Game Thirteen : Wisconsin 20, Miami 14

10-3 was simply not meant to be and Miami took a season-ending thumping en route 9-4.

Wisconsin rolled south with a matching 9-3 record, also looking for a tenth win and jockeying for preseason position next fall. I thought Miami would come in healthy and equally as motivated, putting together a complete game and getting the 'W'. I was wrong.

"Swagger" became the most overused word in the college game this fall. Miami may have invented it, but doesn't own the patent. A lot of teams have swagger these days, whether UM fans want to hear it or not.

We saw 'swagger' on t-shirts, in haircuts and on display for two hours straight in Rakontur's "The U" doc... but swagger never hopped on the Turnpike north, making its way to Orlando on Tuesday night.

The Herald's Greg Cote chimed in on all things swagger the morning after, reminding us it's "not a birthright or something inherited as easily as Daddy's money." Swagger has become a catchphrase; a slogan. Back in the day, it was a mindset; a toughness that couldn't be fabricated.

I can't tell you how tough these young Canes are or aren't, but I can tell you they got pushed around last night by a Big Ten team they were expected to beat.

Miami was owned in the trenches; the place where we're told from day one that football games are won or lost.

The loss of Jason Fox had a domino effect on the offensive line that never jelled. Coaches mixed and matched all night, but never found a group that could sustain the pressure or protect Jacory Harris - the heart and soul of Miami's offense. As goes J12, so go the Canes.

ESPN's Ivan Maisel agrees. Check this blurb from earlier today: "Remember the crisp, accurate, confident Jacory Harris that began the season for Miami? Yeah, neither do I. The Hurricane sophomore quarterback finished the season beat up, limping and largely ineffective in the Champs Sports Bowl against Wisconsin on Tuesday night. Until Miami coach Randy Shannon assembles a competent offensive line, Harris will remain a maddeningly inconsistent quarterback."

Harris couldn't get his footing and UM couldn't run the ball against the eighth-ranked rushing defense in the nation. Wisconsin gives up just shy of a hundred yards a game. Miami ran for sixty-one and never when it counted. 2-of-11 on third down and 0-for-3 on fourth down.

All year, Harris' success has been entirely dependent on the play of his line. 386 passing yards at Florida State was the result of the front four coming to play. Same to be said for wins against Georgia Tech and Oklahoma. The Canes showed some toughness early on, but faded at times down the stretch.

This wasn't like losses to Clemson or North Carolina. Wisconsin was Virginia Tech-esque, pressuring Harris all night and taking him out of his game. What few opportunities there were, both Miami and their quarterback couldn't get out of their own way.

Tied 7-7 and driving, Miami faced a 3rd-and-5 from the Wisconsin thirty-five. The line buys Harris some time, he fires for LaRon Byrd ten yards past the sticks. Instead, Thearon Collier laid out for his teammate's pass. Even worse, he didn't reel it in.

Matt Pipho can't hold his block on 4th-and-5, Harris is rushed and sends a would-be first down pass a yard past Travis Benjamin. Turnover on downs. Momentum lost. A common theme as the evening rolled on.

Outside of an 86-yard Sam Shields kickoff return and 16-yard Graig Cooper touchdown run on the game's first two plays, Miami never regained their mojo. The Canes were out of sync in every facet of the game, while the Badgers always seemed to find a way.

Whether it was another Brad Nortman punt pinning Miami deep or quarterback Scott Tolzien eluding a tackle, buying an extra second and picking up another third-and-long to a tight end, Wisconsin remained one step ahead of Miami.

John Clay received all the pre-game hype and proved his worth with a 52-yard run early in the second quarter. It broke the game open and gave the Badgers a lead they never relinquished. Somebody needed get a leg up early. Clay was the workhorse with 121 yards and two touchdowns on the day.

14-7 and Miami's turn to make a statement. Harris sacked for a loss of five, followed by a five-yard illegal shift penalty. 2nd-and-20, Harris finds Collier for 12 yards. A play later, Jimmy Graham for ten.

Cooper picks up eight on back-to-back plays. 3rd-and-2, incomplete pass to Javarris James. Matt Bosher punt.

3:20 for Miami to move the ball 30 yards over six plays, all for naught. The Badgers owned the line and made the offense earn every yard it got.

Entering the game, every scouting report warned that Wisconsin would wear opponents down with Clay, opening up opportunities for Tolzien to find two highly-touted tight ends, Lance Kendricks and Garrett Graham.

Even with this knowledge, John Lovett and his defense couldn't protect the middle of the field. 10 of Wisconsin's 17 first downs were earned off passes to the tight end, most coming in third and long situations. Everyone in the stadium knew what plays was coming. Miami's linebackers simply couldn't win the match up, so that Badgers never let up.

Kendricks and Graham torched Miami 205 yards, splitting thirteen receptions. Wideout Nick Toon was the lone receiver Tolzien hit - twice for 26 yards. Four passes went to running backs, for a combined 29-yard gain. A safe, effective game plan which wouldn't allow Tolzien to lose the game. High percentage passes. Confidence in the ground game. Aggressive defense. Stout special teams play.

Entering 2010, it's not about preseason rankings. Top ten is a great place to start, but it's about where you wind up. Miami was unranked at the start of the season and lept to No. 8 by week three. Win ball games and things work themselves out.

The Canes need to get tougher in the trenches. Miami's best teams had an aggressive front seven and a hard-nosed offensive line that allowed skill players to shine, ensuring that speed killed.

A strong offensive line was a key component in Miami's 2001 championship run. Conversely, a weaker front in 2002 was as big a downfall against Ohio State as Terry Porter's bogus flag.

Fox. Pipho. A.J. Trump. All thought to be solid recruits a few years back, but none became that next-level guy. Same to be said for five-star Reggie Youngblood, a senior last season.

What Miami wouldn't do for an Eric Winston or Chris Myers right now - guys merely considered 'good' at the time, but were though to be lesser than the Bryant McKinnie, Joaquin Gonzalez, Martin Bibla and Brett Romberg-led bunch of the early 00s.

For all the blame many are quick to lump on Randy Shannon, credit this man for doing his job addressing team needs on the recruiting front. Furthermore, give him the time to field a squad with some depth, experience and upperclassmen who came in on his watch.

Miami's weakest position received a tremendous upgrade last last week when St. Thomas Aquinas offensive linemen Brandon Linder and Jermaine Barton pledged their allegiance to The U. Malcolm Bunche went the prep school route and is on board next year, as are freshmen Shane McDermott and Johnathan Feliciano. Depth is returning.

These five will mesh with last year's class, which not only included the highly-touted Washington, but Ben Jones, Harland Gunn, Cory White, Jared Wheeler and Jermaine Johnson.

Miami's offensive line will get better and absolutely must if Harris is going to live up to the hype. Look no further that Ken Dorsey for proof. With time, No. 11 could pick you apart. When rattled, a completely different player.

Even more puzzling than the inability to field a top-flight offensive line, Miami's linebackers - once the program's strength - have become a liability. How else do you explain the Canes' inability to shut down the tight end, be it against a Wisconsin, a Virginia or a slew of others who exploited the weakness over the years?

The Canes haven't been strong at linebacker since Jon Vilma and DJ Williams left town after the '03 season. A baller here or there - Jon Beason, Rocky McIntosh - solid guys without surrounding talent.

Since then, a run of guys like Romeo Davis, Glenn Cook and now, Darryl Sharpton - better than the last two, but not Vilma-esque. That's not a knock on the aforementioned guys. Not everyone can be Ray Lewis or Jessie Armstead. Meanwhile, the Canes are losing football games.

Colin McCarthy plays hard, but he's not the next Dan Morgan. The uber-hyped Arthur Brown? Looking more like the next Willie Williams (regarding playing time) than the next Barrow or Darrin Smith.

Miami linebackers used to dictate games and the Canes always had some headhunters back there. With former linebackers Shannon and Barrow both coaching and recruiting, there's truly no excuse for the lack of production at the position.

From "Linebacker U" to "Linebacker Who" thanks to a few rough recruiting years.

The Canes brought in some guys who are definitely next in line - Ramon Buchanan, Jordan Futch, Shayon Green, C.J. Holton - not to mention, Sean Spence, due for a breakout junior season after being banged up for most of '09.

Four-star Javarie Johnson will sign in February and is slated to enroll early. Three-stars Kevin Nelson and Tyrone Cornelius are Miami-bound as well. Nelson hails from Gator country and Cornelius should've been a Georgia Bulldog. Shannon and staff plucked both out of tough regions and made them Canes.

Entering the Champs Sports Bowl, all the talk was about both Miami and Wisconsin being primed for big time runs in 2010. Some said you could see a rematch between the two in a BCS game this time next year.

Two teams on the cusp, the Badgers have won nine-plus games five of the past six seasons. Bret Bielema has been at the helm one year longer than Shannon and is also a former defensive coordinator, first-time head coach. He inherited a better Wisconsin team that Shannon did his Miami bunch.

The Canes played arguably their worst game of the season and still had the ball and a fighting chance in the waning moments. A late scoring drive and the recovery of an onside kick an had Miami fifty-nine yards away from a comeback, with a minute and a half remaining.

A defense that gave up 17 in the first half, held Wisconsin to a lone field goal the rest of the way and when the Badgers looked ready to take one in, a defensive strip gave the Canes the ball back and kept them in the game.

Miami may have been 'off', but they never gave up - creating plays and fighting down the stretch. The ten-play, 79-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter - the 2006 through 2008 Canes would've already mailed it in.

We won't know until next year, but should the Badgers be a force in the Big Ten, a six-point loss on an 'off' night won't look as bad as most are seeing it today.

This notion that Miami would kill 'em with Southern speed while Wisconsin was a slow, physical bunch of Midwesterners - it's played out. There's much more parity in the game today and the Big Ten recruits players from all over the country, not just their backyard.

Two Florida kids play linebacker for the Badgers, two Texas natives and a Missouri product are in the secondary. Sounds more like a SEC defense than your stereotypical Big Ten. Only place Wisconsin kept it cornfed was on the defensive line, heavy with experienced upperclassmen and anchored by O'Brien Schofield, who was as good as advertised.

Experience is Miami's biggest hang up and that will be fixed in time. The Canes may have twenty-one seniors departing, but the proof will come in April when there's not another first-rounder drafted. It might be the fourth round before the first UM senior is off the board.

Compare that to an Alabama, Florida or Texas, all heavy with upperclassmen winning post-season awards and getting ready to tear up the NFL. Miami's lone star came via second-year cornerback Brandon Harris, who reeled in All-America honors.

A year ago, Harris was a green, mistake prone freshmen. Next year he'll be on the Jim Thorpe watch list. Further proof that high school hype only means so much. Big game experience two years in the weight room turn boys into football players.

The twenty-one departing seniors are from Larry Coker's final recruiting class (2006) and the addition of two dozen more players by fall ensures that the '10 Canes will truly be Shannon's first team, full of "his" guys. Starting with some upperclassmen choosing to return.

Juniors Leonard Hankerson and Allen Bailey have both stated that they'll return for their senior years. It's not quite McKinnie and Ed Reed returning for a title run in '01, but it's a trait that old school teams embodied - kids not making a jump for the money if they're not ready. Both would benefit from another year at the collegiate level and Miami needs the experience both bring to the table.

Many will continue to debate the point, but this is a five-year rebuild. Even with some improved talent next season, the schedule doesn't set up nicely for a run.

Early out of conference road games at Ohio State and Pittsburgh. Season finale against South Florida at home. On the road in conference for Clemson and Georgia Tech. Home games against Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Get through all that and there's an ACC title game in Charlotte.

Miami didn't exactly go to the Florida Gators school o' scheduling.

From 5-7 to 7-6 to 9-4 - that's improvement and that's where the logically-minded fan needs to keep his or her head. Don't play the "what if" game. Clemson and North Carolina were as winnable as Florida State, Oklahoma and Wake Forest were lose-able.

Judge the improvement. Respect the fact this team isn't rolling over. Have faith in another solid recruiting class and a long off-season in the weight room. Cross your fingers that Shannon and Kirby Hocutt sit down in the coming weeks to make some personnel changes.

Specials Teams. Offensive line. Linebackers. No position coach is safe. Everyone deserves to be re-evaluated.

Great teams take time to come together. Recruiting. Development of players. Staying injury-free. Scheduling. Chemistry. Timing. Fate.

There's a reason Florida went 9-4 in 2007, with a Heisman winner, and followed up with a 13-1 season and national championship in 2008. There's a reason LSU won it all in 2007 but stumbled and went 8-5 in 2008. Each team is in someway different than the next, as are the circumstances.

Twenty-five years ago Miami faithful were ready to run Jimmy Johnson out of town after 8-5, a year after Howard Schnellenberger earned the Canes their first ring. Since then, what's changed?

A four-game swing for Shannon in two years after inheriting the worst Miami squad in thirty years and it's not enough. A nine-win season when many predicted a losing record (based on the schedule), yet the bitch-fest continues. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

10-3 was the goal and the Canes fell 59 yards short, despite playing one of their worst games of the season. Miami now has eight months to toughen up. Get in the weight room, put on some man weight, get healthy and get mentally prepared for a run in 2010, be it in the ACC or nationally.

That's the truth, people. If it's too much to handle, turn off your TV and computer until 2011, because your 'title game or bust' expectations won't be met. Save yourself the headache and learn to see things as they are.

Randy Shannon has two more years to fix things, whether you're on board or not.

Miami v. Wisconsin : The Preview

The 2009 season officially comes to a close today regarding the Miami Hurricanes and either a 10-3 or 9-4 campaign. On paper, it's a one-game swing, but in reality it's all the difference in the world.

Winning or losing a bowl game; it sits with you all off-season. These Canes won't take the field again for over eight months and you want something positive to build on, not dwell on.

Wisconsin is a quality Big Ten opponent with a matching 9-3 record. The Badgers need the win as much as the Canes, but it's hard to believe this isn't Miami's time.

The Canes opened the season on a 3-1 tear when the consensus was a best case 2-2 scenario. Some went as far as to call for 0-4 and Randy Shannon fired by mid-season. Instead, wins over Florida State, eventual ACC champ Georgia Tech and an upset of then No. 8 Oklahoma. Sandwiched in between, a one-sided loss at Virginia Tech in the driving rain.

Miami had the ACC in reach the majority of the season, but stumbled against two conference foes; Clemson and North Carolina.

The Tigers took the Canes to the wire, stealing one in overtime while the Tar Heels nabbed their third straight against Miami. The common theme in both losses; turnovers.

All season the Canes have gone as far as Jacory Harris has taken them. When the sophomore quarterback is "on", Miami has looked as good as anybody in the nation. All the early Heisman talk was indeed justified. Harris simply proved too green at times, showing he lacked the experience and poise needed year one of his run.

Against those two latter losses, Harris combined for seven interceptions, three returned for touchdowns and each more crucial than the last. The Clemson lost was easy to absorb as it proved to be a back and forth shootout, with the Tigers one play better that day. The loss at Chapel Hill was a bitter pill. Miami had 24 first downs to North Carolina's 17 and 435 total yards to their 329. The difference in the contest was four turnovers to zero and the loss knocked the Canes from an at large BCS berth.

At 9-3 Miami looked to be Gator Bowl bound and slated for their first New Years bowl since the 2003 season, but sympathy for a retiring Bobby Bowden "earned" 6-6 Florida State an invite and sent Miami to Orlando.

ESPN recently ran Rakontur's "30 For 30" documentary on "The U" and one has to assume these modern day Canes hunkered down in front of the TV as part of the 2.3 million folks who watched its debut.

The University of Miami wanted no part of the piece and didn't allow current players or coaches to be interviewed, so there hasn't been a write up mentioning what the '09 Canes felt about Miami's dominant run of yesteryear. Still, you have to believe these kids got a reminder regarding the legacy of this program. A little "Hurricanes: 101" shoved down their throat.

Safety Vaughn Telemaque recently called out Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien, essentially challenging him to throw deep against the Canes. Telemaque hasn't recorded an interception all year, but it didn't stop him from speaking his mind.

The combination of a few frustrating losses, letting a BCS berth slip away, a Gator Bowl snub and some orange and green cockiness re-running every other day on ESPN, I expect a fired up group of Canes to take the field this evening. Miami will show up as healthy as they've been since game one and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple has had a month to game plan for a Wisconsin bunch that hardly boasts the best passing defense in the game.

The Badgers have a solid back in John Clay, who's earned most of the bowl preview hype to date. Any talk of the Champs Sports Bowl and you're reading about his 1,396 yards and 16 touchdowns. A solid campaign, though not one article mentioned he did it against lesser talent and struggled against the bigger boys on Wisky's schedule; Ohio State, Iowa, etc.

Shunned in all of this, the Miami rushing defense as well as three capable Hurricane backs who have impressed all year.

Miami's defense has allowed an average of 96 yards over the final seven games, as well as two rushing touchdowns over that duration. The Canes held opponents to 3.3-yards-per-carry during the past nine games and held an explosive Georgia Tech rushing attack to 95 yards on 39 carries.

Clay's biggest efforts came against the likes of Minnesota, Michigan. Hawaii and Fresno State. Hardly Cane caliber defenses.

The lack of love for Miami backs Javarris James, Graig Cooper and Damien Berry is been surprising as each has had their share of big games and quality runs this season. James shone brightest on the main stage against Oklahoma, posting a hard-earned 150 yards and some big runs. Cooper had his 152-yard day against Virginia, but also ran solid against Georgia Tech, Clemson and South Florida.

Berry has been the surprise this season, showing he's Miami's toughest back while relegated to third string status. Berry shredded South Florida for 114 yards and had some tough, game changing runs against Wake Forest, Central Florida and Duke.

Combined, this trio has run for 1,744 yards and 17 touchdowns, better numbers than Clay yet the Badgers' running game gets the hype.

Harris will need the time to operate today and whether he gets it or not, it'll be the difference-maker. O'Brien Schofield and crew will attempt to wreak havoc. The question remains, how does Miami's offensive line respond? Senior tackle Jason Fox is sidelined, which means the line up will be reshuffled and freshman Brandon Washington will again be called on as he did against South Florida.

If the Canes' line comes to play and Harris' nagging thumb injury doesn't bog him down, it could be another pass happy day for Miami. Time for J12 to play smart football. Cut down on the turnovers and if the thumb is still hampering him, it's on Whipple to devise a game plan with high percentage passing plays and shorter routes that won't test Harris' thumb.

Defensively the Canes need to contain and pressure Tolzien, which can be easier said than done - not just because the junior quarterback can play, but because Miami has a way of making average passers look spectacular. Look no further than Clemson's Kyle Parker and North Carolina's T.J. Yates as prime examples. The Canes couldn't rattle either and both made big plays in upsets of Miami.

The Badgers also sport a pair of quality tight ends in Garrett Graham and Lance Kendricks. Miami needs to protect the middle of the field a the Canes have oft been damaged by tight ends in recent memory. (Visions of Virginia running the same play to their tight end three times in a row in the Orange Bowl finale... absolutely disheartening.)

The combination of four weeks to prepare, time to get healthy, the goal of a ten-win season and a chip on their shoulder due to a bigger bowl snub - it'll be the difference for Miami. As cliche as it might be to say one team wants or needs a win more, that is indeed the case here. The Canes are as close to home as you can be for the holidays, with Orlando just short car ride away. Miami fans will be in full force and weather-wise, it'll be home game environment.

2009 was the year the Canes were looking to break out, but fell a little short. 9-3 is vast improvement over 7-6 (2008) or 5-7 (2007), but Miami didn't win the ACC or reach a BCS game, so all goals weren't met. 2010 now becomes the year UM takes that giant leap forward.

A top ten preseason ranking is online the line, a slew of recruits will be watching and a healthy bunch of Canes is driven to get that fifth win. Simply put, Wisky is getting "The U" at the wrong time and is going down. Tune in at 7pm ET on ESPN to see it live.


The Call: Miami 31, Wisconsin 17

The Latest at The U...

Many apologies for my post-season disappearing act. Canes305 welcomed a baby girl into the world on December 2nd and as many of you can attest, it turns your world upside down.

There hasn't been time to sleep, let alone to blog efficiently. During that time, a lot going on at 'The U' and time to play catch up. Let's delve in.


... on the recruiting front, Randy Shannon and staff press on. The latest, two big time offensive line recruits - Brandon Linder and Jermaine Barton of St. Thomas Aquinas. Linder is a four-star who chose Miami over Ohio State, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, etc. Barton is a three-star with a basketball background, but said to have a tremendous upside.

The Canes currently have twenty-five commitments and another top ten class is being put together. This will be the third full class on The Shannon Era, with tremendous focus on the offensive line, running back, defensive back and defensive end.

Miami has a shot to go 10-3 on the season with a win against Wisconsin on Tuesday, which would all but ensure a top ten preseason ranking next fall, as well as being the ACC frontrunner. Are the Canes "back"? Not yet, but one or two more classes and you can absolutely bank on it.

Running back commit Eduardo Clements (Booker T. Washington) is calling the 2010 class the "takeover class", according to an articles on Rivals.com. Let's see if he proves right.

The Herald's Manny Navarro asked if Linder could be the key to an Aquinas pipeline. Will the floodgates open, a la national champion Northwestern in early 2008? Time will tell. Over the years, the Canes have gotten the occasional St. Thomas baller, with many of the bigger names heading north or leaving the state. With Linder, Barton defensive back Keion Payne locked up, who's next? Do the Canes pull a signing day landslide regarding last year's national champs? Stay tuned.


With Dedrick Epps, Jimmy Graham, Richard Gordon and Tervaris Johnson all moving on, Miami is in need of some tight end help.

Steven Plein and Billy Sanders are two current freshmen looking to make a splash in '10, but the Canes continue to build depth at the position. Belle Glade's Clive Walford verballed a few months back and the latest addition is JUCO transfer Chase Ford, out of Kilgore, TX.

Ford is a 6-foot-6, 245 pound prospect who brings experience to the table and will vie for immediate playing time.


A lot of fans were up in arms over Northwestern defensive tackle Todd Chandler verballing to South Florida a few weeks back. Chandler had been a Miami commit and changed his pledge due to the standard, "they're not showing me enough love" excuse, given by many high school seniors during the season.

Chandler has been a Miami commit since his junior season and I'm in agreement with Navarro when I say I'll believe this kid is gone come signing day.

How many times has Miami been on the other end of this type situation? Some big time kid flirts with Miami and in the end, chooses elsewhere or sticks with his hometown team?

It's hard to imagine a Northwestern prospect and Cane-lover like Chandler going elsewhere. He's been pro Miami from day one and he has a slew of former Bulls currently playing for The U.

Either way, doesn't make much sense to get up in arms over this with signing day a month and a half away. Ride this one out.


Congrats to Brandon Harris for earning All-America honors a few weeks back. Harris was an All-ACC First Team selection and led the conference in break ups (14) and passes defended (16). No. 1 tied fifth nationally regarding passes defended per game and finished the season with 52 tackles. Harris is the first Cane to earn All-America honors since Kenny Phillips in 2007. Solid growth for the sophomore who looks to lead the secondary as a junior in 2010.


I have some thoughts on Florida State to the Gator Bowl, but thanks to a hectic December, there hasn't been time to write about it. Expect some Bobby Bowden-related thoughts after the New Year.

Thankfully Miami wound up with an in-state bowl game, but there's still no excuse for a 6-6 Florida State squad to bump the Canes from a New Years Day bowl game. I don't care if it's Bowden's swan song (honestly, haven't the last few years been a farewell tour?)

If Bowden is truly the class act everyone says he is, it'd have been nice to see him turn down a bowl game he knows his team didn't earn. ACC runner up Clemson is shuffled off to Nashville this evening for the Music City Bowl, yet Florida State is in Jacksonville on January 1st. What a farce.


A lot of talk hovering around Wisconsin running back John Clay and what he'll do to the Miami defense. We'll discuss that further in Tuesday's Champs Sports Bowl preview, but on the surface it's sort of a shock to see a back getting so much love while the Canes run defense is ignored.

Clay is a very solid back and has had a banner year (1,396 yards and 16 touchdowns), but hasn't exactly torn up top-flight competition. His biggest efforts this season came against the likes of Minnesota, Michigan, Hawaii and Fresno State. Against Iowa, a 75-yard showing and a paltry 59-yard effort against Ohio State.

Miami's defense has allowed an average of 96 yards over the final seven games, as well as two rushing touchdowns over that duration. The Canes allowed 3.3-yards-per-carry during the past nine games and held an explosive Georgia Tech rushing attack to 95 yards on 39 carries. Miami held Tech's Jonathan Dwyer to a mere 7 yards on five carries.

Clay may or may not have a big time game against the Canes, but the lack of respect for Miami's run defense has been rather shocking as media folk look to hype this contest.


Lastly, sounds like a current Cane spent some time watching Rakontur's "The U" documentary as a challenge has been issued. Redshirt freshman safety Vaughn Telemaque has publicly called out Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien.

"I want to come out aggressive and show (Tolzien) that I want them to throw the ball," Telemaque said. "I want to challenge them and if they’re up for the challenge, then we’ll go back at it like that.”

It's not quite Alonzo Highsmith's "I ain't scared of you, bitch" pregame jarring with Brian Bozworth, but it's a little attitude leading up to a mid-tier bowl game, which doesn't hurt.

“I feel like we are ready (to be an elite team)," said Telemaque. "The team knows that this could be the game for us to do that.”

A ten-win season is on the line, as is a top ten preseason ranking for 2010. Hopefully a little early smack-talk results in an effective win... and Telemaque's first pick of the year.

Merry Canesmas; Florida's Urban Meyer quits

Urban Meyer is stepping down. Florida's fifth-year head coach is calling it a career... for now.

Two national titles and a Heisman winner during his run. Two SEC titles and a 56-10 record, too. It was a hell of a ride for the Gators, but it's over. UF faithful will deny it, but they'll see in time. Lightning doesn't strike twice.

College football is cyclical. Everyone is forced to take a step back. Just ask Southern Cal, fresh off a mighty Emerald Bowl victory. No one saw a five-loss seasons and a 55-21 loss to Stanford when 2009 kicked off.

The Trojans expected to reload and were dealt a tough blow... and that's with Pete Carroll still calling the shots. Where does Florida go without Meyer?

As a Miami fan, you hate Florida and by default, "hate" their coach - and their Heisman-winning quarterback. It goes with the territory. No one is more loathed than 'the Gator'.

As gimmicky as you found Meyer's offense, it was working. The Gators were dinking and dunking their way to Ws.

A bowl win over Cincinnati will give UF their third 13-1 season under Meyer. Not quite a dynasty (a third title in four years would've been the difference-maker), but a hell of a run... and it's finally done.

Florida AD Jeremy Foley will hand over a blank check to a big-time guy. The Gators have the budget and football reigns supreme in that one-horse town. The infrastructure will always be there regarding competing with the nation's best. Athletic budget. Facilities. Top flight coaching staff. Still, no matter how much money you throw at someone, it doesn't guarantee the perfect storm the Gators just experienced.

Ron Zook got a big check and left the cupboard full entering 2006, banking five strong recruiting classes. Meyer slid in and his new system with Florida's speed and talent; an ideal fit. The SEC couldn't handle the spread offense when it fell into place under all-everything quarter-fullbackTim Tebow. A Heisman was preceded by a 22-game win streak, with a national title sandwiched halfway through the streak.

Seemingly on a roll, this year's dream season ended with a resounding 'thud'. Not exactly how UF fans drew it up.

Any grief Miami took for anticipating a follow-up title a year after a championship, arrogant Florida folk took that to a new level after last year's win over No. 2 Oklahoma. Gators were already talking 'Pasadena' as they filed out of Pro Player Stadium last January. A second Heisman was in the bag. Another SEC title en route to back-to-back championships. There was no doubt. This was a "dynasty" and "three titles in four years" was a term Gators abroad were uttering.

Riding a fifteen-month high, the bottom fell out after thumping Florida State in Bobby Bowden's final regular season game. For all the Gators already sizing up those rings, here's one for you; "three of four Saturdays in December". That's how quickly your world unraveled.

Alabama shredded Florida on the 5th, ruining a perfect season and ending championship dreams. On the 12th, a Tide running back took home Timmy T's Heisman. Moments later, 2.3 million sports fans watched "The U" and remembered that the Canes are still the "Canes".

A little reprieve on the 19th, it's now Saturday the 26th and the golden goose has called it a career. As huge as the SEC title loss and Pasadena dreams going up in smoke, both pale in comparison to Meyer stepping down.

The truth behind the resignation will never really be known. Health issues are being cited, but latter reports refute the severity of the condition. Truth is, nobody has a clue. Stress can lead to heart issues with anybody. A lifestyle change is a personal decision, but you can't gauge the "what if" had you stuck around and pushed it. You simply press on and roll the dice, or you walk away and pray you made the right choice.

Meyer is a workaholic. That's a no brainer. But so do all top coaches in the game. Stress? Welcome to big time college football and multi-million dollar paydays. It's part of the job description.

That's not to say I don't feel for the man. I've had my share of anxiety. It can be brutal. Still, the cynic in me and Gator-hating opposing fan is left wondering, why now? If this has been the case for at least two years, the timing is suspect. A dozen starters headed to the NFL, most notably, Tebow. A defensive coordinator and wide receivers coach having moved on. This is a program ready to endure a hearty rebuilding project even had Meyer stuck around. Without him, the task just got that much more difficult, no matter who gets on board.

All those clamoring for big game Bob Stoops, lest not forget he owns one ring for all his head coaching success. Next year that lone championship is a decade old. For a program that rips Miami for "living in the past" regarding that 2001 title, Stoops' last ring is a year older than that.

Gainesville isn't a very forgiving town regarding their football. I spent two-plus years in the 352 and lived through the Gators first title in 1996. An arrogance crept over in a matter of months. 52-20 remained painted on car and house windows for years, an homage to the Sugar Bowl beating of No. 1 Florida State. With a championship ring, UF now felt entitled. Florida fans that once had no rebuttal to Miami fans, it was all about the "present" and the Canes four rings no longer mattered to Gator Nation.

Steve Spurrier never got Florida back to the promised land after that first run. Enter Zook and some top-flight recruiting, but sub-par coaching results. The Gators hovered around five losses a year his entire tenure, prompting the change.

Meyer hit the ground running and his two titles in three years set a bar for Gator fans that won't ever be matched. It took top talent, the perfect coach and the right personnel to pull off the feat.

Florida saw firsthand on December 5th that it takes more than a Meyer/Tebow tag team to go wire-to-wire. The Crimson Tide beat the Gators soundly, 32-13. No contest. Any mojo UF had the previous twenty-two games was long gone, punctuated by every Tebow teardrop that hit the Georgia Dome's turf that night.

Between a post-Alabama hospital run for dehydration and Christmas Day, seems Meyer did a lot of reevaluating. One assessment of the situation and it's blatantly obvious - now is the time to get out. Do it Jim Brown-style; leave on top and preserve one's legacy.

Where do you go after a Tim Tebow? How do you improve on two titles in three years? A threepeat? Moving forward, there's no way in hell Meyer can live up to the legend he created.

The stress has been there for years, but with the cupboard full, you press on. Go balls out. Run yourself into the dirt. Whatever it takes. You'll sleep when you're dead. In the moment you're holding a Royal Flush. No way you're getting up from the table right now, no matter how rundown you are.

New Orleans instead of Pasadena. That's why the time is now. Some motivation to beat Cincinnati and a ride off into the sunset, side-by-side with Tebow, instead of merely watching him go and wondering what's next.

Take a year off. There's money in the bank. The bills are paid. Spend time with family. Regroup. Leave your post at with some fan sympathy instead of with remorse that'd come your way if/when you took another job. Get out before you're forced to answer questions after a three-loss season and lesser-tiered bowl game. Just ask Carroll or even a the legendary Bowden, run out of Tallahassee this fall after another six-loss season. No one cares about yesterday's news. It'll quickly turn into, "what's been done lately?"

A year or so from now, college football will still need Urban Meyer and there will always an overzealous NFL owner looking to sell tickets and make a splash with a big name. After some down time, Meyer's name will be on every wish list. Jack Del Rio could be out in Jacksonville. Eric Mangini, shown the door in Cleveland.

Maybe Brian Kelly doesn't get it done at Notre Dame. Maybe the Jim Tressel era ends at Ohio State.

We want that which retreats from us and we as a sports-loving nation tend to rely on revisionist history. You always want to go 'back'. Hell, Miami fans still scream for the return of Jimmy Johnson, even though the coach has long since retired.

Ironically enough, Johnson left the game ten years ago citing burnout - this after taking two years off between Dallas and Miami.

His four-year run with the Dolphins was less than stellar (36-28), ending with a 62-7 playoff loss at Jacksonville. Still, Canes fans remember the good ol' days and revere JJ as a savior, able to fix any mess dropped in his lap.

Meyer walking away now - it's actually a brilliant play from a public relations standpoint. That's not to say the coach isn't stress-ridden and rundown. It simply means the timing is absolutely perfect regarding the step back Florida will take with all the recent and upcoming departures.

Get out while the getting's good. Better to burnout than fade away.

Remain involved with the university. Keep your thumb on the pulse. Should Florida hire somebody who stays the course, come back for the NFL payday in a year or so. Should the new Gators coach struggle, ride in on the white horse and attempt to save the day. Call it 'The Pat Riley Method'.

By shelving football and putting his health and family first, Meyer is preserving his Florida legacy. The media love affair with Meyer continues today, praising him for being a man of character. Swept under the rug, the twenty-seven arrests on his watch since 2005 and 251 traffic citations for Florida football players over this past year.

Regarding history, the legend eventually replaces the truth. The arrests and thuggish behavior now becomes a footnote. Winning is the ultimate cure-all and winning has been Meyer's thing since donning the orange and blue.

Shower this coach with accolades, Florida faithful and feel good story-hungry media. That's the story the day after Christmas. Celebrate five years of Urban. Give him the spotlight instead of the title-game bound Alabama bunch that whooped him. This was about as calculated as Spurrier resigning the day after Miami wrecked Nebraska for the '01 title.

Today is Meyerday, but the truth is the truth - the decline is on, Florida. That doesn't mean five-loss seasons will become the Zook-like norm, but one-loss seasons and national championships will be fewer and further between.

Funny how those of you claiming Meyer was the be all, end all now feel he's replaceable. You're the same fragile bunch who believes John Brantley will just step in and run a better offense than Tebow because he has a stronger arm. You don't get it both ways. When your head coach and Heisman-worthy quarterback ride off into the sunset, you take a step back. That's just how it works.

Florida reached the pinnacle and is on the comedown, whereas Miami is on the mend - whether you acknowledge it or not. Randy Shannon has reeled in two solid classes and the program saw significant improvement year three.

Twenty-four verbal commitments on board for 2010 and a safe bet a Florida defect or two heads south with Meyer heading out. Shannon's stranglehold on the TriCity area began in 2008 and continues. No new Gator coach is rolling into South Florida, getting a kid that Miami wants. If Meyer struggled the past two years, anybody will struggle.

Gator Nation, I hope you enjoyed the ride, as I oft advised. As a Miami fan who lived through the 80s and early 90s dominance, suffered through the mid-90s probation era, soaked up the first half of the 00s and reeled as Larry Coker showed this program rock bottom. I've seen the good, bad and everything in between.

Florida will find their way back into the hunt, but not right away... and not with Miami reeling as they did most of Meyer's tenure. The next Florida coach better be ready to go toe-to-toe with a Canes program that's about to raise some hell.

Happy Holidays, Hurricane Faithful...

Review of Rakontur's "The U" documentary

I love that the entire nation had two hours of "The U" shoved down its collective throat on Saturday evening. The numbers are in and the Rakontur doc will officially go down as the most viewed documentary in ESPN's storied history.

Moments after Tim Tebow failed to take home the Heisman trophy, the only Florida team on the minds of 2.3 million viewers; the University of Miami.

So much for "The U" being deemed 'insignificant' these past few years.

Unapologetic. Aggressive. In your face. "The U" was real. The good, bad and ugly were exposed. Sensational at times? Sure. But that's to be expected regarding the most influential college football program in recent memory.

Opinions varied the morning after. If you're a Cane, your chest was puffed out as this piece served as a reminder regarding the most dominant run the game has seen in the modern era. For two hours, you reveled in those glory days. When it ended, you called friends or family who lived through that era with you. The anticipation for this documentary was a kin to the energy felt before a big game; checking the clock all day, every hour feeling two.

When it was over, you felt like you won. There was a buzz in the air and even though the haters would continue to hate, they couldn't deny what they just saw. They'll still nitpick the 'thuggish' behavior, but in the same breath they had to admit that UM kicked the ass off everyone in their path; opponents, the administration and anyone not part of the U Family.

For the Cane haters, casual fans or folks who never say past the dark skin, over the top scoring celebrations, 202 yards in penalties or the depiction of the city of Miami in the 1980s - more fuel for their fire. Former Canes did nothing to endear themselves to the haters two decades later. Their on-camera bravado and recollection of the events reeked of the same 'swagger' show on-field in their hey day.

"The U" let the outsiders behind the curtain. The old adage, "It's a Canes Thing, You Wouldn't Understand" -- Rakontur finally let you behind the curtain.

Folks from the northwest, south, midwest and left coast - if you didn't live through Miami in the 80s, you'll never truly appreciate why these players, fans and the overall program is the way it is. Light a match at anytime back then and the city would've exploded. A certain energy was in the air the entire decade.

58-straight wins at the Orange Bowl between 1985 and 1994 didn't just "happen". It was the players, the attitude, the rickety stadium and every rabid fan in attendance. All the critics quick to trash a private school with an off-campus stadium for poor fan support - you obviously weren't there for the 27-10 shredding of top-ranked Notre Dame in 1989. I defy you to find me a stadium louder than the OB that night.

Throw a 34-20 win over Florida State in 1994 on that list, as well.

It got pretty raucous when Ken Dorsey found Jeremy Shockey for the game-winner against the Noles in 2000. Same for the 2002 content when Xavier Beitia fired a potential game-winner wide left and the '92 showdown where Micheal Barrow decleated Tamarick Vanover.

Speaking of Florida State, how many times did you rewind the DVR for the 'Seminole Rap', followed up by Cane commentary where old schoolers reminded everyone who was boss? The defending national champs roll into the 1988 season opener - at home, ranked No. 6 while the Noles muster up some faux hope to go with an overblown No. 1 ranking.

Miami 31, Florida State 0... and louder than hell that night, too.

Just like the team, this fan based showed up ready when on the grandest of stages. Canes might've bagged on on the those noon kickoffs against Temple, but damned if wasn't a bunch of hellraisers when it was 'go' time. This oft-criticized fan base got rowdy when it needed to.

When was the last time such dominance occurred in the college game? When can you recall the "nation's best" getting that shredded by a team outside the top five? Shut out. Shut down. Flat out embarrassed on national TV. Rakontur reminded us that six times Miami faced top-ranked teams during that span.

The Canes won all six.

This out-of-nowhere program did things nobody had done to date. Things that nobody will ever do again. Miami changed the game, making college football seem more like the NFL than ever before. College kids who were superstars and that much better than the other guys.

Stronger. Faster. Better.

Penn State may have upended Miami in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, but needed seven turnovers to eke out that four-point win. The Canes racked up 445 total yards to the Nittany Lions' 162. 22 first downs to 8 first down. Five Vinny Testaverde interceptions later, Penn State didn't "win" the game. Miami lost it.

It was an era where only Miami could beat Miami. Itself or some shady refs in South Bend. Rakontur reminded the nation how bogus that Cleveland Gary fumble in the 31-30 loss to the Irish in '88. How many times have you debated that game with some Notre Dame elitist claiming that it was a good call.

Sweet Lou, that phantom fumble almost makes Terry Porter's late Fiesta flag look ticky-tack.

Between 1986 and 1992, UM arguably had 50/50 odds of winning a title at the end of each season. Over that seven-year span, three championships won, two left on the field in the title game and two occasions where the Canes were the best team in the land at year's end, but mid-season losses cost Miami a shot at a title.

"College football was hit by a decade-long hurricane" -- tagline from ESPN's preview for "The U"-- damn near an understatement when you see a 78-6 run over seven seasons.

The reason for that run, is two-fold. Aside from college football simply being ripe for change, it was a blend of visionary coaches -the right guy for the job at the right time - as well as a collection of unique, hard-hitting, brash, talented characters with a true will to succeed.

In that era, football or bust was the only way to describe it. A ticket to a better life for you and your family, there was nothing recreational about Pop Warner or Optimist League football. It wasn't a game. It was a culture. Only the best of the best made it and it was the stiffest competition nationwide.

Stronger. Faster. Better.

Hometown kids finally staying home in the early 80s, instead of taking their talents north. It's what Howard Schnellenberger referred to as "The State Of Miami" and it became the blueprint for success in Coral Gables. Shannon is following the path his predecessors succeeded with and in time, will have Miami as "back" as one can be in the modern game, chock full of big money and much more parity.

Shannon is three years into his rebuild and is two classes away from having nothing but 'his' kids on the roster. That is the day to start judging this era, much like Butch Davis is remembered for the cupboard he stocked 2000-2002, instead of his early career flubs. The guy who they flew a "From Champs To Chumps" banner for during a home game was revered a few short years later when his rebuild was complete.

To the point where he had enough talent to overcome his game day blunders, as did his inexperienced and incompetent predecessor.

The "Thug U" moniker will be en vogue again for the critics who took in the piece. Rakontur definitely played up the 'bad boy' angle, which is to be expected. Rakontur's Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman are 31 years old, putting them around nine years old for that 1987 championship won over No. 1 Oklahoma. Eleven for the '89 ring and thirteen for '91.

I'm 35 and too am a 'child of the eighties'. I saw four Miami championships between third grade and senior year of high school. My family watched 'Miami Vice' together on Friday night and rolled to Little Havana for game day the following morning.

A far cry from Lincoln, Nebraska and board games on Friday before some wholesome 'Huskers action on Saturday and some on-campus pre-game festivities.

"The U" was the greatest show on earth if you grew up during that run. Part Muhammad Ali, part rock concert, part WWF - you got it all in one with the Decade of Dominance era Canes and I completely get why Corben and Spellman told the story from the perspective they did. This wasn't a story about the Canes; it was about their Canes and why they embraced that era.

Melvin Bratton. Michael Irvin. Alonzo Highsmith. Bennie Blades. Jerome Brown. These guys were 'gods'. No one else stares down top-ranked Oklahoma during the coin toss, eyes locked and telling them, "I ain't scared of you, bitch" - hours after calling opposing players in the middle of the night, describing the beating that was coming.

C'mon now.

This isn't revisionist history from an overzealous fan base. These guys were cut from a different cloth. Wise beyond their years, in sync as a program, reloading every off-season - there's a reason the collegiate Canes were indeed bigger than the hometown Dolphins. Some former Fins took offense to that notion, but facts are facts.

Between 1986 and 1991, it was a 67-5 run for the Canes and three titles won. The Dolphins went 50-45 during that same span and left the beloved Orange Bowl for Joe Robbie Stadium. UM took over the stadium the two once shared and put its orange and green stamp on it for good. Owned. Back then there was one show in town and it was on Saturday, not Sunday.

Sadly, so much of that dominance was overshadowed by off the field antics, some of which seem tame two decades later. As pioneers, the Canes edgy urban flair didn't mesh with conservative America - the same way the city of Miami didn't mesh with the rest of the country.

The Canes weren't choir boys, but accusations of illegal use of calling cards, Pell Grant fraud and other scattered arrests were absolutely blown up by mainstream media. The country hated Miami, so anti-Cane articles are good business. Piling on UM became the thing to do, though Miami didn't do itself any favors living up to the perception at times.

Take any four year run Miami had in the 80s and put it up against Florida's off the field issues since Urban Meyer got on board. A media darling, Meyer has been referred to as a "disciplinarian" in the past. Such is the case when you have over two dozen arrests since taking over.

Carlos Dunlap, the latest. Suspended for a DUI days before the SEC Championship game, the senior defensive end became the 27th Florida arrest since 2006. Some more of the Gators' Greatest Hits : 2006-2009.

Dawayne Grace, battery and theft. Avery Atkins, domestic battery before dying of drug overdose. Brandon James, felony drug possession. Ronnie Wilson, use of a semiautomatic rifle in a dispute. Tony Joiner, breaking into car impound to steal back girlfriend's car. Torrey Davis, driving numerous times on suspended license. Cam Newton, burglary. Carl Johnson, violation of sexual restraining order.

Lest not forget Jamar Hornsby, one of few players Meyer has booted. Pretty tough to skirt around the issue regarding running up a $3,000 tab on a stolen credit card; swiped from a dead girl, no less.

Perception became reality and the Canes took more heat for end zone celebrations than these recent Gators have taken for over two dozen embarrassing arrests under this current regime. For those keeping score it's Florida 27, Miami 1. UM's lone arrest, the long-gone Robert Marve for punching a car mirror.

Yet Miami remains "Thug U".

All in all a reason to embrace that unapologetic picture Rakontur painted. The college football world sees Miami the way it sees it. Nothing can change that - good, bad or indifferent. It's not the Miami way to run from that history. Own it. That's who the Canes were and because they backed it up, nobody had any room to say anything.

I hope this current crop of Canes tuned in Saturday night. For the fans, a simply documentary. For those players, it was their family tree. They have a name to live up to and even if you don't buy into the antics, buy into the responsibility, mindset and ability to dominate.

That bravado was what made those old school Canes tick. Find what makes you tick. It's turn the corner time. Reconnect with some of those old timers. There's a lot of wisdom to be gained from their experience. No one better to teach you how to win than your current head coach, on board for the past twenty-five years. Just two shy of matching Florida's arrest total.

"The U" ended with a thud. Edited down to fit that two-hour ESPN time frame, a rushed ending and a story unfinished. Images of the Orange Bowl getting demolished in 2007, with thirteen year old audio from the loss to Washington, ending the 58-game streak. Video of Butch's hiring, combined with footage from his career-opening flop at UCLA, 31-8.

I felt like I was watching the end of Scorsese's "Casino" - the Sam Rothstein era Sin City crashing down and new school 'Disney' Vegas taking over.

Completely left out, the fact Miami overcame five years of probation and dozens of lost scholarships for the Pell Grant scandal. The program was taken to its knees and Davis rebuilt the right way, setting the stage for a 34-0 run that began his final season in 2000.

I appreciate that this piece wanted to focus on a particular sliver of Hurricanes football history, the resurgence and resiliency of this program is as big a story as the swagger. The grittiness of the city is ingrained in UM. Miami is a fighter. Despite the odds, it finds a way. It adapts. It survives.

"The U" was a reminder to the nation, when the Canes are on - look out. We're not going to see 1986-1992 again, nor does 'back' have to mean a 2000-2003 type of run. Miami is a simply a few pieces from being as good as anybody currently in the game.

Once there, instinct will take over. The Canes are again chock full of hometown kids and when it's time to represent Miami, those kids will make the difference.

Rakontur's "The U" opening credits

Good God, Saturday evening can't get here soon enough. Check the opening credits of "The U" by Rakontur - part of ESPN's "30 For 30" series. The piece airs at 9pm ET on December 12th... right after Tim Tebow doesn't win the Heisman. Tune in!

allCanesBlog.com will have a review of "The U" on Monday.

Randy Shannon's true impact at "The U"

Kudos to George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel. Check out this recent piece on Miami head coach Randy Shannon. Puts some things in perspective for those unhappy with the results of this season:


The 9-3 record, the first chance at a 10-victory season since 2003, and the bowl trip to Central Florida are all reflective of the hard work put in by Randy Shannon and the University of Miami football team.

But there's all the other stuff, too.

The player who lost a cousin and a brother over the last two years.

Two players who found out that their dad was really not their dad, and another dad popped up out of the blue.

Another player whose brother was kicked out of the house by their dad, and killed on the streets two days later.

All of this usually doesn't come up in the BCS rankings or the polls or in the fiery spittle of blogs. But it measures the strength of a team in a much more powerful way. It's mostly on Shannon's shoulders on how to make sense of it, how to manage the chaos, how to make sure his team is prepared every week.

Perhaps it's not a unique challenge given the diversity of teams. Not every young man who signs a scholarship is a fortunate son.

But navigating through this dysfunctional maze is something that most coaches won't find on the job description. For three years, Randy Shannon has tried to figure it out as best he can. With only one player arrest in those three years, I'd say he's finding his way.

"You get past one day, you get past another day and all of a sudden there's something else that's going to hit you," he said Wednesday afternoon. "How do you respond? You can't close your eyes and hope that it goes away. It will never go away. That's the hardest thing."

So yes, by all means celebrate the journey that leads the Hurricanes here to play in the Champs Sports Bowl against Wisconsin on Dec 29th. There's a good vibe at the U this bowl season, especially when you take a comparative peek in Tallahassee and Gainesville.

Bobby Bowden is still pulling out arrows from his back after getting speared from fans, media and even school administrators who didn't have the courtesy to show up for the announcement that he was stepping down as football coach at Florida State University.

Florida's Urban Meyer is still catching heat after only one team - not his - showed up to play in the SEC Championship game last week in Atlanta.

Shannon is chillin': Stepping out of a limousine and into the tropic vibe of a place called the Tiki Lounge in downtown for a casual meet-and-greet with the media Wednesday.

"Life is very good," he said. "No stones, no targets."

But he knows that football fans are impossible to please. All they see are five national titles at Miami since 1983, and what's up with that 7-6 record last season?

"When the darts and everything else start coming, I look at it from this perspective: Anybody who is upset with me or the players or not happy with the way we are performing, that means they care about the University of Miami," Shannon said.

So does Shannon, obviously. That's why he has no time for the blogs or the papers or the TV during the season. He has a family to take care of every day, players who lose their way in one catastrophic step. Shannon knows the deal. His father was murdered when he was three. His twin brothers died of AIDS. So did a sister.

"You just can't send a young man off to see a psychiatrist," Shannon said. "He doesn't know who the psychiatrist is. He doesn't have a relationship with him.

"I have to be the psychiatrist. I may not know what I'm talking about but I know the situation they've been in. I say what's in the heart."

There will be a final score on Dec. 29th, a measure of how successful this University of Miami football team has been in 2009. If Miami loses, some people might still look at Randy Shannon and say he didn't get the job done.

Those people won't have a clue.

One dynasty crumbles, another being rebuilt

Thank you, college football. While your bowl system may be as flawed as can be, at least you remain consistent. The be all, end all reason to love this game? Nobody stays on top forever.

College football is cyclical. No program continues to dominate. You build, you reach the pinnacle, you backslide and you attempt to do it all over again. Not everyone gets to the top of that hill, but those who do - they don't stay there forever.

If you're a Miami Hurricanes fan, this year's SEC Championship was as good as it gets. You couldn't have scripted it any better. Alabama came to play and took it to Florida all night long. As if the beat down wasn't enough, Tim Tebow's tears were the exclamation point.

The Heisman-winning quarterback was harassed all night, attempted to rally the troops with a chest-thumping speech and with an early fourth quarter shot at making a game of it, crapped the bed on the grandest of grand stages.

Tebow drove the Gators fifty-nine yards in under two minutes. A touchdown would've pulled Florida within twelve, but Tebow's errant pass on 1st and goal from the six-yard line was picked off by Javier Arenas. Instead of floating it to the back of the end zone to a streaking Aaron Hernandez, #15 lasered it to the defensive back, further proving the glorified fullback doesn't have a NFL caliber arm.

The Crimson Tide, in run-out-the-clock mode quickly went three-and-out. Tebow went fifty-six yards on eight plays, but when faced with a 4th-and-3, fired the ball behind David Nelson. Turnover on downs. Ballgame. Cue the tears.

There's a reason you don't see too many back-to-back champions in college football. It's hard.

The last legit run came in the mid-nineties when Nebraska brought home the 1994 and 1995 titles. Miami was snubbed of a shot in 2000, won it all in 2001 and was a bogus penalty flag away in 2002 from being the first team in the BCS era to accomplish the feat.

USC brought home the 2003 AP title, but LSU earned the BCS crown. A year later, the Trojans won the BCS and in 2005 went for their repeat ("Threepeat" according the media), but fell to Texas in the Rose Bowl.

Florida won it all in 2006, the final year of the Chris Leak era and Tebow's freshman season. The following season, Tebow went 9-4 in his first year as a starter, winning the Heisman as a sophomore thanks to some gaudy numbers. He followed it up with a national championship and impressive run in 2008. So impressive, arrogant Gator fans were already booking tickets to Pasadena as soon as the clock his 0:00 in last year's win over Oklahoma.

ESPN went on record in August, stating that Florida should just get the SEC East crown handed to them without playing a game. As for the Rose Bowl, fait accompli. The Gators were head and shoulders above the rest and were a shoo in to repeat as champs.

Thankfully Alabama had their chance to challenge all that hype.

The Gators were outworked, outhustled and exposed Saturday night in Atlanta. The one-dimensional offense all non-Gators were shredding, it was on display for the world to see. The lack of legitimate ground game did them in. Fullback dives and shovel passes to tight ends weren't going to get the job done against a stout Bama defense.

As for Florida's supposed top flight defense; steamrolled by Mark Ingram and the Tide. Bama amassed 251 total yards on the ground, with future Heisman winner Ingram racking up 113 on the ground, three touchdowns and hauling in two passes for seventy-six yards.

All that chatter from Florida fans that the Gators could absorb the losses of Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy? Maybe against Charleston Southern, Troy, Florida International, Florida State and a slew of weaker SEC East opponents - but not against a legit foe like Alabama.

The arrogance of Florida was sucked out of the Georgia Dome the moment Tebow's 4th and 3 pass fell incomplete. With just over seven minutes to play, the Gators felt like they were still in it had the lead been cut to 32-20. Sadly, Timmy Heisman let them down with back-to-back turnovers in the red zone.

Every time CBS cameras cut to a disgusted Gator in the crowd, the nation rejoiced. The wicked witch was finally dead. The Tebow and Urban Meyer love affair shoved down everyone's throats these past two years, done. Instead, Mr. Heisman crying on the sidelines like a high school girl dumped the night before prom, while Meyer was tossing his headphones in disgust.

Florida's top dog must've left his Gatorade at home, too as Meyer checked into Shands Hospital and was treated for dehydration hours after the loss.

Soak it up Gator haters. Shakespeare could've have scripted it any better. Somewhere Nero was fiddling away.

Credit to Tebow for his run, but perception became reality as Florida racked up 23 wins in a row. His 2009 numbers couldn't hold a candle to his 2007 Heisman run. 2,413 passing yards this year in comparison to 3,286 two years ago. 18 passing touchdowns to 32. Tebow was sacked 13 times in '09 and 25 times in '09... yet was still the Heisman front runner before his SEC title game collapse.

The media loved to stroke Tebow off regarding his post-Ole Miss pledge as well as his title game halftime speech last season. The leadership. The intensity. The passion. He was labeled the second-coming. The best ever to play the position. Knute Rockne had nothing on this kid regarding motivational speeches.

The true test of character is how one reacts in difficult times. There's an old quote, "The way a man plays a game shows some of his character. The way he loses shows all of it."

Anyone can puff out their chest when rolling over lesser foes. Images of Tebow with garnet field paint streaming down his face last season were played ad nauseam in the 45-15 win at Florida State. The raised arms, the cries of "c'mon, c'mon" every time he barreled over a defender. The media ate it up as they were looking for the new face of college football in the post-Reggie Bush/Matt Leinart era.

For the first time in over a year, we finally saw Tebow backed into a corner and those true colors showed. After an attempt to rally his troops one last time early in the fourth quarter, the senior quarterback retreated to the sidelines in need of consolation. Instead of carrying his teammates, like he's done countless times in victory, Tebow retreated, looking for a shoulder to cry on.

At game's end, a few half-hearted handshakes, more tears and some cliche 'coachspeak' regarding being proud of Alabama and the Tide being the 'better team'.

Florida's current dynasty died in Atlanta this past weekend. Any Gator who wants to deny that, get your head out of the sand. John Brantley won't replace Tebow the same way this year's crop of wideouts didn't replace Harvin and Murphy. Florida still lacks a power back and the spread offense is only as good as the guy behind center.

Word is that defensive coordinator Charlie Strong will finally get his head coaching opportunity after the bowl game. This on the heels of Florida losing offensive coordinator Dan Mullen to Mississippi State last year.

Wondy Pierre-Louis, gone. Carl Moore, gone. Riley Cooper, gone. Dorian Munroe, gone. Brandon James, gone. Dustin Doe, gone. Jermaine Cunningham, gone. Brandon Spikes, gone. David Nelson, gone. Most importantly, adios Tebow.

Any Gator who doesn't buy it, look no further than mighty USC - the most dominant program this decade at 82-9 between '02 and '08. After dominating the Pac-10 for years on end and reaching seven straight BCS games, the Trojans were brought back down to earth with an 8-4 season.

Emerald Bowl-bound and still reeling from some conference smack downs -- 47-20 at Oregon and 55-21 vs. Stanford -- So Cal was brought back down to earth, feeling first-hand the cyclical nature of this game.

If it can happen to USC, it can happen to UF - proud owners of a 67-24 record over the same seven-year span.

This was Florida's last shot at getting something done with this current squad and that window has now shut. A rebuilding year is on deck and based on expectations after two titles in three years, how patient will Florida faithful remain with Meyer? When you show your fans the promised land year two and four of your tenure, the natives will get restless.

As for the SEC, off its game this year but tougher in 2010. Tennessee, LSU, Georgia - all will get better while Florida backslides.

December 5th is an important date regarding Miami football. A changing of the guard, if you will. This year it marked the demise of Florida, though eleven years ago it was the day the Canes started their comeback.

After enduring half a decade of probation, Miami welcomed No. 2 UCLA to the Orange Bowl that first Saturday in December, back in 1998. The Canes were throttled 66-13 at Syracuse the week before and were given zero shot against the Bruins. Instead, a 49-45 upset that knocked UCLA from the national title game.

Miami finished the season 9-3 and opened 1999 with an upset of Ohio State in the kickoff classic. The Canes went on to lose to No. 2 Penn State, East Carolina, No. 1 Florida State and No. 2 Virginia Tech, but proved that The U was just about "back".

After a 9-3 campaign in 2009, Miami proved its on the right track. Randy Shannon and staff have been at it three years and continue to make progress. Another solid recruiting class is on deck, with over two dozen verbal commitments.

Florida will continue to recruit well, but the chemistry that fueled this current run is gone. Miami spent the past few years in repair, but is finally jelling and is a few key players away from making their run. Again, college football is cyclical. The Canes dominated the 80s and early 90s, reeling in four titles. The Gators made their run in the late 90s, earning their first championship.

Miami was hit with probation during Florida's run, but responded with four straight BCS games, a national championship and a 34-game win streak between '00 and '03. A few years later, it was UF's turn again, winning titles in '06 and '08. Many Gators penciled in a title in '09, but it wasn't to be. Come 2010, a level playing field again in the Sunshine State.

Welcome to the return of Miami and the beginning of Florida's fall from grace.

The SEC title game loss... Tebow playing his way out of Heisman contention... more tears next Saturday night when Ingram brings home the hardware... and as soon as ESPN's coverage of the Heisman ceremony ends, cut to Rakontur's "30 for 30" documentary on "The U".

A storm is brewing and the changing of the guard is about to take place, whether you want to accept it or not.

Champs Sports Bowl : Miami v. Wisconsin

It's not the BCS and it's not the Gator Bowl... but it's also not the Meineke Car Care Bowl or the Music City Bowl.

It's official, the Miami Hurricanes are headed to Orlando to take on the Wisconsin Badgers in this year's Champ Sports Bowl. Both squads finished the season with matching 9-3 records.

The Canes were slated to trek to Jacksonville for the Gator Bowl, but were snubbed for the retiring Bobby Bowden. Gator Bowl officials used their pick to go the sentimental route, inviting 6-6 Florida State to take on West Virginia, in an effort to honor Bowden.

The almost-gone Noles coach will end his illustrious career after bowl season and ironically enough, coached the Mountaineers before the Noles, so it's a good fit... besides the fact that FSU went .500 this year and absolutely doesn't deserve a New Years Day bowl.

Back in 1999, a resurging Miami put together an 8-4 campaign and earned a Gator Bowl berth, upending Georgia Tech and finishing the season 9-4. Ten years later, it's not enough. 10-2 would've had Miami in the BCS as an at-large, yet 9-3 gets snubbed for nostalgia-sake. No offense, but if Bowden is so classy, why not turn down the invite and agree to a lesser, deserving bowl?

Similar to the 2000 season where he lobbied for a slot in the title game, got worked by Oklahoma and afterwards admitted that Miami belonged. No offense, but the old man can't leave soon enough.

Check back for some Champs Sports Bowl coverage as the month rolls on.

"Miami Hurricanes succeed where others are failing"

The Miami Herald's Dan LeBatard has written what arguably is the best piece on Miami Hurricanes football that I've read in forever.

With Rakontur a week away from debuting their "The U" documentary, as part of ESPN's "30 for 30", a lot of ink is being written on the Canes and the program's history. Media members and a select group have since seen the piece and are now chiming in.

Take the time to read LeBatard's piece and forward to both Cane lovers and Cane haters. Dan tells it like it is:



Before Allen Iverson and Ron Artest, before Terrell Owens and OchoCinco, before Trick Daddy and Lil Wayne -- before America was quite ready, in other words -- there was championship University of Miami football. It was fun, violent, florescent, reckless and wonderful, but the street getting so close to the library was also pretty new then, and that particular kind of new can scare people the way black heavyweight champion Jack Johnson scared them by dating white women once upon a time.

So UM wide receiver Horace Copeland celebrated a touchdown by doing a backflip in the end zone. And, before a game against Florida State, defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy had to be restrained because he thought it would be funny to punch Renegade, the Seminole horse. And UM safety Charles Pharms -- who wore all black on game days because he was in mourning for the opponent, his T-shirt reading, "Shut up, bitch!" -- was so unintimidated by the caged tiger placed outside the UM locker room at a drunk and roaring Louisiana State that he stuck his arm inside the bars and sang "Coochie-coo!" before trampling that tiger's team by a score of 44-3.

"The antics," UM coach Randy Shannon calls them now, and that word has about the right weight. Not "crimes," "blasphemy," "sacrilege," or "desecration.'' Well, actually, there were some actual crimes against people but what seemed to bother sports fans, academia and the country more were the crimes against sports. The antics. Dancing and singing and having fun, if you viewed it from UM's huddle. Trampling sportsmanship, if you viewed it from anywhere else.

The Hurricanes were equal parts hip-hop and pro wrestling, breaking the rules of the game over their knee while playing to their young constituency in the colorful, crazy cities that surrounded that manicured Coral Gables campus. They received two football fields worth of penalty yardage in setting a bowl record with 202 penalty yards and still beat third-ranked Texas in that game, 46-3. So when that recklessness spilled over the sidelines, into occasional crimes that actually involved the law, it became a rationalized way for the indignant to get louder about how undignified this representation for amateurism had become within the sidelines. Pioneers are always met with this kind of resistance, as Elvis and hip-hop and UFC can attest. Real leaders, Abraham Lincoln said, always risk being unpopular.

Notre Dame's Tim Brown admits now, all these years later, that the only time he was ever terrified playing football was against Miami -- not because of the Orange Bowl noise or even the Hurricane talent but because of what he feared Miami's players might do to him in the parking lot after the game. South Florida loved the so-very-Miami aura around those teams. America hated it. And Sports Illustrated called for the termination of the program.

Truth is, though, Miami's single greatest crime was being the first, not the worst. Urban Meyer has had 27 players arrested for real crimes in his brief time at the University of Florida, and it isn't even any kind of unusual because we're numb to it now. Twenty-seven is an enormous number. It is more than were ever arrested at UM under Jimmy Johnson during the most rebellious years. Heck, that's more than Johnson had arrested with his crazed, coked-up Cowboys. And it's obviously a lot more than the single one arrested during Randy Shannon's tenure now.

MANY CHANGES NOW

But not many people know that, and fewer care. So much has changed. Rap star Luther Campbell being associated with Miami was a dangerous and reckless sign once. But Snoop Dogg being on USC's sideline just makes both a little more hip now.

ESPN is doing a two-hour documentary on UM's renegade years this week. It is done by UM alums and will mostly embrace that fascinating time, but the current administration didn't want anything to do with the film and even advised former players not to participate. UM has a bit of post-traumatic stress disorder about its past, understandably. You might, too, if the nation's largest magazine in your field called for your eradication because it had, in its grandfatherly senility, confused you being edgy with you being evil.

Sports Illustrated was only giving voice to a lot of what the mainstream media was yelling about. And it haunts Miami still, a few decades later, every time the smallest thing happens. Can you have a persecution complex and actually be persecuted? Miami's past and reputation ensures that a few players making a naughty rap song a few years ago somehow got national headlines. It isn't the crime being punished that way. It is the school. UM fans overreact to any national slight; but the nation also seems to overreact to any Miami indiscretion.

But here's the thing: This UM hasn't been that UM in a really long time. I remember being floored while talking to Andre Johnson and Ed Reed during the 2001 championship run. This was nearly a full decade ago, mind you. I figured they'd embrace Miami's taunting, swaggering past as a reason for coming to Miami, as so many players did. But they rejected it. Said they didn't like anything about it all, except maybe the winning. Being excellent was enough for them. They didn't have to go and tell you about it, and still don't, even with eight Pro Bowls and nary a single bad public moment between them.

There were a lot of Johnsons and Reeds and Jonathan Vilmas in that locker room, more than there were Kellen Winslows. But Winslow went on a locker-room rant about the U one time, channeling past ghosts angrily, and you could hear the angry echoes: Same ol' Canes.

A CLEAN PROGRAM

But Miami has been clean for a long time now. Johnson and Reed, not Michael Irvin, are the role models for today's Hurricanes. UM wide receiver LaRon Byrd might wear Irvin's number 47, but he never even saw Irvin play. He was born the year after Irvin left Miami. No, Byrd came to Miami because he liked Johnson's quiet style.

"Wearing fatigues and dancing after plays and trash-talking, that was all allowed back then," Shannon says now. "It was just a fad. But then all the rules changed."

Shannon was a stoic linebacker on those teams, about as quiet a guy as there was on a gyrating defense that howled before unleashing its menace and danced after doing so. That's funny, looking back, that one of those teams would produce not only a UM head coach but maybe the biggest disciplinarian Miami has ever had. Jimmy Johnson calls Shannon and tells him to let up on his players a little bit. Johnson says Shannon is a lot harder on Hurricanes than he ever was.

"No matter what we do, we're always in Shannon's eye view," says Byrd, who has a 3.7 GPA. "If I'm two minutes late to class, he'll find out. He's a very strict father figure."

And here are some of the results: UM had eight seniors who received their degrees prior to the season. Five more will do so this month. That means 13 of Miami's 18 seniors will graduate before the bowl game. The American Football Coaches Association has lauded UM for exceeding the national graduation rate in 15 of the past 17 years.

Miami ranked seventh nationally in the NCAA Academic Progress Rate with a score of 976 -- higher than Notre Dame and highest among Florida schools. Without boring you with the point system, just know that Miami is within 10 points of No. 1 Stanford and No. 3 Duke. Closer to Stanford and Duke, academically, in other words, than the point system puts UM to UF and FSU.

And then there's this: In July, the team did 27 community events in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. Twenty-seven. In one month. Talking to kids. Signing autographs. Teaching camps. Not just a few players. The whole team. It is one of the largest community outreach programs a major college-football team has ever done.

"I'm very proud of that," Shannon says.

That's not the kind of stuff that makes it on magazine covers.

It isn't what gets documentaries made, either.

And it doesn't have much of anything to do with winning, which is all people used to care about back before the Hurricanes trampled their idea of what sportsmanship should look like.

But it has at least one thing in common with those fun, crazy UM teams from two decades ago:

It is pretty damn cool.

Nike Pro Combat Jersey : IN STOCK MID-JANUARY

We've received a ton of emails these past few days regarding the Nike Pro Combat Jersey worn in the Canes' 31-10 win over South Florida this past weekend.

As most of you know, the jersey sold out on Friday November 21st when we had an in-store sale.

UPDATED 12/02/09: allCanes is happy to let you know that we worked out a deal with Nike to get another shipment of the Pro Combat Jerseys. They will be in stock mid-January and we'll begin taking pre-orders later this week.

For those of you who want to order for the holidays, we're working out a way for you to have a photo ready for the holiday season (should you want to include in a card, wrap in a box, etc. so your recipient knows a gift is forthcoming.) We'll either mail you a photo or we'll set up a downloadable PDF file on our site with the jersey photo/description for you to print out.

We're also working on the best shipping option as we know many of you would like to pre-order now, along with other items that you'd like shipped your way before mid-January.

Please stay tuned as we figure out the details over the next day or so.