The U : '09 in the books, '10 to be written
Happy New Year, Hurricane Nation.Still reeling from the bowl game loss? Spending your down time assembling your Randy Shannon voodoo doll? Going through a box of Kleenex every time you re-watch "The U", wishing for those swagger-filled days to return?
Step back from the cliff and attempt to have some perspective. Or jump, if you can't take what's going on. Your call. Either way, flooding message boards and regurgitating the same old argument regarding firing coaches - it'll get you nowhere. It's a new year. Let logic best emotion.
A few thoughts:
Jacory Harris. Many of you are writing in frustrated. What happened to the guy who torched Florida State and Georgia Tech? As you bang your head against the wall, again, attempt a little logic.The Harris you saw against the Noles and Yellow Jackets was a first-year starter who was running plays from a first-year coordinator. Nobody had film on Mark Whipple. Nobody knew what the Canes were running, so defending it was no easy task... and let's be honest; nobody had seen an aerial attack from Miami since the 2002 season.
Harris had 386 yards against Florida State and Miami won the 38-34 shootout when a Christian Ponder pass sailed low and Jarmon Fortson couldn't reel it in. Had FSU prevailed 41-38, I promise you the talk is about Harris' two interceptions - one, a pick six - being the difference-maker. Par for the course with sports fans, "winning" superseded everything else. The 'W' masks all issues and problems.
As Harris goes, so goes Miami. Pick apart every loss this year and you'll see an ineffective or mistake-prone J-12 under center. Virginia Tech rattled his cage week three, bringing the house all day and disrupting his rhythm. Clemson and North Carolina forced a combined seven interceptions - three returned for touchdowns - in those mid-season losses.
Fans can complain that Miami came out flat or wasn't "ready" for Wisconsin, but is that really the case? The Canes proved an easy puzzle to solve. Beat up on the rookie Harris and the game is all but won.
"Our goal was to get after their quarterback," said Wisky head coach Bret Bielema. "When he goes, they go."
Job well done.
The Badgers smacked Harris around all night long. Hit 'em high, hit 'em low, rattle his cage. For those complaining that Harris was "off", that tends to happen when you're getting your ass kicked every play. You lose momentum. You hear footsteps. You second guess. You never find your rhythm.
For you number crunchers out there, let this resonate with you for a moment. Harris was sacked five times on Tuesday night. He's now been sacked thirty-four times this year. Contrast that to Ken Dorsey's run in 2001. The then-junior was sacked four times... on the season.
The lone time Dorsey was truly rushed or beat up during his career; the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State won the battle in the trenches and Miami's passing game was a little bit off all night. Dorsey had 296 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two uncharacteristic interceptions and was picking himself up off the ground all night.
In the end, a rattled Dorsey overshot then-tight end Eric Winston, for the potential game-tying score in the second overtime. On 4th and 1 from the one-yard line, Dorsey was chucked to the ground like a rag doll. Over his forty game career, Dorsey never saw that kind of pressure.
Dorsey's entire career - 2000 through 2002 - was spent behind a solid offensive line; arguably Miami's best in school history.
Harris was a first-year starter who overachived based on the line he played with. Until the Canes have an offensive line, Harris is going to struggle. I'm not the only one echoing the sentiment. Check out some recent ink from ESPN's Ivan Maisel, the Herald's Manny Navarro and some other Cane beat writers who are speaking out after the frustrating loss.
Good news on the 'juniors returning' front. Leonard Hankerson is officially coming back for his senior year, as is Orlando Franklin. Allen Bailey is slated to return and the injured Graig Cooper is still waiting for news on his ACL.The bad news? The Canes aren't going to dominate day one of the NFL Draft in April. The good news; senior leadership will be in tact by fall.
I've seen fans attempting to predict next year's record, many inexplicably calling for a one-loss or even an undefeated season.Has me curious if these superfans have bothered to Google "miami hurricanes 2010 schedule" at any point recently. Early games at Ohio State and at Pittsburgh. A season finale against South Florida. ACC conference games against the usual suspects. Florida State, Virginia Tech and North Carolina at Miami. Road games at Clemson and Georgia Tech.
Miami will "improve" next year, but you can't simply measure a program's growth by wins and losses. That will always be the bottom line, but it's not how you truly determine if a team has improved as the schedule sets up different every year. Timing plays into it.
Case in point, a road game against non-division foe Clemson. Miami first faced Clemson as an ACC rival in 2004 and 2005, but nothing from 2006-2008 when the Tigers were reeling and Tommy Bowden was en route to being fired.
Clemson won the ACC Atlantic this year and should be a force next fall, as well. Schedule-wise, it fell this way and Miami has a bigger challenge in 2010 than it would've years back. That's not an excuse and it's still a game that Miami is capable of winning. But this is hardly a schedule setting the Canes up for a title run.
A home and away with Pittsburgh is tougher now, as well. The Panthers are coming off of 10-3. Two years ago they were hovering around 6-6 and 5-7. A much tougher road game than originally expected and the way the chips will fall.
Florida State will be improved. Virginia Tech is pressing on. Georgia Tech is a force. North Carolina is getting better.
You simply can't "assume" that a better record is going to happen just because Miami is a year older. The schedule will be tougher and unless Miami can improve on the offensive and defensive lines, you might not see an improvement record-wise.
After seeing Miami whooped in the trenches against Wisconsin, it's comforting to see the emphasis Shannon and staff have put on recruiting offensive and defensive line. Miami has found recent success on the recruiting trail, which is necessary for next year.Brandon Linder might be one of those once-in-a-decade type linemen, which the Canes are due for after five-star Reggie Youngblood never became that guy years back. Linder can see some serious snaps as a true freshman thanks to his skills, experience and 6'6" and 290-pound frame.
Miami will be young on offensive line, but Franklin is a returning senior who can step up and lead, while newbies like Brandon Washington have shown potential and need another long summer in the weight room to get to that next level. Same to be said for the other guys the Canes welcomed last year, as well as prep school transfer Malcolm Bunche and Jermaine Johnson, both who will need to step in immediately.
Regarding the defensive line, the Canes simply need to get nastier. All due respect to a Joe Joseph or Josh Holmes, but Miami needs more guys like Bailey and some throwback style Canes who can wreak some havoc. Adewale Ojomo can't heal quick enough from last summer's broken jaw. The fire he showed in 2008 was sorely missed this season. (For those recruiting heads keeping score, Ojomo was an 'under the radar' three-star.)
As much as Miami's offense will go as far as Harris takes it, the defense is as strong as its front four. Rattle quarterbacks and bottle up the ground game. Without that, you're putting tremendous pressure on an average group of linebackers - oft out of position when dropping into coverage. With the linebacker not getting their job done, the secondary is also playing out of position and is forced to overcompensate.
Cliche as it is, it's cliche for a reason; football games are won in the trenches and Miami hasn't dominated that space since it's last national championship run.
I alluded to it in a recent article, but with the season in the rear view, it's time that Shannon and Kirby Hocutt evaluate the position coaches.It's not my place to call for anybody's job, but when you look at areas where the Canes have struggled - offensive line, linebackers, special teams, defensive line - something needs to be done.
Jeff Stoutland. Micheal Barrow. Joe Pannunzio. Clint Hurtt. All great guys, all solid recruiters, but the positions they're paid to coach aren't thriving. Look at the tape.
Same to be said for strength and conditioning. I'm not quick to knock Andreu Swasey as his resume speaks for itself. When you have former NFLers coming back to train with you during the off-season, you're doing something right. Swasey's guys were in shape when Miami had the talent. Since the drop off, not so much.
Are these current freshmen and sophomores developing as quickly as they should? I don't know and I don't pretend to know. Furthermore, I'm not paid to know and it's not my decision whether they stay or go.
As a fan, I simply hope that some serious evaluation takes place this off-season. Shannon rolled some heads each of his first two years and with deficiencies still prevalent, I expect some change on some level in the coming days.
All the anti-Big Ten folk out there, now might be a good time to admit that the conference was a little stronger in 2009 than most want to give credit for. A lot of us have our preconceived notions about the Big Ten, but look at their bowl play this year for proof that they not only came to play, but they're not as pasty and slow as some like to think.Wisconsin whipped Miami in the trenches. A few days later, Northwestern gives the SEC's Auburn all it could handle. Mike Kafka might've thrown five interceptions, but he also threw for 532 yards and four touchdowns in a game the Wildcats should've won late. (So much for that Big Ten "smashmouth" football.)
A few hours later the SEC finally did fall to the Big Ten when Penn State beat LSU in the Capital One Bowl and by nightfall it was Ohio State smacking up Pac-10 winner, Oregon. Many hyped the Pac-10 as one of the better conference this year, but its best was owned by the Big Ten's best. 419 yards to Oregon's 260 in the convincing 26-17 beating.
If you're a betting man, you have to like Iowa's chances in the Orange Bowl against Georgia Tech on Tuesday night.
Wisconsin finished fourth in the Big Ten this year, which might not sound like much in past years but when you consider the teams ahead of them (Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa) and the damage they inflicted on bowl foes, it should put things into a little bit of perspective.
All of that doesn't excuse the loss. Miami's line could've played better, the coaches could've better worked through what was being thrown at them and defense/special teams could've gotten some turnovers, better field position, put up some game-saving points.
Still, for those of you who see this loss as the be all/end all and who can't wrap their arms around Miami losing to Wisconsin, give the Big Ten an ounce of credit this year. They came to play, they're tougher than expected and they're no longer playing like a slow bunch.
The conference seems to have taken things to the next level since Ohio State got ripped by Florida and LSU in back-to-back title games a few years back. After a horrid bowl season in 2008, the Big Ten is dominating in 2009.
Lastly, as the BCS Championship game gets ready to play out, be wary of comparisons some jaded Miami folk will make between Shannon and Alabama coach Nick Saban.Many love to point at Saban's recent success, getting the Tide to the title game in three years - equally as long as Randy's been at Miami's helm. 7-6 year one, Saban went 12-2 last year and is 13-0 headed into Thursday's title game against No. 2 Texas.
No one is arguing the fact that Saban is a better head coach than Shannon; as he should be having done it for sixteen years to Randy's three. (Alabama was also in much better shape talent-wise entering 2007 than Miami.)
If you want to compare Saban to Shannon, go back to the mid 90s when Saban was coaching at Michigan State. Fresh off a four-year stint as defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, Saban took over for the Spartans in 1995 and went 6-5-1 out the gate.
6-6 in year two, 7-5 in year three, 6-6 in year four and 9-2 his final season in 1999. MSU was on probation during most of Saban's tenure, but he was still losing games and learning on the job, as is Shannon. Miami may not be probation-strapped, but the Canes arguably fielded their worst team in 2007 since the 1997 scholarship-stripped Canes.
From East Lansing, Saban was LSU bound where it was 8-4, 10-3 and 8-5 before 13-1 and a split national championship in 2003. A year later, 9-3 before taking the Miami Dolphins gig - where he failed miserably.
Saban looks like a genius today, but he didn't achieve this level of success right out the gate. He learned how to become a solid head coach in due time. Here's hoping Shannon follows a similar path. He doesn't have Saban's pedigree as part of the Bill Belichick coaching tree, but Shannon learned his fair share from Jimmy Johnson, Butch Davis and counts Bill Parcells and Pete Carroll as mentors on his speed dial.
All of you quick to throw in the towel on Shannon, think twice. Where does Miami really go next? What is your post-Shannon agenda? How do you see things playing out?
Many fans have delusions of grandeur regarding the head coaching position at UM. Sorry folks, but this isn't the premier job you think it is. High risk that can bring high reward, if you're looking for a stepping stone to the NFL. This isn't a "lifer" type job as the city and fan base will swallow up the weak. Winning is expected, even though it hasn't been the norm in half a decade.
The Miami-bred Shannon is a lifer. He's a Cane through and through. Your love for this program can't touch his feelings towards the University of Miami. This is his dream job. He knows the city, he has recruiting in-roads that took decades to build and he's doing all in his power to turn UM back into a monster. Lord knows this man has been around Coral Gables long enough to know what it'll take get the Canes "back".
Nobody else wanted this job when Randy took it. No one except some Texas Tech coach who looks a little whacko these days after locking a concussed player in a closet. Hell, Greg Schiano preferred to stay in New Jersey, choosing Rutgers over Miami. Rutgers, people.
A lot of Shannon haters pegged Tommy Tuberville as their dream coach in waiting, should Shannon falter soon. A Miami assistant in the Canes' hey day (1986-1993), Tuberville always stated that he appreciated his time in Coral Gables, but never expressed a desire to return.
Last year the recently fired Tuberville sat in with ESPN U's recruiting gurus to talk shop and drove home how difficult it is to coach at Miami. The expectations. The competition. The ghosts of Hurricanes past. The culture. The lack of fan support. The facilities. Tubbs hardly came off as a guy ready to sign on for the challenge.
Conversely, there's a reason Tuberville threw his hat in the ring for the recent opening at Texas Tech. Tuberville made $2.8M a year at Auburn and former Red Raiders coach Mike Leach pulled down just shy of $2M last year in Lubbock - a town that lives and dies with college football.
Tuberville can roll into west Texas, welcomed with rock star status. Hardly the case if he took over at The U.. for much less than $3M a year, to boot.
The landscape in college football is shifting and what allowed Miami to dominate in the past, that won't be the case moving forward. Money (or lack thereof). Off-campus stadium. Fickle fan base. In-state competition (and state schools with much larger athletic budgets.)
The Canes don't just need a Shannon-type if they're every going to be "back" -- they need Randy Shannon. All your flavor of the year coaches? UM is a stepping stone to a bigger gig. They're not in it for the long haul. Miami needs a "Miami guy" if the Canes are ever going to be the Canes again.
There are a lot of other big name Canes out there, but none with the coaching experience of Randy. He's UM's most seasoned coaching alum and this is his time. He's three years into a five-year rebuild and he's pressing on regardless of the fans being on board, or not.
A revolving door regarding head coaches will send this program into a tailspin. It'll take several recruiting class, a la Butch Davis, to get this thing back on track. Davis went 5-6 year three. Shannon went 9-4. Davis inherited a better team before facing probation. Shannon inherited a dog with talent comparable to a probation-laden team.
Either way, three years isn't enough time to right the ship. Shannon deserves your support for two more years. If the Canes aren't rolling by 2011, carry on with your anti-Randy ways. The bandwagon will be full then... and justifiably so.
posted by allCanes.com at
2:25 PM
48 Comments:
This piece was well written. I am tired of everybody wanting to throw Shannon under the bus. They want to compare him to all these coaches who have been head coaches longer than him. Yes he does need to think about the position coaches. I know they do well recruiting, well maybe they should just be that recruiting coaches. Also ppl need to realize that the are FIRST yr coordinators. Wait til next yr to see how they really are. Shannon came in with not a great team to deal with, he had to throw young guys into the fire earlier than expected. Ppl we went 9-4 when most ppl didnt even have us .500. No I am not happy at the games we did lose cause we should have won them all except Va Tech. Shannon is our coach rather you like it or not.
110%. Incredible post. Incredible.
Thank you for calling out the people that wear their entitlement on their sleeve. The people calling for Randy Shannon's head right now only care about wearing the Miami t-shirts, and sporing the Miami license plates. People that want to fire Randy for a quick fix, or think Tubberville, or any top-dog coach would want to come back, don't understand the longevity. They have instant gratification problems. They don't have their own life success, so they need Miami to be great RIGHT NOW, so they feel successful.
Randy is on the right track. The people that are following the DETAILS, the real things that matter, understand that there has been progress. They understand what it means for the LIFE of Miami if Shannon is successful in 5 years. 5 years is nothing, when Randy is young enough to coach for 20 years.
Look around college football. Everyone is jumping. Randy won't jump. If he turns this around in 5 years, he will have success that lasts for 20.
In 2007, Randy had to straighten out the discipline of the team and establish a requiting class of skilled players. People that could make an impact at the scoring positions.
In 2008, he had to start filling in the gaps.
In 2009, Randy said, this team would be great IF we stayed healthy. He KNEW our team was young and the depth chart was shallow. He was spot on. When we got injured, we fell. With a schedule as hard as we opened with, the second half of the season was ENTIRELY dependent on the depth chart. We had NONE.
Look at our 2010 class. Randy is recruiting the depth chart. He KNOWS what we lack. He has said that we have the potential to be special if our young guys step up and dedicate themselves in the off-season. He knows we're filling in the depth chart, that we can handle injuries better.
But the people behind in the depth chart will still be young.
2011 the depth chart will be stacked, our position coaches and coordinators will be established. THAT'S when you can judge Randy.
Until then, if you're bitching, you're only thinking about your t-shirt.
Great article. To all fans like myself that bleed orange and green remember this is still a very young team, but they are very hungry like the CANES of old. With all that we have returning next year, all the freshmen players redshirted (Dye, McGee, Green and Miller), all the players we lost to injury this season (Fortson, Ojomo, Futch and Hill), all the players that made large steps in becoming impact players (M.James, Vernon, etc.) and of course a very good and underatted recruiting class coming in next season, the steps that the team made this year are going to look like babysteps compared to the leaps that are going to happen next season.
I'll start with your last portion first regarding money, facilities, etc.....That falls on the AD and specifically, scheduling. I have to question Paul Dee in his last few years with the contracts he signed, specifically USF as an example. There is NO WAY you schedule a 5 game series with a non Big 3 Florida school and not give us more home games than road. How do you do that? You make money by having home games. Miami is a private school and has to get all the revenue we can. Look at a lot of these "big time" schools and they can have 8 home games in a season. When you schedule lesser schools, you don't do equal home-and-home series and sure as hell don't hit the road more than hosting. Dee really bent the team over on that one.
Secondly, it's so true when they say you build a championship from the inside out. It seems like we've tried the reverse. We have great skill positions players, but need a big time infusion of the big guys in the trenches. The reason we have lost to teams we never should have is directly due to us losing those interior battles. No way we should have lost to teams like NC, Clemson or Wisconsin. We lost because of pressure on Harris and lack of pressure on the other QB. This is either (a) lack of big time players inside or (b) lack of coaching philosophy/player development. Until we solve both line issues, nothing else really matters.
Thirdly, Harris needs to hit the gym hard and put on about 20 pounds for 2010. He's been getting beat up and has to get ready for more of the same next year, assuming. That being said, the play-calling has to take into account the shoddy line possibilities and scrap the 5 step drops if the line can't hold up. If Harris has more time and doesn't get hit as he throws, we beat both Clemson and NC. Ball security is imperative for Jacory in '10 in my opinion. You can't throw rainbows deep downfield and not expect defenses to get picks. Put some power into those.
I think Shannon has done a great job in recruiting since he's been here, and needs to continue to focus on both lines, specifically DT's and then interior OL as well. Also, we need another QB in this class and 2 for next year as well to get much needed depth there.
I hope all of the coaches meet together and do some kind of self evaluation on what they do and what their core philosophy is. I think they could stand to make trips to other programs and trade ideas like other programs do (maybe we already do this). It seems like more time needs to go into game-management preparation as well, because the wasting of timeouts continued in Year 3. I have never seen more ill timed timeouts than at Miami. When was the last time a defense used two timeouts on one drive? Inexcusable. My point is get as much information and new ideas as you can and continue to learn and evolve.
Go Canes!
-Columbus Cane
Very insightful, perhaps your most insightful piece yet.
Is there any word on some more linemen? I saw something about Henderson and Lemioner. Curious if that's still a possibility, even a remote one.
Cheers,
LB
I don't know if I can handle our fanbase after one more year, assuming we don't win the ACC next season.
Nice job, 305. I think you captured the situation well. I will always bleed orange and green; I will always talk smack about The U; I will always cherish the fact that they won two national championships while I was a student there (and barely missed two more). But the reality is that we are not an elite program. We were lucky back then--an aberration. It pains me, but as I travel around the country it realize just how irrelevant we are today. No "big name" coaches are going to take this program. Besides, Schnell, JJ, and Erickson weren't exactly "big names" when they were hired (In fact, two of the three were hired only because they were friends of Jankovich).
And let's pretend for a minute that Nick Saban, Brian Kelly, and Pete Carroll decide tomorrow their lives would be incomplete without coaching at UM. They fight for the job and Saban--being the dirty fighter of course (oh, the eye-gouging)--wins. There is absolutely no way Saban wins more games just by showing up. Anyone who thinks all we need is a new coach is delusional. Were that the case, Pete Carroll would still be undefeated. I mean, he's a great coach, right?
We have some great years ahead of us. And some lousy ones too. All we can do is hang on for the ride.
Your entire article could have been 2 sentences:
"We're not going to win any time soon. Get used to it."
Pretty sad read if you ask me.
Great post! I was very frustrated with the way that the season ended, after such a promising start. That said, this team could have won the ACC with more luck when it comes to injuries. Randy Shannon is attacking the problem head on and I have faith that Miami is on the right track. There is no quick fix.
Anyone that expects a complete program rebuild to happen so soon is just blind and stupid beyond belief. How much more can Shannon do to prove he belongs? Had he won that bowl game, he'd have been called the next Messiah. Listen, I was just as upset, PHYSICALLY ILL IN FACT, from our performance in that game. However, I still strongly believe that Shannon is our guy and stand firmly behind him. Our overall record has improved by 2 wins each year. We went from 2 acc wins, to 4, to 5. We're bringing in excellent talent. Minus QB, we're deep in the skill positions. We need alot more depth in the lines for sure but lets also remember, on any given night 1/2 of our defensive line was injured all season. Forston lost for the year, Ojomo lost for the year, Moncur was injured, etc... Our linebackers took a step back this year which was disapponting. Under Young, Sean Spence was a beast. Where did he disappear to this year? No coach will ever have 100% of his fan base behind him. If you're a U fan, then you know Shannon bleeds orange and green. He'd die to return the program to dominance. I'd love to shake that man's hand and let him know hey.. don't worry about what the haters are saying, you're doing just fine. Improvements are needed for sure but I'm sure he knows that. You can tell by the group of players he's targeting. Calling for an undefeated record next year is a bit overly ambitious, but a bowl win is a MUST for him to get people off his back and a way to let the recruits know we're back. We may not be all the way back, but we're damn close. A hell of a lot closer than we've been in a really long time. We're headed in the right direction. Have faith.
When Boise State, Texas Christian, and Cinncinati are top contenders for the National Championship, you know the landscape of college football has changed. Find out how they got to the top from out of nowhere, and that might be a great place to start.
As far as this season, our quarterback was way overrated and his backup was way underage. And the offensive line missed a few too many strength training practices. What happens during the offseason is crucial.
I think they should play the "U" documentary every damn day before practice. If that doesn't get you riled up to kick ass and U Swag, nothing will.
lol, it's amazing how many teams (that had worse records) were in better shape than the 7-6 miami team randy took over..
Thank you. You always will keep me mind at ease after reading other posts on other blogs. In Shannon we trust. GO canes!!!
Great piece.
Im not numb to nay of the issues brought up above and am firmly in support of Randy, i just don't like when people keep on forcing these issues down my throat like it will make the losses to crappy football schools hurt less. If teams like GT can win the ACC then why can't we? if teams like BC can win the ACC then why can't we? If teams like WF can win the ACC then why can't we?Im not talking about NT just at least playing in the ACC title game. I just feel like the article is saying one thing out the corner of their mouth but then it comes out as we are crappy and we should accept that we are gonna be crappy, deal with it. I really don't care about the schedule honestly, the season hasn't started yet, we don't know what teams are gonna be put out there by our opponents but yet still we are hearing how great they are. If that was the case we should have not showed up for the OU game this past season, because the season before they were in the NT game. Im not stupid ok, we can't wave a magic wand to win games but i don't wanna hear these damn excuse before a ball has even been kicked, heck we haven't even reached signing day much less spring practice. Sooner or later, its gonna be 5 years, let's see what happens then.
Oh BTW, the schedule part of the argument is really terrible. U talking about Clemson, they beat us at home this year with a redshirt FR QB and a new coaching staff, prolly newer than ours. Two of the teams who beat us we have them at home next season, not to mention they are Division rivals, we also get FSU our main rival at home and get an easier Atlantic team in Maryland swapping for WF. GT game will be tough but am almost certain they will lose alot more key players than we do, so will Ohio St on D and so will Pitt. OSU loses 5 SR starters from their D which is their strength, this is a team that loss to Purdue and no matter how great they looked in the bowl game that still wont change. As for Pitt, they lose 11 SR starters most of them redshirt SRs, including their QB. So u see im not looking at schedules just in terms of home and away. Most of the teams we are gonna play are gonna be having way more changes than we are overall. And here we are comaplaining about the schedule already. If we are already writing off 2010, we may as well write off 2011 also because it will be just like it was this past year when we visit Blacksburg and Chappell Hill not to mention Doak Campbell.
You've added another year to the list. You once wrote that 2010 is the year.
... I always felt Miami could win the ACC in 2010, but I never felt the Canes were a full-on title contender in '10. Maybe a dark horse if things go their way, but not a full-on contender.
Once the Northwestern class of 2008 are seniors (2011), Randy will have four full classes under his belt - which is a fair time to judge a head coach who inherited a team where punter Brian Monroe was your third string receiver.
I disagree that 2010 is a "total failure" if Miami doesn't get to the ACC title game. Was this year a "total failure" for Virginia Tech because they didn't get there?
No. It took one loss in the ACC Coastal to reach the title game, so Georgia Tech got the nod. The Hokies went 10-3 and worked Tennessee in the Peach.
I'm sure that's not a colossal failure to their fan base - but 9-4 has Canes fans up in arms... even though the Hokies were in the title hunt this year and slipped up.
Oh BTW, the schedule part of the argument is really terrible. U talking about Clemson, they beat us at home this year with a redshirt FR QB and a new coaching staff, prolly newer than ours. Two of the teams who beat us we have them at home next season, not to mention they are Division rivals, we also get FSU our main rival at home and get an easier Atlantic team in Maryland swapping for WF. GT game will be tough but am almost certain they will lose alot more key players than we do, so will Ohio St on D and so will Pitt. OSU loses 5 SR starters from their D which is their strength, this is a team that loss to Purdue and no matter how great they looked in the bowl game that still wont change. As for Pitt, they lose 11 SR starters most of them redshirt SRs, including their QB. So u see im not looking at schedules just in terms of home and away. Most of the teams we are gonna play are gonna be having way more changes than we are overall. And here we are comaplaining about the schedule already. If we are already writing off 2010, we may as well write off 2011 also because it will be just like it was this past year when we visit Blacksburg and Chapel Hill not to mention Doak Campbell.
... I'm not "complaining" about the schedule as much as I'm trying to shed some light.
There are schedules tailored for a National Championship run and there are some with many more pitfalls.
Florida had a joke of a schedule this year. Charleston Southern and Troy out the gate. A young Tennessee team in Gainesville. FIU late in the year. A rather down SEC this year. Roughest regular season challenge was at LSU.
Miami's schedule doesn't set up for a title run next year. That was my point. Is Clemson a beatable team? Sure. They're no powerhouse and they lose some players... but with them as a non-division foe, Miami is catching them on what looks like an upswing with Dabo Sweeney at the helm, as opposed to the fledgling, underachieving bunch they were the middle of the decade under Tommy B.
Ohio State will lose some guys, but they'll still be a beast at the Horseshoe. Pitt loses some guys, but it's still a tougher road game than a team like Florida will take OOC -- a week after OSU, no less.
Schedule aside, Miami better get tougher in the trenches or Jacory will never be the quarterback he could be. Losing a lot of experience on the offensive line and the new talent better step in or the improvement we're all looking for isn't going to be there.
I just feel like the article is saying one thing out the corner of their mouth but then it comes out as we are crappy and we should accept that we are gonna be crappy, deal with it.
The point of the article is that Miami wasn't "back" because of a few early season wins and that the depth hasn't returned. What you want to take from it after that is on you.
There's a notion amongst this fan base that Miami should just snap its fingers, becoming a powerhouse again just 'because'.
Great, BC outlasted their foes in a weaker ACC Atlantic and reached the title game a few times. They went 8-5 this year. They backed their way in a few times and now they're hovering around five losses. Let's not act like they're some juggernaut.
The Canes aren't going to crappy... but in the same breath, I'm guarding against the sense of entitlement that so many fans seem to have regarding the program. This belief that Miami should just 'get better'... the lack of admittance regarding the dog of a team Shannon took over.
Honestly, go back and look at a 2007 media guide regarding the 'talent' on this team and keep bitching to me about not winning the ACC the past few years.
This team was in NO position to win the ACC last year and would've needed to go 11-1 in the regular season this year to pull it off (or 10-2 with a loss to OU). For a team picked to go 0-4 out the gate, a 9-3 regular season is hardly the end of the world... except to our fans.
Miami wasn't good enough to go 11-1 this year. Maybe next year a two-loss ACC Coastal team can get to the conference title game, but this year there was no margin for error.
The Canes are getting better. That should be the main focus right now. Is the talent returning? Is there improvement? If there is, then let things continue to work themselves out.
Excellent article!!!
Let's face the truth Miami is not back and people need to stop living in the past. Every time Miami wins a big game "their back" starts up. Randy is an average game day coach at best, so unless all this talent he brings in player better then his coaching Miami will always be around 8-9 wins per year. Mike
There is no way you can honestly believe that Randy is the guy to get us our next national championship. Even with all the talent he can muster up through solid recruiting, no serious Canes fan who watches all the games actually believes that he could step into a big time BCS bowl, where each team gets a month to scheme, against someone like Saban or Mack Brown and not be thoroughly out coached. I love Randy as a recruiter and as a Miami guy, but there is zero chance of him being a good enough game coach to win us a national championship - and that's not going to get significantly better in another year or two of being a head coach (as opposed to a coordinator).
There is no way you can honestly believe that Randy is the guy to get us our next national championship. Even with all the talent he can muster up through solid recruiting, no serious Canes fan who watches all the games actually believes that he could step into a big time BCS bowl, where each team gets a month to scheme, against someone like Saban or Mack Brown and not be thoroughly out coached.
... maybe Randy is the guy, maybe he isn't.
My point is that three years into a five-year rebuild isn't the time to make that decision. Fans assume this program should be "back" right now -- which again, is ludicrous if you look at the 2007 roster. It will take more than two classes to fix this glitch.
Is Shannon going to outscheme a Nick Saban? No... and neither are 99% of the coaches out there, so quit making this guy the benchmark for which Shannon is measured.
As for Mack Brown... please. Like he's some genius. Dude coaches Texas where it's talent in/talent out and there's a boatload of money to throw at assistants.
Credit guys like Gene Chizik for running that defense and being able to replace him with a guy like Will Muschamp. UT isn't exactly struggling to lure in top assistants, which are paid handsomely, providing a stepping stone to bigger jobs.
Mark Whipple needs to show more years two, but it's on him to outscheme opposing defensive coordinators -- that's not on Randy.
Randy needs to recruit well and needs to be the CEO of this program - which means delegating certain tasks to assistants beneath him. Whipple and John Lovett needs to step things up next year and Shannon needs to make some tough decisions this off-season regarding some position coaches who aren't carrying their weight.
No excuse for the lack of development on the offensive line, defensive line and at linebacker.
Long story short, my rants here -- they're based on the fact this fan base simply 'expects' Miami to be back three years into Shannon's regime. Anyone who believes that has their head in the sand regarding where the program was three years ago when he took over.
ANY coach who took over for the Canes deserves FIVE years to clean up the mess. Butch Davis got SIX years to deal with a good team he inherited, on the brink of probation. UM was in the desert for a while and Butch eventually brought them back.
Was Davis a genius Xs and Os guy? Could he have gone toe to toe with Nick Saban? C'mon now.
What about Larry Coker, who rolled to 24-0 out the gate with his lack of game day skills?
Let the talent return - again, something that'll take five years. Once it's back on board, THEN start judging.
As for Randy, again, I support the coach as I'm a fan of the University of MIami. I also root for him as a local guy, a long-time Cane and a self-made success story.
That said, IF he cannot get the job done, then he needs to go. I will not blindly support someone who isn't taking care of business.
He got Miami to 9-4 in year three and endured a brutal opening stretch.
How come there was SO much optimism around 9-4 in 1999, yet in 2009 it's the end of the world?
I'm personally giving Shannon five years. If Miami isn't a true contender by 2011, I'll absolutely be off the bandwagon.
Schedule aside, Miami better get tougher in the trenches or Jacory will never be the quarterback he could be. Losing a lot of experience on the offensive line and the new talent better step in or the improvement we're all looking for isn't going to be there.
I commented on this earlier in the year on another blogsite after we lost to UNC, and the ACC title was out of reach. I felt that needed to start playing some of our younger offensive linemen instead of our 6-man rotation. At some point you need to start preparing a little for the next year. Most fans cited the possibility of JH getting hurt and then where would the Canes be? They may have been correct in saying so, but nonetheless here we are and the lack of experience there next year is our glaring issue. For many their first "real" experience will be in the horseshoe and that is a scary thought.
Hey guys, not to change the subject here but I want to take you back to UM vs Wis.
There's a quote from Jacory Harris that kinda bothered me after the game:
"Against this type of team, you got to put up points and put them up fast, because they can hold the ball for so long," Harris said.
I really hope this wasn't put into his head by a coach before the game "You gotta put up alot of points tonight cause they are gonna hold the ball all night."
My question is: Why worry about that? Don't worry about what Wisconsin does on offense, focus on what YOU need to do on offense and have confidence in what your defense can do. (The D played pretty well)
Based on what we saw versus Wisconsin there were alot of 5+ step drop back passes and throwing long. I really don't understand it and if a coach tells his QB before the game that: "He has to put up alot of points tonight because Wisconsin can hold the ball all night." In my eyes is just totally the wrong philosophy and game plan.
We just need to stop forcing excuses down people's throats. 2009 is over and why should we concede that 2010 is gonna be an horrible year. I already cited above that most if not all our formidable opponents are gonna go through more changes to key personel than we are. That is a bigger factor to a championship run than simply looking at the teams we have home and away, and like i said also 2011 schedule is gonna be tougher than 2010 if we look which teams we have to visit. I don't feel just looking at us losing 3 OL as yeah its gonna e hard for us to replace them. These players are the same ones everyone is complaining that Randy inherited. Other than Fox anybody who replaces the others should be a step up. All the players will be Randy's players, the class from 2008 will be Jrs and 3 years is enough for them to start showing something other than mediocrity and Randy also had a class of players that came in before that who came in with Allen Bailey who are SRs, DVD, Gunn. Also the ACC is nothing special, we totally hammered GT and if we could have beaten teams that finished with 5 losses we would have won the ACC, we are not up against teams who are going undefeated like Bama and UF, TX, OU etc, we are losing to mediocrity. Its put up or shut and i don't think in January 2010 we should be talking about oh yeah we should be waiting on 2011. At first it was 2010 now its being pushed back, its time for some accountability. After this signing day Randy will have had 4 recruiting classes. Im not criticizing the guy and found myself beating back criticism of him for the past 3 years.....next year i don't want to hear no excuses and how young we are and what he was left with from Coker cuz that would have been 4 years removed, Coker has taken enough blame and from now on its strictly on Randy and his staff...simple
allcanes,,, you're in denial brother!!!!!we SUCK, get used to it!the sooner we get RS out of coral gables, the sooner we start winning BIG games...its that simple! stop trying to figure out why the U cant win "the BIG games"!!!!the blame ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS,,,,,(one more time) ALWAYS is put on the HEAD COACH! 9-4 SUCKS!!! and homeboy takes home $1,500,000.00 per year?!???? COME ON MAN!!!!!
FAULT IS ALWAYS ON THE HEAD COACH!!!!!!! ALWAYS!!!!
allcanes,,, you're in denial brother!!!!!we SUCK, get used to it!the sooner we get RS out of coral gables, the sooner we start winning BIG games...its that simple! stop trying to figure out why the U cant win "the BIG games"!!!!the blame ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS,,,,,(one more time) ALWAYS is put on the HEAD COACH! 9-4 SUCKS!!! and homeboy takes home $1,500,000.00 per year?!???? COME ON MAN!!!!!
.... 9-4 means a team "sucks"? Wow. Didn't hear too many fans saying Miami sucked after 9-4 in '99. Optimism was high entering 2000 -- year six in Davis' tenure.
The blame doesn't ALWAYS go on the head coach. Not when you're void of depth and are weak at too many important positions - most notably offensive and defensive line as well as linebacker.
It's a five-year rebuild. You don't want to accept that, check out for another year or two and come back when this team is either 'back' or you have the new coach you're looking for. Other than that, you're just regurgitating the same ol, same ol all the anti-Randy folk say.
next year i don't want to hear no excuses and how young we are and what he was left with from Coker cuz that would have been 4 years removed, Coker has taken enough blame and from now on its strictly on Randy and his staff...simple.
The 2010 senior class were freshmen in fall 2007 -- Coker's last class and the one Shannon tried to save two months on the job. His first official class will be seniors in 2011.
For those who start the clock ticking next year, that's fine. I think 2011 is when Shannon should be judged, but that can start next year -- but not in 2009.
I simply marvel that 9-4 now "sucks" when at the beginning of the season so many were calling for 0-4 and worse than last year's 7-6 run. Seriously, I saw some people calling for 3-9 and now 9-4 is an embarrassment.
I appreciate that everyone is sick of waiting, but if you attempt some logic and REALLY look at where things were in 2007, you'll have a little more perspective on where things were and how long it'll take to get right.
In comparing Nick Saban and Randy Shannon, 'Bama players talk about Saban as having a standard of 'perfection'. An example of this is no 'Holding' calls since September. That's pretty amazing. I'm not sure what RS's standard is, but it has to be something less or Miami would not kill themselves with stupid penalties and constantly wasting time outs. That's not just this past season either and has pretty much been the norm. If that continues to be the pattern for 2010, then that's going to be a major problem.
Jimmy Johnson was one of the commentators for the Boise State & TCU game. One of the things he said was that Boise State reminded him of the U when he was head coach.
What do you think he meant by that?
In comparing Nick Saban and Randy Shannon, 'Bama players talk about Saban as having a standard of 'perfection'. An example of this is no 'Holding' calls since September. That's pretty amazing. I'm not sure what RS's standard is, but it has to be something less or Miami would not kill themselves with stupid penalties and constantly wasting time outs. That's not just this past season either and has pretty much been the norm. If that continues to be the pattern for 2010, then that's going to be a major problem.
Willis, Randy has a ton of work to do if he wants to reach Saban status. That's an understatement.
Three years in, there have been some sloppy and sorry moments during Shannon's tenure. That can't be denied.
Saban is all business and again, after sixteen years and a ton of success, he commands respect and his players "get" him. When he preaches something, they fall in line.
Whatever Saban is doing to get his kids to play disciplined football, yes, Shannon should absolutely emulate it.
Randy is entering year four and I hope that he again spends an off season meeting with other coaches and picking some more experienced brains regarding how to rebuild and this thing back on track.
Jimmy Johnson was one of the commentators for the Boise State & TCU game. One of the things he said was that Boise State reminded him of the U when he was head coach.
What do you think he meant by that?
Boise State impressed me last night. That was the biggest win of their recent run. The shootout with Oklahoma a few years back felt like a fluke and based on the Sooners' bowl (lack of) success this past decade, it seemed like everybody was beating them in January.
Regarding JJ's comment, I assume he meant a few things - most notably that the Broncos seem to find a way to get it done. They play confident and when the money is on the table and they need the big play, they have proven they know how to come up big.
That fake punt last night was a backbreaker as they hung in there all night with TCU. TCU's defense came correct, but it was Boise State's defense that surprised and their special teams which kept that game winning drive alive.
My only wish is that Boise State took on more of that "anywhere, anyplace, anytime" mentality and played some bigger programs.
Snuck up on Oregon early, played nobody the rest of the year -- allowing them to gain momentum, never being challenged -- and with a month to prepare, Chris Petersen had a hell of a game plan that allowed them to go toe-to-toe with a really good TCU team.
Would've loved to see either TCU or Boise State versus Florida in the Sugar. A quality BCS opponent instead of forcing the two little guys to play each other, canceling each other out. No real measuring stick there.
"allcanes,,, you're in denial brother!!!!!we SUCK, get used to it!the sooner we get RS out of coral gables, the sooner we start winning BIG games...its that simple! stop trying to figure out why the U cant win "the BIG games"!!!!the blame ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS,,,,,(one more time) ALWAYS is put on the HEAD COACH! 9-4 SUCKS!!! and homeboy takes home $1,500,000.00 per year?!???? COME ON MAN!!!!!
FAULT IS ALWAYS ON THE HEAD COACH!!!!!!! ALWAYS!!!!"
This one post proves Miami has some of THE dumbest fan's in the nation. *Sigh*. Is it possible to just start kicking select fans, like this joker, off the damn bus???
As iv said before, if you arent with Randy, you are against the University of Miami.
Right On!
Could anyone explain in greater detail the source of UM's money/facility problems? It seems to me that as a private school charging each student a small fortune to attend that they would have more to spend than a state school.
1. I remember the same things being said about Randy Shannon being said about Butch Davis. Now Butch is consider as the savior.
I myself wanted Butch out of Miami.
2. What about Jon Tenuta as DC? He got let go by ND and he was a monster at GT with those blitz packages?
One of UM's Chemistry teachers once told us that it costs a lot of money to fly the football team around, plus the entire band. Think about that.
I do think that all of these former 'Canes that are in the NFL and making millions, could help in a major way.
The only athlete that I ever heard of doing anything like that is ARod and he didn't even go to UM.
Anonymous said...
Your entire article could have been 2 sentences:
"We're not going to win any time soon. Get used to it."
Pretty sad read if you ask me.
7:13 PM
____________________________________
YOU GOT IT!
Way too much analyzing, blah, blah, blah...just trying too hard to convince themselves otherwise!
We have seen BAD TEAMS win over GREAT TEAMS! Worst teams have done BETTER THAN UM!
We have talent on the team. We need PASSION and LEADERSHIP back on the team!
BRING ON TORRETTA!
IIII 47 IIII said...
"allcanes,,, you're in denial brother!!!!!we SUCK, get used to it!the sooner we get RS out of coral gables, the sooner we start winning BIG games...its that simple! stop trying to figure out why the U cant win "the BIG games"!!!!the blame ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS,,,,,(one more time) ALWAYS is put on the HEAD COACH! 9-4 SUCKS!!! and homeboy takes home $1,500,000.00 per year?!???? COME ON MAN!!!!!
FAULT IS ALWAYS ON THE HEAD COACH!!!!!!! ALWAYS!!!!"
This one post proves Miami has some of THE dumbest fan's in the nation. *Sigh*. Is it possible to just start kicking select fans, like this joker, off the damn bus???
---------------------------------
IIII 47 IIII -- You are the joker. Are you a gaytor, by any chance?
Way too much analyzing, blah, blah, blah...just trying too hard to convince themselves otherwise!
It's a UM-themed blog. The point is to analyze and report. If you don't care, then leave. No love lost.
We have seen BAD TEAMS win over GREAT TEAMS! Worst teams have done BETTER THAN UM!
... I don't even know what this means.
We have talent on the team. We need PASSION and LEADERSHIP back on the team!
... the majority of talent on this team are underclassmen. By the time they're upperclassmen, you'll see some leaders.
How much 'leading' was Ed Reed really doing before his senior year? I don't remember much rah-rah from Reed in 1998-1999.
BRING ON TORRETTA!
... another great call from our know-it-all fan base. Bring on Gino Torretta? The former quarterback who hasn't coached a down of football, has been out of the NFL since the early 90s and has been working in the financial world since?
Randy Shannon isn't qualified, but Gino "Senior Financial Advisor at Wachovia... and sometimes radio analyst" Torretta is the guy for the job?
Brilliant. Thanks for the comic relief.
Obviously you can't take the truth or heat, given your nasty reply!
Torretta is certainly more accomplished in FOOTBALL than you will ever be!
The Canes need PASSION and LEADERSHIP TO TAKE US TO NEXT LEVEL -- NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!
BRING ON TORRETTA!!!
NUFF SAID!
We need LEADERSHIP from the COACH -- the PASSION to light the fire in the belly of the players! GET IT???!!!
WHY are we repeating what we agonized through YEARS with GRANDPA COKER? STOP making excuses -- we've heard them all!
SHANNON DOES NOT HAVE IT PERIOD! SADLY HIS BEST IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO TAKE THE SCHOOL TO THE LEVEL WHERE WE NEED TO BE -- NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!
Lighten up, "Nuff Said!"
Truth is truth and Gino has never coached. Randy's been doing it for two decades. To come over hear, screaming "Gino Torretta" as the answer to the Shannon situation, that's preposterous.
Nobody's giving you any "heat". You come over here yelling (ALL CAPS!) and all aggro. Chill out. Make a point and then back it up.
Torretta was a great Cane, but he's not the answer regarding Miami's next coach.
CroCane
Delray Beach, FL
allCanes.com said...
"As I've said before, if you arent with Randy, you are against the University of Miami."
Not true. I can want the best for my alma mater (as I do) and not approve of the person at the helm especially when he is doing a disservice to the University.
Let's be honest here... Randy Shannon is doing a "disservice" to the University of Miami?
Everything you wrote after opening with this - it pointless.
As an alum, you may not be thrilled with the current product on the field - but as far as doing a disservice to your alma mater, you need to rethink your word choice here.
I still struggle to understand how 9-4 in 2009 is 'mediocre' yet 9-4 in 1999 had everyone so full of promise -- even with a head-scratching loss to East Carolina and an ass kicking at Virginia Tech.
"Expecting the best" out of the program is fine, but again, where's the logic? Why should UM be a top their game right now? Based on what -- the brand? The fabricated 'swagger'?
The recruiting and development of players was piss-poor between 2003 and 2006. FOUR straight classes were pretty much wasted - which in all reality is almost as big a hit as the probation era. That takes time to recover from.
Your comments about Torretta are as off base as saying Shannon is doing UM a disservice. Yeah, hand the keys over to a guy who's never coached before at any level.
Perhaps Shannon is more suited to his experience, Defense, NOT Offense. He simply may not have the ability to lead the entire team. How much longer do we want UM's program to suffer before we realize it?
... what does this even mean? Shannon goes out, hires Mark Whipple, everyone is doing back flips - and now Shannon is to blame?
When does some blame fall on the experienced, pass-happy Whipple? Shannon turned the keys over to the guy and while he's been impressive at times, he's also failed.
Why continue throwing deep at North Carolina when your quarterback has ruptured ligaments in his hand and already has three picks on the day? The final pick six was the backbreaker and came from Whipple being stubborn, trying to make his own agenda work instead of making adjustments.
The injured Harris threw seven interceptions (three picks sixes) in losses to Clemson and North Carolina - partly because he couldn't make the throws and partly because Whipple put him in bad situations with the playcalling.... and par for the course, an anti-Randy fan base blames the head coach for that.
Not the QB or OC -- it's that bullshit line "the buck stops with the head coach", even though Whipple is assistant head coach and made some bad calls.
Talk about 'insane'....
Cane4Ever said...
allCanes.com said...
"As iv said before, if you arent with Randy, you are against the University of Miami."
Not true. I can want the best for my alma mater (as I do) and not approve of the person at the helm especially when he is doing a disservice to the University.
Bottom line: 2009 UM football season was mediocre at best. Sure, a few wins looked Miami-esque, while some of them happened with a little luck. Our season could so easily have been 6-7 but "luck"ily it's not.
So who is to blame? The players? The coaches? The fans for their expectations? Well, I think the fans have every right to expect the best of the UM program. So, no blame there. The players are only as good as their coaches and there is definitely talent on this team. Obviously, you can have talented players but if they are not coached properly, they are as useless as a woodpecker with rubber lips. So, it's not the players (and definitely not JH).
Now what are we left with? Coaches! We have seen time and time again, both this season and last season, issues on the sidelines costing us the game. Time clock management, for example, is critical. We should not be losing games on the sidelines, repeatedly! These are unacceptable mistakes. The position of UM Head Coach is not a training program. If he does not know what he is doing, then it would behoove us to get someone in who does. That is logic. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.
By the way, the poster who mentioned Gino Torretta maybe on to something. I attended many games during his UM career and he was impressive. His college history shows he received numerous awards for his talent and he is a Hall of Famer to boot. Who knows? If not head coach, at least he might be able to bring something extra to the team. Honestly, in the state we're in, we can use all the help we can get.
Perhaps Shannon is more suited to his experience, Defense, NOT Offense. He simply may not have the ability to lead the entire team. How much longer do we want UM's program to suffer before we realize it?
The loss to Wisconsin highlighted everything wrong with the program. The most obvious being that absolutely no adjustments were made in the game. We kept running the same futile plays over and over expecting and hoping for a different result. Insane.
But that's just my opinion =)
___________________________________
WELL STATED, FANTASTIC POST!
Thank God for University of Miami alumni like YOU - you are in the MAJORITY across the country.
Anyone disasgreeing with your post must be insane, in bed with Shannon, or a closet gaytor! They can't see the forest for the trees!
They're certainly doing their level best to keep the Canes DOWN!
Now we're talking...
Here's what needs to happen to really bring back the U:
Shannon needs to come to the harsh realization that he lacks what it to takes to bring the U to the next level.
He needs to be man enough to hand over the HEADCOACH reins to someone else who HAS what it takes...for the sake of the school.
I'm certainly in favor of Torretta for no one can argue about his Heisman level talent and unequalled passion for the game -- this is what's lacking on the team!
It's up to the administration to do what's in the best interests of the university before it loses any more of it's dwindling football fans/alumni support!
Have a great day, everyone...including you gaytors!
WELL STATED, FANTASTIC POST! Thank God for University of Miami alumni like YOU - you are in the MAJORITY across the country. Anyone disasgreeing with your post must be insane, in bed with Shannon, or a closet gaytor! They can't see the forest for the trees! They're certainly doing their level best to keep the Canes DOWN!
... first off, you're agreeing with a post that stated: "The loss to Wisconsin highlighted everything wrong with the program. The most obvious being that absolutely no adjustments were made in the game."
Really? Miami gives up 17 in the first half and THREE points in the second... but "no adjustements were made".
On offense in the second half, an early deep pass to Tommy Streeter for 47 yards... every armchair quarterback's favorite running back Damien Berry in the game (and ineffective). Coaches were adjusting and trying new things on offense, but again it doesn't work when you don't EXECUTE.
In the second half, Miami couldn't convert on third down because the Canes continued getting WHOOPED in the trenches. Even the ESPN sideline commentators talked about how Miami was trying several different looks on o-line during the game and none were working.
Coaches were ADJUSTING but adjustments weren't working. Late in the third quarter, 3rd and 6... and JH sacked for nine yards. Dropped balls on third down or bad passes. No time to make plays.
Berry rushes for 23 yards early in the fourth quarter... an ounce of momentum... 1st and 10, Harris sacked and fumbles, again, because Miami got WHOOPED in the trenches.
Wisky takes just under four minutes off the clock, Miami gets ball back and goes 79 yards in under three minutes for the touchdown. Harris spread it to five different receivers, but yeah, NO ADJUSTMENTS.
Some of you simply regurgitate s**t you've heard over the years and can't think for yourself.
A lack of adjustments weren't the problem. Miami got their ass kicked at the line of scrimmage all night. That's why the Canes ran for a mere 61 yards and were a mere 2-11 on third down.
Wisky brought the house at Harris all night and he was sacked FIVE TIMES in the course of the game -- making for THIRTY-FOUR sacks on the year. That's pathetic. (Ken Dorsey was sacked FOUR times the entire 2001 season!)
No one is blaming the players - as much as the blame is on a lack of overall talent and depth. The coaches can only do so much.
How do you blame a coach when a linebacker is out of position and can't cover a tight end? Upperclassmen at linebacker and they're still not playing their position right... C'mon now.
Football is about execution. The playcalling wasn't the issue - the lack of executing was.
Only knock I had was Whipple's lack of desire to run the ball more. You have to establish the run against a team that is setting up to tee off on your quarterback all night long.
Comical how y'all will rip Shannon. This comment is flat-out moronic: "Perhaps Shannon is more suited to his experience, Defense, NOT Offense. He simply may not have the ability to lead the entire team. How much longer do we want UM's program to suffer before we realize it?"
Shannon brings in the experienced Mark Whipple, turns the offense over to him, gives him the title of Assistant Head Coach, too... yet you still blame the head man when Whipple doesn't get his job done.
Classic.
Shannon needs to come to the harsh realization that he lacks what it to takes to bring the U to the next level.
He needs to be man enough to hand over the HEADCOACH reins to someone else who HAS what it takes...for the sake of the school.
.... yeah, that's how college football works. Coaches just step down because some clueless fans don't believe in them. They just hand over the reigns. Great call.
I'm certainly in favor of Torretta for no one can argue about his Heisman level talent and unequalled passion for the game -- this is what's lacking on the team!
... of course you are because you're the same 'Anonymous' clown writing the same thing over and over. Thanks to you, we just decided to do away with 'Anonymous' posts. Moving forward, everyone has to sign on to comment here.
It's up to the administration to do what's in the best interests of the university before it loses any more of it's dwindling football fans/alumni support!
... yes and firing Randy Shannon to hire Gino Torretta will do just that. Great call. (Sarcasm).
allCanes.com said...
“Let's be honest here... Randy Shannon is doing a "disservice" to the University of Miami? Everything you wrote after opening with this - it pointless.”
I could say the majority of your post is “pointless” but I respect the opinion of others and countered with mine, as is my right. Perhaps you need to rethink your word choice =)
"As an alum, you may not be thrilled with the current product on the field ”
That is an understatement but I still love the U.
"I still struggle to understand how 9-4 in 2009 is 'mediocre' yet 9-4 in 1999 had everyone so full of promise -- even with a head-scratching loss to East Carolina and an ass kicking at Virginia Tech. "
I was and remain hopeful but never felt “full of promise” these past couple of years and this year remains unchanged. You throw out 9-4 and expect the fans to do cartwheels? Get real. 9-4 is mediocre at best especially when you see how we barely eeked out 3 of those wins.
"The recruiting and development of players was piss-poor between 2003 and 2006. FOUR straight classes were pretty much wasted - which in all reality is almost as big a hit as the probation era. That takes time to recover from. ”
I agree. However, I don’t believe Shannon is going to deliver us from mediocrity. He’s proved it over the last few seasons.
“Shannon goes out, hires Mark Whipple, everyone is doing back flips - and now Shannon is to blame?"
Ultimately, yes. Of course Whipple shares some of the blame. However, obviously Whipple answers to Shannon. Everyone saw the same asinine plays being run over and over and over. If Whipple isn’t making the adjustments, is there no one else to make some calls? Is Shannon just supposed to stand there with his teeth in his mouth and watch the offense collapse?? At what point does the head coach step in and say/do something.. anything?? Is it because Shannon only knows Defense and has no clue on what to do on Offense? The fish rots from the head down. A team will only be as good as its leader.
Turning the keys over to Shannon… truly INSANE.
"I still struggle to understand how 9-4 in 2009 is 'mediocre' yet 9-4 in 1999 had everyone so full of promise -- even with a head-scratching loss to East Carolina and an ass kicking at Virginia Tech. "I was and remain hopeful but never felt “full of promise” these past couple of years and this year remains unchanged. You throw out 9-4 and expect the fans to do cartwheels? Get real. 9-4 is mediocre at best especially when you see how we barely eeked out 3 of those wins.
... you're putting words in my mouth. I never said "do cartwheels" over 9-4.
My point - which you continue to miss - is that we're seeing growth and progress. For a program that was in disarray when Shannon took over, he's improved each of his three years on the job.
This thing wasn't slated to be back on track year three - and again, everyone that was screaming for 0-4 and this guy to be fired mid-season - give him his due for what he pulled off.
9-4 isn't "mediocre, at best". That's a joke. You say Miami eked out a few wins - well Clemson and North Carolina both eked out wins against Miami. That sentiment goes both ways.
The Tigers got a fluke kick return from CJ Spiller (poor kick by UM), a pick six and used a never before tried play to score the game winner in OT.
The Heels benefitted from a freak play on their second pick six of the day, when UM was on the comeback.
Miami put up 435 yards on North Carolina's top-five defense and brought it to 23-17 early in the fourth quarter before Harris' fourth pick - and second pick six of the day - on a bad play, no less.
Welcome to football - where so many games can go one way or the other. Miami went 9-4 and could just have easily been 11-1 or 7-6. You could say that about several teams this year. Alabama eked one out against Tennessee. Florida eked one out against Arkansas. Texas was :01 away from not getting off a game-winning field goal against Texas.
"The recruiting and development of players was piss-poor between 2003 and 2006. FOUR straight classes were pretty much wasted - which in all reality is almost as big a hit as the probation era. That takes time to recover from. ”
I agree. However, I don’t believe Shannon is going to deliver us from mediocrity. He’s proved it over the last few seasons.
Maybe he will, maybe he won't... but you're still blowing off the crux of the argument here; that Shannon inherited a TERRIBLE Miami team -- which means he deserves MORE THAN three years to right the ship.
Pissing and moaning about the guy... not giving him his due time to take care of business - it's lame and again, it's a kin to bitching about the halftime score instead of waiting until the end of the game.
“Shannon goes out, hires Mark Whipple, everyone is doing back flips - and now Shannon is to blame?"
Ultimately, yes. Of course Whipple shares some of the blame. However, obviously Whipple answers to Shannon. Everyone saw the same asinine plays being run over and over and over. If Whipple isn’t making the adjustments, is there no one else to make some calls? Is Shannon just supposed to stand there with his teeth in his mouth and watch the offense collapse?? At what point does the head coach step in and say/do something.. anything?? Is it because Shannon only knows Defense and has no clue on what to do on Offense? The fish rots from the head down. A team will only be as good as its leader.
... again with the cliches, but little substance.
What do you mean the same plays over and over? Miami called a different offensive game in the second half than they did in the first. Different personnel in the game, too.
Similar result in the fact that the offensive line couldn't hold a block to save their life.
Go back and rewatch the game before you write crap like this.
You're talking out of both sides of your mouth. You say Whipple deserves some of the blame... but then you say that he answers to Shannon... yet a common argument from all Shannon haters is the fact that he isn't "hands off" enough regarding the offense... yet when he is, then you still want to blame him for the OC not getting it done.
The offense was "collapsing" because of a porous offensive line that couldn't do it's job -- no matter which version of the line up Miami sent out there against Wisconsin. When you can't block, then you won't be able to run or throw. Welcome to Football:101.
Turning the keys over to Shannon… truly INSANE.
... ahh yes, insane... because as we've discussed before SO MANY other people were lined up to take this job.
No one wanted Miami when Butch Davis took over and no one wanted it when Shannon got the gig. Until you can wrap your arms around that -- or can prove otherwise, come up with a better solution, etc. - your argument is moot.
All you're doing is bitching, but haven't done a damn thing to offer a SOLUTION. Come up with a solution other than 'fire Shannon'. Build a case with some legs instead of just regurgitating crap you read on a message board.
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