? An NFL guy who already was a head coach at two major programs. Sumlin? Part of the Oklahoma machine, one of the most dominant programs this decade. McNulty? Comfortable at RU until the big boss jets for both their dream gigs at PSU. Same to be said for a guy like Paul Petrino at Louisville, a name Miami fans oft throw out.

Why would Petrino leave a successful UL program for The U? He already has a good gig and isn't leaving there for anything less than a head coaching opportunity.

At day's end, Shannon was blindsided by Koetter getting the call from Jacksonville and is still going through the second tier assistants. Give it time. If you're set to pay an assistant just shy of half a million dollars while you're on the clock for the first time as a head coach, you need to choose wisely.

For days I've stated that I could give a damn about the process. I'm just concerned with the result, as is Coach Shannon, I'm sure.

Relax. Once we have our guy in place, no one's going to care or remember what it took to get him there.


.:Canes305:.

Adios, Adrian...

Adrian Peterson announced today that he's bailing Oklahoma a year early to enter the NFL Draft. As a Canes fan, it's great to see other programs feeling the effects of juniors declaring early.

The U was ransacked after the 2003 season, losing Sean Taylor, Kellen Winslow II and Vince Wilfork a year early, along with seniors Jon Vilma, D.J. Williams and Vernon Carey. The 2004 Draft had those six Canes (three juniors, three seniors) all going in the first round. A new record.

With big money on the table, no one can blame Peterson for going pro. Look at injuries sustained by big name college players this decade. Draft stock can plummet and millions of dollars can be left on the table if a player is injured. From a business standpoint, you can't compare that kind of money to the camaraderie felt between teammates. Hell no.

We mention the Peterson announcement here on a Canes site because of Saturday September 8th, 2007. Miami is headed to take on Oklahoma and coming off of 7-6 with a new coach at the helm, I am all for #28 kicking rocks and heading to the next level.

I've debated this point with some other fans lately, as they were rolling out the old, tired mantra of , "anyone, anytime, anyplace." Not right now, people. I'll still give you "anyone" and "anyplace" but not "anytime" in our current state.

I'll still put Miami up against "anyone" but and I have no issue with the Canes taking their show on the road "anyplace" but regarding timing, we need that to work in our favor right now.

When Miami takes on Oklahoma, it'll be the start of a whole new regime. The home opener is September 1st against Marshall. A week later, the Canes first road trip to Norman since 1985. Miami will barely be a top 25 team when the polls are released later this year, and Oklahoma will be somewhere just outside the top ten, most likely. Especially with Peterson gone.

Beating the Sooners with the best back in the nation would be a tremendous feather in the Canes' cap, but it's a big time challenge for a team that needs to develop a winner's mentality out the gate. Miami lost 2 of 3 to open 2006 and the wheels completely fell off down the road after climbing to 5-2. Once the Canes began playing decent foes again, a four-game losing streak ensued.

What's more important right now, style points or getting the win? Beating Oklahoma in their house will be huge for Randy Shannon's young team. The Peterson factor, combined with the fact the Canes are rumored to be closing the deal with Sooners co-offensive coordinator Kevin Sumlin - that'd give Miami an early 2-0 advantage entering their road opener.

Taking away their biggest offensive threat and poaching one of their offensive playcallers, helps negate OU's homefield advantage. Still, nothing has been inked with Sumlin, so file this under "we'll see".

A win for Miami in Norman could put the Canes at 2-0 and would start all that, "are the Canes on their way back under Shannon?" type talk. Conversely, a loss has the critics in full force questioning if The U made the right move.

At day's end, Miami needs that win. Down the road no one will remember or care if Peterson was there or not. They'll just remember who won the head-to-head match up between two powerhouse programs and recent National Champions.

When we're on top again, I'll re-adopt the old, "anyone, anytime, anyplace" mindset, but for right now I'm thrilled Peterson is gone, giving Miami's defense an edge on September 8th.


.:Canes305:.

Remember where you hear it first...

The Miami Herald ran an article this morning which listed Randy Shannon's potential offensive coordinators. A few names listed? John Bond (NIU head coach), Kevin Sumlin (OU co-offensive coordinator) and John McNulty (RU assistant OC, WR/QB coach).

Sumlin's name had been mentioned all week, but this is the first that the big time, local Miami media has mentioned Bond or McNulty. For the record, we threw these names your way last Monday, as well as George McDonald (WMU offensive coordinator) and Craig ver Steeg (RU offensive coordinator).

Are we clairvoyant here at allCanesBlog.com? Hell no. But we do have a good source in the biz who is very in the know. He's the one who shared with us that Rogers had no chance at the gig and gave us these new five names almost a week ago.

If like me, hate me or think I'm full of it, don't hate on "the source" - who I am giving the nickname, The Fall Guy. We have The Great Kartik helping with Canes basketball and now we have T.F.G. for all the inside scoop and "in the know" type stuff. Welcome him.

Thanks to our own personal Lee Majors for kicking down this info this week. Keep it coming and help us stay one step ahead of the rest.


.:Canes305:.

Sumlin brewing?

Rumor has it Miami's been talking with Oklahoma co-offensive coordinator, Kevin Sumlin. Good news on a lot of levels.

Most notably, Kevin Rogers being out of the mix and staying at Minnesota. Sumlin would run a more traditional Miami-style offense as opposed to Rogers, who runs the spread.

I wrote a few days back that I've heard nothing about Rogers and I took some heat for it when the Miami Herald reported that contact had been made.

There have also been reports the two sides never spoke and others stating that Rogers actually turned Randy Shannon and Miami down.

I stand by my original post. My guys told me that Rogers never really fit the scheme that Shannon wants for Miami's offense. Rogers scheme might work well for a mobile guy like Kirby Freeman, but in the long term Shannon's Canes need something more traditional and Sumlin could be the guy for that.

Sumlin is proven, yet unproven. The 90s were spent as a receiver coach for Wyoming, Purdue and Minnesota, where he also worked with quarterbacks. 2001-2001, Sumline was the assistant head coach, OC and receivers coach at Texas A&M. In 2003, he headed to OU and took over tight ends and since 2005, co-offensive coordinator and a receivers coach.

The Sooners have an impressive body of work in 2006, losing starting quarterback Rhett Bomar before the season, uber running back Adrian Peterson during the season and still making a BCS bowl game with two regular season losses. How much of that was Sumlin versus offensive coordinator, Kevin Wilson, I don't know. (Could we work another Kevin into this story?)

What I do know is that Oklahoma is a winner program and that Sumlin has been under Bob Stoops for four full seasons now. Winners breed winners and the Sooners coaching tree is a pretty good one. Plucking a co-offensive coordinator from Norman is infinitely better than an NFL guy like Rogers whose offense and quarterbacks were suspect this past season. The Vikings finished 6-10 and didn't even sniff the playoffs.

Please note, that Sumlin isn't the only candidate. From day one, word was that Shannon had an extensive list and game plan for how to bring Miami back. Regarding coaching vacancies, he was reportedly 3-4 deep with candidates. Dirk Koetter was obviously choice #1 for the OC vacancy. That didn't pan out, so now it's Plan B. Sumlin is in that mix, as are others. Expect this to be a busy week at The U as positions are about to get filled.

Another rumor? Walt Harris seems to be back in the mix. Which means his name is being thrown around by fans supposedly "in the know."

Before Christmas I wrote that a source mentioned Harris' name to me, but it was on the hush-hush. Supposedly Harris had put in a call to The U and was interested on some level, but Shannon had his sights set on Koetter.

Three weeks later, it looks like a good time to take Harris' call, so pay attention to how that plays out this week. The national and local media is yet to even mention Harris, which means there might be something to it. Especially since most of these folks have been screaming about Rogers for over a month even though that went nowhere.

Stay tuned.


.:Canes305:.

The Great Kartik talks Miami Basketball...

What has been an uneven and very confusing season for the Hurricanes took more bizarre turns this past week.

The Hurricanes blew a huge lead at home last Saturday and lost to Wake Forest, quite possibly the worst team in the ACC. Following this game it appeared the Canes season had finally unraveled and that a last place finish in the ACC could be in store.

Then shockingly, the Canes traveled to the Comcast Center and shocked perennial powerhouse Maryland on its home floor. In the game, big man Jimmy Graham broke his hand becoming the 4th Canes frontcourt player to go down with a serious injury. Yet the Canes somehow beat probably the best team they have faced all year and did it shorthanded on the road. This is the same team that lost at home to Binghamton!

The Canes inconsistency is at the same time easy explain, but difficult to comprehend. When the guards play well they win, and when the guards turn the ball over they lose. Despite the continuing loss of frontcourt players, we are a backcourt driven team which plays good defense in the open floor. But why do Anthony Harris, Jack McClinton and Denis Clemente either light it up or shoot blanks and turn the ball over all game long?

My explanation is that the backcourt trio is confidence driven, which isn’t a good thing. If they hit their shots, they feel good, if they miss their early shots they keep shooting rather than trying to create offense in other ways. McClinton’s foolish shot taking and bad ball handling cost the Canes the Wake Forest game, yet he came out playing the same exact way against Maryland.

Why does Frank Haith permit such sloppy, uneven play, and why does Coach Haith allow our guards to keep shooting even when slumping?

My theory is that with Anthony King out for the season, Ray Hicks failing to gain position posting up on offense and our other frontcourt players either injured or inexperienced, Haith knows he is going to live or die by the guard play. We don’t have a post presence that can take pressure off the guards with King gone, even though Dwayne Collins is a good rebounder and is capable of scoring off of put backs after missed shots.


:NEWS & NOTES:

- James Dews has been getting more minutes lately but he too is a perimeter oriented player who likes to take jump shots.

- Keaton Copeland, the local walk on from Broward County is now a starter. Expect Copeland to fill many of the minutes that are available due to Graham’s injury. Also Fabio Nass and Lawrence Gilbert will be called upon to play inside for the Canes.

- The injuries will force the Canes to go small probably for the rest of the year. While half court defense will be a problem for the Canes, going small gives the Canes a potential quickness advantage and could allow the Canes to employ a full court press.

- The Canes host Duke at the Bank United Center at 5:30 ET Sunday. The game will be broadcast nationally on Fox Sports Net as part of the Sunday Night Hoops Package. Get out there and represent!


.:The Great Kartik:.
FloridaCollegeSports.blogspot.com

5 Canes headed to post-season All Star games...

Congrats to five Hurricanes who will get one more crack to take the field collegiately and impress the scouts before this spring's NFL Draft.

Center Anthony Wollschlager will play in North-South All-Star Classic. Defensive end Baraka Atkins and running back Tyrone Moss will play in the East-West Shrine game.

Defensive tackle Kareem Brown and safety Brandon Meriweather will play in the Senior Bowl.

Wollschlager will be the first Hurricane to take the field at the inaugural North-South All-Star Classic this Saturday in Houston, televised live at 12:00 noon on ESPN2. Wollschlager started 25 consecutive games for Miami, every game his junior and senior seasons.

Atkins and Moss will play in the East-West Shrine Game on January 20 at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. ET and the game will be televised live on ESPN2 with NFL legends Dan Reeves and Don Shula serving as coaches.

Atkins started 45 of 49 games played during his four-year career, totaling 18 sacks and 170 tackles. Moss was a four-year letterman, too, finishing his career as Miami’s ninth all-time leading rusher with 1,942 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Brown and Meriweather will appear at the Under Armour Senior Bowl, which will be played in Mobile, Ala. on January 27 and televised on the NFL Network. Brown finished the season with a team-leading 11 sacks, after getting 2.5 sacks in the MPC Computers Bowl. He was a second-team All-ACC selection. Meriweather started 31 of 52 games played over his career, with 292 tackles and seven interceptions.

Congrats, fellas. Here's hoping you make the most of this and have a Sinorice Moss-like moment in these post-season games. Lest not forget that Moss was the MVP of last year's senior bowl.

Moss had 3 receptions for 45 yards, a touchdown and a successful 27-yard gain on a reverse in last year's 31-14 loss to the North team. There's no doubt that performance upped his Draft status. The New York Giants chose him in the second round and 44th overall.

Represent The U. Seize the opportunity. Make us proud.


.:Canes305:.

I can't not post this 'feel good' video...

God bless YouTube and any little freak that would spend his down time Tuesday and Wednesday compiling this footage and editing this clip. Obviously a Gator and like Styx, too much time on his/her hands.

Regardless of who did it, it's classic. 2:03 of pure Ohio State misery. Bitter fans in the crowd just wincing at what they're seeing on the field. Gasps. Hugs. Tears. Heartbreak. Their lives flashing before their eyes? It'd be irresponsible for me not to post this. Especially with Beck's "Loser" as the soundtrack.

Talk about a smug fan base which needed to be brought back down to earth after all that's transpired since 2002. I love it.

Oh yeah, and for anyone who feels I've been too hard on the Buckeyes this week or doesn't think this is an arrogant, pompous fan base. Check out this clip from a few years back. Pregame footage before the 2002 win over Michigan which sent them to the Fiesta Bowl to play Miami.

Drunken, rowdy, fanatical footage (borderline racist during a few choice moments) of Buckeyes trashing Wolverines fans. Make sure the bust this out next time an Ohio State fan bags on Miami, the Orange Bowl and our game day experience.

This concludes our "Trash on Ohio State" week. While I'm still sick our in-state rivals won their second title, at day's end I am much happier knowing how miserable Buckeye Nation is this week.

I wrote earlier about this being a battle between the "Lesser of Two Evils" and while I wanted the Gators to go down, I can't imagine any other loser here than the Buckeyes. Especially after rewatching the final :90 of that post-Michigan celebration when that moron yells, "we want a riot." Classy.

Back to Canes football from here on out. No mas regarding the Gators and Buckeyes.


.:Canes305:.

An eye for an eye, an ankle for a knee...

I made the mistake of spending a half hour watching ESPN's "The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame the Refs For Miami Losing the 2003 Fiesta Bowl" or some lame-ass title like that.

I don't know what was worse, that segment or Monday night's title game. You think I'd learn to shut off anything college football related until September. I'll never learn.

ESPN's piece was, well, a piece. A steaming one. Nothing like hearing idiot writers from the central Florida region (Gators fans?) talking about how Miami didn't "deserve" to win the game because they gave up a 4th and 14 on that would-be final drive.

For the sake of not reliving this nightmare four years after the fact, this is the only point I'll touch on regarding this Tabasco in the eyes viewing experience tonight.

Good teams find ways to win. That's a compliment regarding the Canes, not the Buckeyes and the title tubby Terry Porter gave them. Both teams battled to the finish, but this was settled in the first OT.

Miami overcame five turnovers that game and Ken Dorsey's second worst outing in his collegiate career. Though #11 threw for 296 yards and two touchdowns, Dorsey's three turnovers (two interceptions, one fumble) were very unclutch for a signal caller who wrapped up his Miami career, 38-2, a National Champion and a two-time Heisman finalist.

The Canes overcame turnovers, Dorsey, a freak Willis McGahee knee injury, 4th & 14 and several other "go either way" type of calls throughout the night.

In the end, there was one which changed history.

Porter's bogus flag was the lone moment which cost the Canes back-to-back titles. No other play up to that point in the game was one-and-done. Call it an incomplete pass like the side judge and Miami is your 2002 National Champion.

Porter gave Ohio State second life, forcing Miami to beat them twice in one game. No one team should have to deal with a blow like that. I'd rather have lost 41-14, never having a chance as opposed to being down, scrapping back, losing our star back and then getting jobbed after overcoming all that adversity.

Speaking of 41-14, the above pic is from Monday night's dismantling of Ohio State. (Notice the focus is on a Buckeyes loss and not a Gators win. I'll ride out this "denial" thing as long as I can.)

It's a shot of tOSU celebrating after Ted Ginn Jr. housed the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Teammates piled on as they felt the route was on and in their zest, they rolled out Teddy Superstar's ankle.

Oops.

Before I go on here, let me offer up a disclaimer. I am not celebrating the injury. Buckeye, Gator or Irish puke, as much as I loathe those programs, I never want to see a kid hurt. We're talking about careers, families and livelihoods here. No one deserves bodily harm. Not even Will Allen, the cheap shot artist who exploded McGahee's knee like a pinata.

There were a lot of parallels between the 2003 Fiesta Bowl and the 2006 National Championship game. Heavily favored team, Heisman caliber player at some skills positions, hungry underdog pitted against a team facing complacency due to a double-digit win streak. Ohio State got the ring on January 3rd, 2003 but they'll forever hear "The Call" tied to their first championship in over three decades.

Though it was never vocalized before the game, you know Ohio State faithful wanted this '06 title badly. Probably worse than 2002 as that was out of nowhere and this one has been on the rader since the season opener.

A wire-to-wire run at #1 and a shot to beat a team that backed their way in the conference championship weekend? It'd be the first time in almost forty years Ohio State won a title with no controversy. Shut up the critics and 2/3 of the sports fans in the Sunshine State.

The opposite happened. The Buckeyes were manhandled by the Gators, a huge blow to their credibility and mystique this decade. All that talk of having the speed to hang with Florida-caliber athletes, a well-coached Gators bunch snuffed out that argument halfway through the first quarter.

It's no mystery that the Buckeyes offense lost a step when Ginn Jr. went down. It's also a big reason why Troy Smith was 4 of 14 on the night for 35 yards and one interception. Ohio State probably still gets worked, but losing #7 had that "gasoline on fire" effect when combining hobbled Buckeyes offense against the fastest and most aggressive defense they'd seen all year.

OSU was pantsed on national television and after watching ESPN's "How Ohio State Stole Miami's Title" tonight, losing Ginn Jr. was rather poetic. It also took the luster off their 2002 title, an indictment on the Canes coaching as opposed to the Buckeyes effort.

Same can be said for Jim Tressel, a.k.a. Cheaty McSweatervest. Entering the 2006 National Championship game, the man was heralded as a genius. Another title would've had him surpassing USC's Pete Carroll as the current "it" coach. Instead, he was upended by Urban Meyer, who now looks to be #2 behind Carroll on the 'desired coaches' list. Tressel is top five and headed back to the drawing board to see what's in store for 2007. Rebounding from a loss like this is one of the toughest things a coach must get his program to overcome.

As I stated before, I'm not glad the kid got injured. Hell no. Ginn's a baller, I'd take him at The U any day of the week. But the fact that he went down on the grandest of grand stages the same way, playing for the program that some feel cheap-shotted McGahee?

Coincidence. Karma. Football gods. Perhaps a bit of all three.

The 2003 Fiesta was all about Miami doing everything wrong, finding a way and getting robbed. This year's title game has Ohio State faceplanting seconds after their first score. Your stud WR/PR/KR goes down celebrating after a touchdown?

Get ready for the next 59:00+ minutes of football to go anything but your way.

This one will sting for a while as Ohio State looks to lose the core of that offense. Ginn Jr. sound all but gone. Anthony Gonzales and Michael Pittman took off and Smith graduated.

Similar to how the still sour 2002 Canes lost Dorsey, McGahee, Andre Johnson and most of the offensive line entering 2003. It was insult to injury and Miami is still reclimbing that ladder. The Canes need to win again to get over that double overtime loss.

Welcome to our 2003, Buckeyes. A loss like this one lingers as you never entertained the thought of losing this game as a huge favorite. Come September, the core of this team is headed to the NFL. Let's see how you respond.

In the interim, this recent loss still looms and the '02 title looks even more like a farce after another Sunshine State school ate your lunch.


.:Canes305:.

Please, shut up...

It sucks to be a Miami Hurricane. At least that's the message I'm hearing these days.

Blah, blah, blah. Whine, whine, whine. Welcome to the University of Miami fan base version 2007. This isn't getting old at all, is it? Day after day and week after week it continues like a red-faced, colicky baby.

Since when did this once in-your-face, trash talking, brash and overly-aggressive fan base get as soft as a seven-year old girl with a skinned knee? Get a grip, people. Breathe in, breathe out. Relax.

I understood the frustration right up through 6-6. Miami lost the opener to Florida State and stumbled on the road weeks later at Louisville, pitting the Canes at 1-2 and out of the title race halfway through September.

The record climbed to 5-2 against weak opponents, but them Miami lost at Georgia Tech, knocking them out of the ACC title race and the Canes turned that into a four-game losing streak before beating Boston College in the season finale, en route to 6-6 on the regular season.

On Friday November 24th, the University of Miami fired six year head coach Larry Coker, which you'd think would quiet the masses and give Hurricane fans something to be optimistic about.

Nope. The bitch-fest continued. Why is the coaching search taking so long? Why did we hire a consultant? Where's the big name coach the admin promised to hire? Did you read this or that quote by Coker?

I was half expecting Kanye West to show up and tell us that Paul Dee and Donna Shalala don't care about Miami athletics.

Here we are in early January. It's a new year. Optimism is supposed to be in the air. The ink on the paper where people penned their New Years resolutions isn't even dry, yet the pissing and moaning continues like it's still 2006.

I don't get it.

Let's save everyone a little bit of time here and script out January through August so the rest of us can put it on autopilot and cruise above the dark clouds of negativism until the season starts. Follow this program for twenty years or twenty minutes. You know what's in store. It's fait accompli.

January through spring, expect to hear the following. Randy Shannon sucks and won't be a good fit for Miami for a slew of reasons. Until he finds a new offensive coodinator, that'll be the biggest knock. How come other schools are hiring so quickly and Miami isn't? Pick your poision.

Money is one reason, as well as the fact that the gig and the city aren't desireable across the board. It takes a special type to want to sign up to coach on any level at The U. We're not going to land just anybody.

Miamians love their city, but nationwide South Florida isn't the most desired area in the nation, nor is it a coach and his family's only option. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Shannon will land a coordinator in the coming weeks. Some will like the hire, some will hate it, others will remain opinionless until they see the product on the field and others will spend time mediating between the other three groups.

Come Feburary we'll see another "Signing Day" and a handful of kids will commit to play for Miami. They'll choose The U over a slew of other schools and in what should be a celebratory time for the program, the critics will again be in full force. Get ready for folks bitching about the ones that got away instead of the kids who chose to come to the program and become Hurricanes.

Get ready for cries of "Shannon can't close" and "what about so and so, how did we not land him?" Those are two hits from the standard Miami fans arsenal.

Spring ball will kickoff in April and we're going to see a quarterback controversy between Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman. Some have tried to correct me by calling this a "competition" instead of a controversy, but this is Miami, people. It'll be a full blown controversy.

Some folks will back Wright, some will back Freeman, a few will be screaming for true freshman Nick Fanuzzi to start and others will play peacekeeper between the three, asking people to remain level-headed until we see the product on the field.

Par for the course, we're looking at another season where the defense will most likely best the offense in spring ball... which will have the new offensive coordinator's head on a chopping block five months before the season opener (gee, why isn't anyone kicking down doors to land the job!)

And godforbid the offense looks better than the defense? Prepare for our knowledgable fans to chastise the new defensive coordinator (most like Tim Walton) for not being half the DC Shannon was and then ripping the new coach for promoting from within.

Are you ready for some football?

Summertime should be a hoot. Nike will roll out a new line of jerseys and half the fan base will hate them, the other half will like them and others will remain opinionless. Lest not forget my favorite group; the ones clamoring for the Russell Athletic-style belly shirts of the 80s. Ahh, do I miss the days of seeing Rusty Medearis' and Darren Krein's bellies hanging out as they ran up and down the field in their midriffs.

Message board discussions will go on an on about now Nike has ruined the University of Miami with their jerseys and a group of fans will be crying, "bring back the bra strap" - the affectionate nickname some fans gave the 2004-2006 version of the jerseys. Of course this will be the same bunch that actually hated the "bra strap" look and was protesting to bring the late 90s jerseys back when we made the switch in 2000.

Amazing that we actually have fans that think "swagger" equals personal foul penalties, celebrating after a big play and rocking jerseys that have been out of style for two decades now.

After we survive Jerseygate 2007, we'll gear up for fall ball and the quarterback debate will continue as either Wright or Freeman will be behind center going into the season opener against Marshall. The preseason rags will be on newsstands and no one will agree where Miami is ranked. Too high. Too low. We're gonna win the ACC. We have no shot at a conference title. This team can win it all. This team will be 0-2 out the gate. Shannon is the greatest thing since Jimmy Johnson. Shannon should be fired immediately. Maybe J.J. will replace him.

Yeah, I just can't wait to kick this thing off based on how the past few months have gone!

One resolution of mine this year is to attempt to cover this program, while also removing myself from the day-to-day muck and mire our fan base is bogged down in. I know we're all pissed. Put me a top that list with anybody. I drank myself into oblivion on Monday night as Florida and Ohio State played for the title. It was like an Irish funeral around here. Even today, I don't consider the fact that the Gators won. I just let myself focus on the fact the Buckeyes lost.

But in all honesty, what is all this bitching going to do? Nothing. Freedom of speech? I'm all for it. I welcome everyone's opinions and thoughts on the program. But complaining for the sake of complaining about every little move The U makes? Give it a rest. All this is counterproductive. You're become part of the problem when you do that. Not part of the solution.

You're giving opposing fans, pending recruits and a biased media just one more reason to knock our fan base, which is already perceived as fickle, bandwagon, hot headed and having unrealistic expectations.

Let coach Shannon do his job. Wait to see recruits in action before writing them off as a collosal failure. See who the offensive coordinator is and let him put his product on the field before calling for his head and trashing him on message boards.

The new season kicks off in just under nine months. Chill. Wait and see how things play out a little bit before critquing and criticizing every move a coach, player or member of the administration makes.

Or keep doing what you're doing. Spread the misery. Trash the program. Rip the coaches and players. Continue with the doom and gloom. Whatever makes you feel better about yourself.

It's a new year and I'm here to tell you, Canes305 isn't going to play that. I will always be brutally honest regarding my feelings towards this program and the current state we're in. But being critical of every move this staff or administration makes and judging new coaches and players nine months before the product has even taken the field?

That ain't for me. I'm going into this thing cautiously optimistic. Not disasterously pessimistic. If that's your take, you're on your own there. I can't take another year of that crap.


.:Canes305:.

It just makes THIS that much harder to swallow...

Yeah, sure I'm having a blast thinking about Ohio State's misery after getting throttled, 41-14 last night by a Sunshine State school but in reality, it makes the 2003 Fiesta Bowl that much harder to stomach.

The 2002 Buckeyes were a defensive bunch who tried to play mistake-free on offense en route to a 14-0 season. Their 2006 bunch was flashier on offense, had some defensive holes but played pretty good team football up until last night, handling both #2 Texas and #2 Michigan during the regular season.

Still, what last night proved was that solid, balanced, hard-hitting, fast-moving football from the state of Florida can compete with anyone in the nation and can slow down the Big Ten. Florida not only outhustled Ohio State last night, but Urban Meyer coached the sweatervest off of Jim Tressel. Something ol' Larry Coker failed miserably at on January 3rd, 2003.

How else do you explain what Florida did last night and what '02 Miami failed to do four years ago? Coker's Canes were absolutely loaded on offense, but schematically they were forced to play the Buckeyes game because Tressel dictated that. Last night, it was the exact opposite.

Four years ago in the Fiasco Bowl, Miami entered the fourth quarter with 7 points on the board. That seems impossible to comprehend when think of how loaded the Canes offense was that season. Florida 2006 had nothing offensively on Miami 2002, yet they manhandled Ohio State due to solid coaching. The Buckeyes '02 defense was obviously superior to '06, but there's no reason the Canes didn't put up more than 17 in regulation.

Ken Dorsey back for his senior season and Andre Johnson, both off co-MVP performances in the 2002 Rose Bowl. Kellen Winslow II picking up where Jeremy Shockey left off. Willis McGahee bringing it for the injured Frank Gore. Roscoe Parrish stepping up as a sophomore and bringing that Santana Moss-like speed to the table.

Ohio State spent the last four years woofing that it was Big Ten power which won them that game and negated Miami's speed, but after last night, we know now that it was Cokerization which cost the Canes back-to-back titles.

Tressel forced Miami to play Ohio State football and last night, Meyer forced Tressel to play the Sunshine State way.

How else can you explain how the 2003 Fiasco went wrong? Miami had 19 first downs to Ohio State's 14. The Canes had 304 passing yards to the Buckeyes 122. Goofy-looking QB Craig Krenzel was the leading rusherwith 81-yards in a game which featured both McGahee and hoodrat Maurice Clarett, the then super frosh.

Dorsey was rattled into a few interceptions and Johnson was held to 4 catches totalling 54 yards. Hardly the 2 touchdown, 7 reception and 199 yard performance in the title game a year earlier.

Coaching. At day's end, it means everything. Talent and speed will only take you so far. Execution and game planning are what it comes down to.

That said, we've now see that Fast/Aggressive FL Defenses + Innovative Offensive Play Calling + Up & Coming Coach + a Sunshine State power = National Championship.

There's no excuse for Miami and Florida State to continue eating Florida's dust. Not with the blueprint they laid out in 2006 and not based on the big three's past success dating back to the 80s.

There's also no excuse for Miami losing to Ohio State in 2002, bogus flag or no bogus flag. Sure, their '02 defense was much better than their '06 version - but Miami's '02 offense was also better than Florida's squad in '06.

With an innovative offensive mind at the helm, Miami would've scored more than 17 points in regulation against a slow, pasty Big Ten team that has oft been exposed in the big game but a faster, better conditioned bunch.

Hopefully Randy Shannon remembers that when making his offensive coordinator hire in the coming days and here's to Miami getting revenge on Ohio State during the regular season match ups in 2010 and 2011.

Whoever's in charge then, please remember how things shook out on January 8th, 2007.


.:Canes305:.

Not gonna hear the end of this for a while...

Your 2006 National Champions? The Florida Gators. Gross, I know.

Not just a win, but a 41-14 pasting of #1 Ohio State. All this while Miami was watching from home after an abysmal 7-6 season. Someone put me out of my misery. There's no worse college football scenario than Florida as reigning champs.

Or is there?

What if the Buckeyes rolled tonight? We'd have to hear their crap for another year? Uh, no thanks. I still can't stomach the bile I've had to digest since their faux 2002 title. I wasn't ready for another half decade of arrogance.

This was a lose-lose any way you sliced or diced it, but I took pleasure in seeing the team that stole our title go down in absolute flames before a national audience.

Ohio State did a faceplant for all of college football to see. Heisman jinx and all, as if it had been scripted. They even made it more dramatic by returning the opening kickoff for a 7-0. Four minutes, seven plays and 46-yards later, Florida answered, kept answering and never looked back.

All that "the Big Ten has just as much speed" crap was nullified as well. Florida was faster on both sides of the ball. No contest. Especially with their top skills player Ted Ginn on the sidelines most of the game. Word is he rolled and ankle celebrating. If that's true, file it under "karma" for taking out our workhorse, Willis McHeisman on what looked like a dirty play in 2002.

As a lifelong Cane, I'm sick the Gators won. But I'll still kick back and soak up the disappointment Ohio State's feeling tonight. I'm a hater that way. (Who wouldn't be bitter at 7-6?)

Welcome to our hell. Leaving one on the table when you thought you were the better team? That stings for a loooong time. You won't get over 2006 the same way Miami won't even get over 2002, 1992 and 1986. The "what If" seasons.

You go in a big time favorite, riding a double-digit win streak and the Heisman winner is your team leader. Eerily reminiscent to Miami 2002, except we "only" had two Heisman candidates on that loaded squad.

Feel our pain. You thought you had tonight wrapped up the minute you landed at PHX and now you'll stumble home dazed, wondering what the hell just happened. It's a bitter pill to swallow when every part of you thought your Buckeyes were gonna roll heads tonight. In both cases, the underdog pulled the rug out from beneath.

Only difference?

We got screwed. You got pounded.

Tonight showed why Florida, Florida State or Miami have played in ten of the past fifteen National Championship games. Fast, solid, Sunshine State defenses and innovative offensive playcalling can best anybody in the nation. Jimmy and Howard proved that in the 80s. Bobby and Steve did it in the 90s. Traditional powers were getting blown away by faster, more athletic kids from Florida.

Toss in the standard "playing up/down to the level of the competition" which is par for the course for the Florida schools. The big three state powers always got up for the big games during their dominant runs, but would occasionally look average against middle of the road teams. Florida took on that trait this year. They weren't always the best, but they were always a few plans better than the other guy. Tonight, they blew the doors off the thing.

The Gators are the "perfect storm" right now with Urban Meyer, as much as it pains me to say. Right time. Right place. Looks like the right everything.

Senior quarterback on the way out but a potentially better one ready to take the reigns. Freshman playmakers. Fast defense. Fiery, up and coming flavor of the year coach? 2006 Florida sounds a whole lot like 2002 USC.

This could be a nice 2-3 year run for the Gators, unless Meyer bails for the NFL. Oh God, wouldn't that just be the greatest news in the history of life. Meyer gets and offer to coach the Raiders and to spend their #1 pick in the Draft? I hope Al Davis just telepathically felt me think that. Lure Urban far away. This guy will remain a thorn in our sides until he leaves Gainesville.

If Meyer stays, which he should, Florida rolls forward with Miami and Florida State in the rearview mirror. The Canes and Noles can catch up, but both have their work cut out for them. Identical 7-6 records cost offensive coordinators and other assistants their jobs. UM and FSU aren't going to just roll over. Not with those defenses. But those offenses need tremendous overhauls to complete with the upper echelon.

Could the Chris Weinke/Ken Dorsey era feel any more distant right now?

Jimbo Fisher is headed to Florida State via LSU. A good pick up for the Noles. He will get that offense on track, proving just how incompetent Jeff Bowden was. Hopefully Randy Shannon will have that same impact on the head coaching gig year one.

Still, he needs to counter with a strong offensive hire. I mentioned earlier that it doesn't have to be a big name guy. Get me someone hungry who's an up and comer. Shannon knows the importance of this hire. His defense has carried the Canes too many years in a row. If anyone wants an offensive guru to match what he's done on the other side of the ball, it's Shannon.

On that note, back to our arch-rivals in Gainesville. A big win tonight. I hate it, but I respect it. They came to play and absolutely smacked up a program which broke some Miami hearts four years back.

It sucked to see Florida win, but it was cathartic to see Ohio State lose.

I hope coach Shannon gathered his kids to watch the National Championship. Remind them how big this event is and what it takes to get there.

When Miami and Florida met in 2002, Ron Zook pointed across the field and told his team someday they would be like Miami. Lest not forget the majority of this current team are Zook's recruits and these redshirt seniors caught that 41-16 beatdown in person as true freshman.

Four years later, how times have changed. Florida just won it all and it's Miami who has to climb back atop the mountain. Time to sit back and see where Shannon takes this. One thing for sure, he doesn't have to look far for motivation.

Make his kids rewatch tonight's drubbing. Let 'em go to bed knowing that just up the Turnpike and I-75, their most hated rivals are the best in the state and the nation tonight.

If that doesn't light a fire and stir up Hurricane Faithful, nothing will.

.:Canes305:.. still a Gator hater for life.

Fix this thing, Randy.

Talk about a saving grace...

This pic of goofy-ass Jim Tressel is the only thing keeping me sane right now. While I take no joy in Florida's win, I have to spin this thing inside my head and see the lone bright spot in all of this; Ohio State getting their asses whooped. Thanks to Senor Sweatervest, I don't just want to see the Buckeyes lose, I want to see them get worked.

Everytime I see that gaping-mouth picture, snapped minutes after jacking Miami's title, I want to slug the guy. He's smug, arrogant and a win-at-all-costs type of coach. If he's your guy, you love and defend him. If he's the enemy, you wouldn't spit on him if he were on fire.

Tressel ain't Miami's guy, so I'll go with the latter.

Nice to see him take it in the shorts tonight after all the stroking he's received these past few seasons. Kirk Herbstreit and Eddie George, y'all sure yucked it up on the sidelines on January 3rd, 2003. I'm guessing you were a little more subdued tonight, no? Feel our pain, fellas. Like us in 2002, you thought this was in the bag. I'll be you already sent Herff-Jones your ring sizes last week.

Genius Tressel was exposed and throttled in front of a national audience and he never even saw it coming. That might be the best part.

It couldn't have happened to a not-nicer guy. I'm just pissed it was Florida who got it done.

Churn on rumor mill, churn on...

OK, with Dirk Koetter headed to Jacksonville, it's time for the Miami coaching search to turn elsewhere. I've traded emails with a few sources today and here's what I'm hearing regarding The U as well as some other college coaching-related news:

>>> Steve Kragthorpe to Louisville is just about a done deal. Kudos to AD Tom Jurich for pulling this off. Talk about one of the best in the game. No pussyfooting around here. Bobby Petrino bails on Sunday night and Jurich could have Krag locked down within 48 hours?

Simply amazing and very reminiscent of Miami in the 80s when Sam Jankovich loses a Howard Schnellenberger and lands an up and comer in Jimmy Johnson. The Cards are going places as long as Jurich keeps running the show there.

Curious what Tulsa does now. Look for both Mike Shula and Larry Coker to have their names thrown in the mix for this new vacancy. Coker spent 1979-1982 as an assistant for the Golden Hurricane.

>>> With Koetter out of the mix for Miami, here are some names I'm hearing: Kevin Sumlin (Oklahoma co-OC), John Bond (NIU OC) and George McDonald (Western Michigan OC). I've been reminded that former Cane great Mike Sullivan is on that WMU staff and would be a good sounding board for Randy Shannon regarding McDonald.

Also in the mix, a few Rutgers guys, possibly. John McNulty or Craig ver Steeg could be contacted due to Miami coaches digging the Scarlet Knights' physical running game.

On a side note, I am hearing nothing regarding Kevin Rogers of the Minnesota Vikings. His name has been popular on message boards or in the media, but something tells me that Shannon isn't interested in his style of offense as a long-term fix for Miami.

Curious to see where Shannon goes here. I definitely like the prospect of an up and comer who is going to be hungry to turn things around with The U's offense.

I liked the prospect of Koetter and that "instant fix" it might've brought, but in the end it'd have been temporary as this guy would've headed to the NFL or a mid-level college head coaching gig in 2-3 years if he did anything with the Canes' offense.

As I've stated blog after blog, Miami is a special place which needs the right guy for the job. Sometimes the right guy isn't always the one who looks best on paper. Like a three-star recruit compared to the overhyped five-star, it's about that intangible. We need a guy salivating at the prospect of coming to Coral Gables to work with this talent - not a guy using The U's offer as leverage for an NFL gig.

Sit back and watch. Things are about to get interesting.


.:Canes305:.

Really, could it get any worse?

Never in my worst nightmare did I see January 8th, 2007 playing out like this.

Seems only months ago I was running around the Orange Bowl, soaking wet and completely drunk on Labor Day. Miami was 0-0, Florida State was on deck that evening and I was optimistic regarding the 2006 season.

Five months later the Canes ended things 7-6, fired a coach and hired a new one. Throw in an on the field brawl, the brutal murder of a beloved player and four-game losing streak.

That's not salt in the wound. It's bleach.

This season was pure hell, so I guess it's fitting that Miami has to watch two hated programs going head-to-head for the title tonight; Ohio State and Florida. The only thing worse would be seeing one lose on a controversial call and the AP actually giving the victim the #1 spot in the polls. That, or the BCS somehow working Notre Dame into the halftime show.

I better shut up now before I jinx everything.

Miami hates Florida for obvious reasons. An in state rival since 1938... even though they've refused to play us annually since 1987. The Gator Flop in '71. The fact they're they big state school with all the money and as some like to say, "the tradition of Wake Forest with the arrogance of Notre Dame."

The Gators